10 Things You Didn’t Know About Collins Aerospace CEO Kelly Ortberg
Kelly Ortberg is the current CEO for the Collins Aerospace corporation. Being in charge of such a massive tech company takes a great deal of knowledge, intelligence and intestinal fortitude as there’s nothing particularly easy about leading a major corporation in such a fast paced and competitive industry. We were interested in knowing more about Kelly and how he came to be involved in the industry as well as how he arrived in such a high executive position, plus a little about his personal life. In short, we wanted to find out who he is and how he came to achieve such great success. We learned a great deal and are here to share 10 things that you probably didn’t know about Kelly Ortberg.
1. His first name is really Robert
Kelly Ortberg is the name by which most people know the high powered executive. In the position that he occupies, we imagine that he can go by any name that he likes. When you look into his professional profile though you quickly discover that his legal name is Robert Kelly Ortberg, but he prefers to be called Kelly, so Kelly it is.
2. Ortberg leads a multi-billion dollar company
When we said that Mr. Ortberg has a lot on his plate, we weren’t exaggerating. Collins Aerospace, which is a United Technologies Company is a massive unit which has been created by bringing all of the UTC Aerospace Systems and the Rockwell Collins companies together. It’s important to note that Collins Aerospace is a global leader in defense and aviation markets and their annual sales are $23 billion and they have 70,000 workers employed with the company throughout the globe.
3. He’s a multi-millionaire
We also learned that Robert Kelly Ortberg has built a fortune through his career in the aerospace industry. He earns a high salary as the CEO and chairman of Collins Aerospace and it has been estimated that his current net worth as of February of 2019, is $7.4 million. This is including all of his assets as well as the stock that he is currently in possession of.
4. There is a simple key to his success
While it doesn’t appear that there is much that is simple about Mr. Ortberg, or the job that he has taken on, he does live by one simple principle. The key to his success has been following his passion. This is something that he has done throughout his entire career and it has paid off for him very well with financial stability and an amazing job in the top leadership sphere of the aerospace industry in a job that he truly loves to do.
5. He has a heart for the kids
We also learned another interesting fact about Kelly Ortberg. Even though he’s a busy executive in a fast paced industry, he makes time for the things that he considers to be important in life. One of them is serving as an adviser for the Hawkeye Council of the Boy Scouts of America. This is in addition to the other boards that he serves on including the University of Iowa’s Engineering Advisory Board, and another community interest, the United Way of East Central Iowa.
6. He’s learned a lot about achieving goals
Kelly shared that his path wasn’t a straight shot that led him to what he’s currently doing. He began his career as a mechanical engineer. The various positions that he’s held through the years with different companies helped him to develop his skills and to further define his true interest, skills and talents as he went along the way. Everything that he did prior to taking on a leadership position was preparing him to be the leader of a massive company with global ties.
7. Kelly is recognized for significant contributions
Robert Kelly Ortberg isn’t just your run of the mill executive, he’s a leader who has a proven track record for achieving success. Under his leadership, Rockwell Collins became one of the most Ethical Companies in the world as rated by the Ethisphere Institute. It was designated by Forbes as among the Best Large Employers in America and Glassdoor rated Kelly Ortberg among the Hightest Rated CEOs in 2017.
8. Robert Kelly Ortberg has stock in two industries
Another interesting fact that we learned about Robert Kelly Ortberg is that he is loaded with stock. Although his portfolio isn’t that diverse, it does consist of stock from the United Technologies Corporation, which is an Aerospace and Defense industry company with a value of $5,171,040 USD. The other industry that he has large amounts of stock is the Aptiv company, which deals with auto, truck and motorcycle parts. The value of his Aptiv stock at last snapshot was $2,099748 USD.
9. He worked his way up at Rockwell Collins
Kelly Ortbeg has spent a total of 30 years working for Rockwell Collins. When he first began his career, he started as a program manager. He worked his way up the corporate ladder doing what he loves and became the vice president and COO of the Government Systems sector of the company in 2010 as well as the COO of the Commercial Systems Business and served at these posts until promoted to CEO.
10. He serves in multiple directorships
Mr. Ortberg offers advisement to a variety of different companies. He joined the Caterpillar Global Mining LLC as a director in 2008, and also became a member of the Assn of the United States Army and Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. He also serves as a member of the Business Council and co chair of the board of FIRST, as well as being on the board of governors for the Aerospace Industries Association.
