Former Rockwell Collins President Kelly Ortberg retires from Raytheon Technologies

Longtime Rockwell Collins leader Robert Kelly Ortberg retired from his role at Raytheon Technologies, the company's chief executive officer Greg Hayes said in a LinkedIn post last week.

Ortberg, who was most recently listed as a special adviser to Hayes, was president of Rockwell Collins from 2012 to 2018, later adding CEO and chairman to his title.

When United Technologies acquired Rockwell Collins in 2018, he became CEO of the newly named Collins Aerospace.

He stepped down from Collins Aerospace last February to assume the special adviser role.

Ortberg, who grew up in Dubuque and was a 1982 graduate of the University of Iowa, will continue to serve on the Raytheon Technologies board. MarketScreener lists his age as 59.

'His contributions to our customers, employees and company have been immeasurable,” Hayes said in the LinkedIn post.

'I look forward to his industry expertise and leadership as he continues to serve as a member of the Raytheon Technologies board of directors.”

Many Collins Aerospace employees commented on Hayes' post, describing him as 'smart, humble and authentic” and an 'outstanding leader and mentor.”

Brad Neilly, a senior manager for cabin systems programs at Collins Aerospace, said Ortberg was 'a leader who led when seemingly no one was watching.”

He recalled Ortberg's removal of assigned parking for higher-ranking Rockwell Collins employees in Cedar Rapids.

'I'll never forget one Friday evening several years back,” Neilly said in his LinkedIn comment. 'Kelly was leaving the building just a few feet ahead of me. I had a bit of a trek to get to my vehicle, and Kelly must have been parked quite a ways out as well because he continued even further than I did, deep into the parking lot to get to his spot. It was a little thing but had a big impact on me.”

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