# Theodore Colbert III

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**Theodore Colbert III** (/ˈkoʊlbərt/ kohl-bərt;[2] born 1973) is a businessman, engineer, and the former Chief Executive Officer for [Boeing Defense, Space & Security](/source/Boeing_Defense,_Space_%26_Security), a subdivision at [The Boeing Company](/source/Boeing). He served in the position from March 2022 until September 2024.[3] Previously, he served as the CEO of Boeing Global Services, and prior to that, he served as the Chief Information Officer at The Boeing Company.

He is a member of the [National Aeronautics and Space Administration](/source/NASA)’s Users’ Advisory Group and won the Black Engineer of the Year Award in 2022 at the 36th Annual BEYA STEM Conference.

## Biography

### Early life and education

Colbert was born in 1973 and was raised in [Baltimore, Maryland](/source/Baltimore).[4][5] Colbert’s father worked in labor relations for the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission](/source/Equal_Employment_Opportunity_Commission) and the National Labor Relations Board.[6] His mother worked as a social worker.[6] He was a three-sport athlete in high school with aspirations of becoming a lawyer or politician,[7] which were superseded by his interest in technology.[8] During his childhood, he had a [Commodore 64](/source/Commodore_64), an 8-bit home computer, that furthered his fascination with technology, and which he used for programming.[8] As a result of his high grades in math and science, his high school teachers encouraged him to pursue this passion and study engineering.[7]

Colbert attended [Morehouse College](/source/Morehouse_College), a historically black college, for his undergraduate degree.[7][9] His decision was partly influenced by his enjoyment of the 1980s sitcom "[A Different World](/source/A_Different_World)," which portrayed life at a fictitious historically black college.[7] Colbert enrolled in a dual degree engineering program offered by Morehouse in conjunction with [Georgia Tech](/source/Georgia_Tech).[7] Colbert graduated from this program in 1996 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Interdisciplinary Science.[8]

### Career

After graduation, Colbert worked at the [Ford Motor Company](/source/Ford_Motor_Company), where he joined the fast-track Ford College Graduate Program in the Information Technology department.[1][10] After working 11 years at Ford, he began working for [Citigroup](/source/Citigroup), serving as the senior vice president of Enterprise Architecture.[1]

In 2009, he joined Boeing and would later lead the Information Technology Infrastructure organization.[1] While working in the I.T. department, he developed network, computing, server, storage, collaboration, and infrastructure solutions for Boeing.[6] He also spent time managing Boeing computer application systems that supported internal systems, Boeing Finance, Human Resources, and Corporate and Commercial Capital Business divisions.[1]

Afterwards, he became the chief information officer of Boeing’s Information Technology & Data Analytics division.[1] During his time as CIO, Colbert launched the Analytic Lab for Aerospace Data at [Carnegie Mellon University](/source/Carnegie_Mellon_University).[6]

In 2019, Colbert was named president and chief executive officer of Boeing Global Services.[10] In that position, he managed Boeing’s international commercial aerospace development, delivery, and distribution operations.[1]

In March 2022, Boeing announced that Colbert would take over the role of president and chief executive of Boeing Defense, Space and Security from [Leanne Caret](/source/Leanne_Caret), who retired after working at Boeing for 28 years.[10]

Colbert stated that his top priorities with Boeing are driving stability and predictability and that the successful advancement of these goals will require a well-trained workforce and resolutions to supply chain issues.[11] Under his leadership, Boeing Defense hired 10,000 employees in 2022 and aims to hire another 15,000 people in 2023.[11] Colbert also led Boeing Defense to collaborate with the [US Air Force](/source/United_States_Air_Force) on the escape system for the [T-7](/source/Boeing%E2%80%93Saab_T-7_Red_Hawk).[11] Colbert, was ". . .replaced [on September 20, 2024 as] the head of its troubled defense and space business, which has struggled with money-losing government contracts and embarrassing setbacks involving its Starliner space capsule."[3]

## Sanctions

### China

In September 2022, [Foreign Ministry of China](/source/Foreign_Ministry_of_China) spokesperson [Mao Ning](/source/Mao_Ning_(diplomat)) announced at a press briefing that [China](/source/China) has imposed sanctions on Colbert and [Raytheon Technologies](/source/Raytheon_Technologies) CEO [Gregory J. Hayes](/source/Gregory_J._Hayes), in response to the [U.S. arms sale](/source/List_of_US_arms_sales_to_Taiwan) to [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan).[12] Mao stated that the two would be sanctioned to protect China’s autonomy and security interests, but did not give further details on the sanctions.[13]

### Russia

In November 2022, Colbert was sanctioned by the [Russian Federation](/source/Russia), along with 199 other Americans, in response to sanctions issued by the [Biden Administration](/source/Presidency_of_Joe_Biden) over the [Russian invasion of Ukraine](/source/Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine).[14]

## Memberships

### Board memberships

#### Current

- Board member, [Archer-Daniels-Midland Company](/source/ADM_(company))[15]
- Vice-chairman of the board, [Aerospace Industries Association](/source/Aerospace_Industries_Association)[16]
- Board member, [Thurgood Marshall College Fund](/source/Thurgood_Marshall_College_Fund)[17]
- Board member, [Virginia Tech](/source/Virginia_Tech)[18]
- Board chair, [New Leaders](/source/New_Leaders)[19]
- Board member, [Association of the United States Army](/source/Association_of_the_United_States_Army)[20]
- Board member, [District of Columbia](/source/Washington,_D.C.) College Access Program[21]

### Other memberships

- Member, [Alpha Phi Alpha](/source/Alpha_Phi_Alpha) fraternity Gamma Lambda chapter[22]
- Member, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Users’ Advisory Group[23]

## Awards

- Fisher Center Prize for Excellence in Driving Transformation, [Berkeley Haas School of Business](/source/Haas_School_of_Business)[24]
- Power 100 Honoree (2015), *[Ebony](/source/Ebony_(magazine))*[25]
- Transformational CIO Award Winner (2016), HMG Strategy[26]
- Golden Torch Legacy Award Winner (2016), [National Society of Black Engineers](/source/National_Society_of_Black_Engineers)[27][28]
- Bennie Leadership Award for Excellence in Business (2017), [Morehouse College](/source/Morehouse_College)[29]
- CIO Innovation Award (2018), *[Forbes](/source/Forbes)*[30]
- Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America (2020, 2022), *[Savoy Magazine](/source/Savoy_(magazine))*[31][32]
- Most Influential Black Corporate Directors (2021), *Savoy Magazine*[33]
- Leadership Winner (2021), Capital ORBIE Awards[34][35]
- Black Engineer of Year Award (2022), 36th Annual BEYA STEM Conference[8][36][37][38]
- National Academy of Engineering (2024) [39]

## References

1. ["Boeing: Theodore (Ted) Colbert III"](https://www.boeing.com/company/bios/ted-colbert.page). *www.boeing.com*

1. ["Ted Colbert"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpYNlctW0Ys), March 2023, retrieved 2023-11-07

1. Associated Press (September 20, 2024). ["The head of Boeing's defense and space business is out as company tries to fix troubled contracts"](https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-business/ap-the-head-of-boeings-defense-and-space-business-is-out-as-company-tries-to-fix-troubled-contracts/). *The Hill*. Retrieved September 20, 2024.

1. ["USBE&IT Conference 2022"](https://www.blackengineer.com/article/usbeit-conference-2022/). *www.blackengineer.com*. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

1. Kira (2023-08-31). ["Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: THEODORE 'TED' COLBERT III"](https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/federal-contractors-technology-2023-theodore-ted-colbert-iii/). *Virginia Business*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Congratulations to the 2022 Black Engineer of the Year!"](https://www.blackengineer.com/news/congratulations-to-the-2022-black-engineer-of-the-year/). *www.blackengineer.com*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Meet the Man Trying to Change the Culture of Boeing Defense"](https://www.defenseone.com/business/2022/11/meet-man-trying-change-culture-boeing-defense/379364/). *Defense One*. 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["ISyE Alumnus Theodore Colbert III: 2022 Black Engineer of the Year | H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering"](https://www.isye.gatech.edu/news/isye-alumnus-theodore-colbert-iii-2022-black-engineer-year). *www.isye.gatech.edu*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Historic HBCU College in Atlanta, GA - Morehouse College"](https://morehouse.edu/). *Morehouse*. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

1. Losey, Stephen (2022-03-28). ["Boeing announces new leadership at defense unit"](https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2022/03/28/boeing-announces-new-leadership-at-defense-unit/). *Defense News*. Retrieved 2023-11-06.

1. ["Ted Colbert on Top Priorities for Boeing's Defense Business"](https://www.govconwire.com/2023/06/ted-colbert-on-top-priorities-for-boeings-defense-business/). *GovCon Wire*. 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-11-06.

1. ["China sanctions Raytheon, Boeing Defense CEOs over Taiwan"](https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-china-beijing-gregory-hayes-7281a653c1b4122e4905b3c41b288093). *Associated Press*. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-11-18.

1. ["China plans sanctions on CEOs of Boeing Defense, Raytheon over Taiwan sales"](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-impose-sanctions-us-ceos-over-taiwan-arms-sales-2022-09-16/). *Reuters*. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2023-11-07.

1. Stimson, Brie (2022-11-11). ["Paul Pelosi, Biden family members among 200 Americans sanctioned by Russia"](https://www.foxnews.com/world/paul-pelosi-biden-family-members-among-americans-sanctioned-russia). *Fox News*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["ADM - Governance - Board of Directors - Person Details"](https://investors.adm.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=f195cadd-e7c0-4d79-92fe-8631a5c3bb85). *investors.adm.com*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. Perez, Sue (2022-11-21). ["AIA Announces Executive Committee Appointments For 2023"](https://www.aia-aerospace.org/news/aia-announces-executive-committee-appointments-for-2023/). *Aerospace Industries Association*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Board of Directors"](https://www.tmcf.org/about-us/meet-the-team/our-board/). *Thurgood Marshall College Fund*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Innovation Campus Advisory Board Members"](https://vt.edu/content/innovation_subfolder_cms_vt_edu/en/about/advisory-board.html). *vt.edu*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Our People | New Leaders"](https://www.newleaders.org/about/people). *www.newleaders.org*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Executive Leadership"](https://www.ausa.org/executive-leadership). *AUSA*. 2015-12-16. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Board of Directors | DC-CAP"](https://dccap.org/team-category/dc-cap-board-of-directors/). *DC College Access Program*. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Bro. Theodore Colbert III – Detroit Alphas"](https://detroitalphas.org/bro-theodore-colbert-iii/). Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["UAG Membership Roster and Biographies - NASA"](https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/uag-membership-roster-and-biographies/). 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2023-10-30.

1. ["Fisher Center Fellows"](https://fcba.berkeley.edu/fellows/). *Fisher Center for Business Analytics*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. ["EBONY - 2015 Power 100"](https://www.ebony.com/power100-2015/). *www.ebony.com*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. ["Transformational CIO Awards – CIO & CISO Summits"](https://hmgstrategy.com/cio-awards/). Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. ["National Society of Black Engineers Recognizes Excellence with Its 19th Annual NSBE Golden Torch Awards."](https://www.akiit.com/2016/04/18/national-society-of-black-engineers-recognizes-excellence-with-its-19th-annual-nsbe-golden-torch-awards/). *Akiit.com*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. Lynn, Samara (2016-04-27). ["EMC, Intel among Award Recipients at Black Engineers' Gala"](https://www.blackenterprise.com/emc-intel-among-award-recipients-black-engineers-gala/). *Black Enterprise*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. ["ISyE Alumnus Theodore Colbert III: 2022 Black Engineer of the Year | Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion"](https://diversity.gatech.edu/about/news-and-events/isye-alumnus-theodore-colbert-iii-2022-black-engineer-year). *diversity.gatech.edu*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. High, Peter. ["Boeing's CIO Wins Forbes CIO Innovation Award By Developing The Digital Flight Deck"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2018/04/16/boeings-cio-wins-forbes-cio-innovation-award-by-developing-the-digital-flight-deck/). *Forbes*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. Cates, Edward (2023-11-01). ["2020 MOST INFLUENTIAL BLACK EXECUTIVES IN CORPORATE AMERICA"](https://savoynetwork.com/mibeca2020/). *Savoy*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. willie@blackdigitalgroup.com (2022-07-20). ["123 ELC Members Featured on Savoy's 2022 Most Influential Black Executives In Corporate America"](https://www.elcinfo.com/blog/123-elc-members-featured-on-savoys-2022-most-influential-black-executives-in-corporate-america/). *The Executive Leadership Council (ELC)*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. Cates, Edward (2023-11-01). ["2021 Most Influential Black Corporate Directors"](https://savoynetwork.com/mibcd-2021/). *Savoy*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. ["Awards"](https://orbie.org/awards). *CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. CapitalCIO. ["Winners of 2021 CapitalCIO ORBIE Awards Announced"](https://www.prweb.com/releases/Winners_of_2021_CapitalCIO_ORBIE_Awards_Announced/prweb18119060.htm). *[PRWeb](/source/PRWeb)*. Retrieved 2023-11-01.

1. ["USBE Conference, Volume 46, Number 1 by Career Communications Group - Issuu"](https://issuu.com/rjkennedy/docs/usbe_vol46_no1). *issuu.com*. 12 December 2021.

1. ["STEM leaders, HBCU community celebrate the 2022 Black Engineer of the Year"](https://www.blackengineer.com/article/stem-leaders-hbcu-community-celebrate-the-2022-black-engineer-of-the-year/). *www.blackengineer.com*

1. ["36th Annual BEYA STEM Conference presents the 2022 Awardees"](https://www.prlog.org/12898138-36th-annual-beya-stem-conference-presents-the-2022-awardees.html). *PRLog*. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

1. ["Mr. Theodore Colbert III"](https://www.nae.edu/313126/Mr-Theodore-Colbert-III). *NAE Website*. Retrieved 2024-11-29.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Theodore Colbert III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Colbert_III) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Colbert_III?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.