“Mad Money” host Jim Cramer has praise for Boeing’s (BA) newest CEO, Kelly Ortberg.
“The most underrated CEO in America,” Cramer told Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief Brian Sozzi in a new episode of the Opening Unfiltered podcast (video above; listen below).
Ortberg has a long-standing tenure in the defense and aerospace sectors. Prior to his appointment at troubled Boeing in August 2024, he was president and CEO of Rockwell Collins. Last summer, he completed his first year at checks with Boeing, following his predecessors, who had faced uphill battles.
In 2019, then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg was ceremonially animated following the crashes of two of the company’s 737 Max 8 planes. His successor, former GE (GE) executive Dave Calhoun, saw problems plaguing the company en masse, including an Alaska Airlines (ALK) door blowout, an FAA grounding of all 737 Max 9 planes, a cockpit window crack, part of an engine detaching from a plane, and a nose and wheel falling off.
Boeing also faced a 53-day machinist strike, followed by layoffs and job cuts. Net losses reached $11.8 billion in 2024, the second-highest loss in company history.
Ortberg had to settle into the top post amid this turbulent backdrop. He sought to improve Boeing’s quality inspection processes, manage costs and ingratiate himself with President Trump. The company has started inking new deals for its planes, including with Korean Air, Turkish Airlines and Qatar.
Boeing stock is up 22% year-over-year. The company’s first-half sales increased 26% year over year to $42.2 billion. Non-GAAP operating loss narrowed to $234 million from $1.78 billion a year earlier.
Boeing’s slow turnaround caught Cramer’s attention.
On October 2, Ramish Cheema of Insider Monkey reported that Cramer claimed his charitable trust had been buying Boeing stock “Hand Over Fist for the past two weeks.”
As for Ortberg’s leadership style that drives better performance, Cramer told Sozzi, “[The turnaround for Boeing looks like] Living in the factory floor. “
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the planes involved in the 2018 and 2019 crashes were Boeing 737 Max 9s. They were in fact the 737 Max 8 model. We regret the error.
Grace Williams is a writer for Yahoo Finance.
Every week, the editor-in-chief of Yahoo Finance Brian Sozzi fields of insight-filled conversations and discussions with the biggest names in business and markets on Opening Unfiltered offer. You can find more episodes on our video center or watch on your Favorite streaming service.
Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
