Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: THEODORE ‘TED’ COLBERT III

Recent years have been brutal for Boeing, which has dealt with supply-chain disruptions and delays in its defense programs.

Named head of the world’s fifth largest defense contractor’s defense, space and security division in 2022, Colbert said in June at the Paris Air Show that he expected second quarter 2023 losses similar to this year’s first quarter losses, which included $212 million in operational losses on $6.54 billion in revenue. Colbert has restructured the defense program, cutting its eight divisions down to four, but Boeing is still behind schedule on aircraft and tanker deliveries, as well as the T-7 Red Hawk pilot training system for the Air Force, a $9.2 billion contract.

Colbert grew up in Baltimore and graduated from Morehouse College and Georgia Tech, studying industrial engineering. He spent 10 years at Ford, developing technologies to design cars, then redesigning consumer banking technology for Citigroup. In 2009 he joined Boeing, becoming its chief information officer, then served as president and CEO of Boeing’s global services division.

A member of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus advisory board, Colbert was named 2022 Black Engineer of the Year at US Black Engineer magazine’s BEYA STEM Conference.