John Slattery is to join GE Aviation next month, taking over as president- and CEO-elect of GE Aviation on July 13.

He will take over the role of CEO on September 1. Irishman Slattery has led Embraer’s Commercial Aviation business since 2016 and will replacing David Joyce who is set to retire after 40 years with the aircraft engine giant.

Joyce will remain in GE, becoming non-executive chair of GE Aviation through the end of 2020, as well as remaining both GE vice chairman and advisor to GE Research in that time. He will serve as a strategic adviser to GE Aviation into next year.

Appointment comes weeks after failed Boeing-Embraer alliance

Slattery’s appointment comes weeks after the collapse of a planned aerospace alliance between Embraer and Boeing. Boeing terminated the deal in April, resulting in an arbitration battle between the two manufacturers. Slattery played a key role in the deal, with industry sources predicting he would quit Embraer if the alliance with Boeing did not materialise.

GE’s aviation unit has been hit by the drop in air travel, as well as hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets which have been grounded for more than a year. The company announced plans to cut its global workforce by around 25 per cent last month. GE also co-owns engine maker CFM International with France’s Safram which supplies all engines for Boeing 737s and powers about half of the medium-haul Airbus A320s.

“Time of unprecedented change in the aerospace industry”

Slattery will join the Ohio-based division as it struggles to recover from a massive fall in demand for new aircraft. He said: “This is a time of unprecedented change in the aerospace industry, yet also an opportunity to reimagine the future of flight and how we can best serve our customers.”

The division has also unveiled a multi-billion dollar cost cutting programme which will impact the second half of 2020. At least a third to a half of the cost-saving measures, including job cuts, will be permanent as the company looks to increase its digital business operations.

In an update to investors earlier this month, GE representatives stated: “Not surprisingly, our commercial services business has experienced the greatest impact as airline customers take actions to conserve cash, such as parking aircraft while demand remains low or delaying engine maintenance until those engines are needed again.”

The company has also identified used serviceable material taken from retired aircraft as another threat to its new spare parts business. GE has not outlined expectations for a return to pre-pandemic levels of business.

Arjan Meijer is new President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation

Embraer has announced Arjan Meijer as the new President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. Arjan will report directly to Embraer President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto, and the move will be effective immediately.

Arjan, 47, has been Chief Commercial Officer of Embraer Commercial Aviation since January 2017. In his role as CCO at the company, he has been responsible for the global Marketing and Sales functions across six different regions, helping the company to achieve 35 airline deals. He joined the company in April 2016 as Vice President of Commercial Aviation for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Russia.

Prior to joining Embraer, Arjan spent 15 years in various executive roles at the KLM Group. His last two roles were Vice President of Technical Services and Fleet Development at KLM’s regional subsidiary KLM Cityhopper and Managing Director at KLM UK Engineering in Norwich.

FINN caught up with Slattery in his role as President and CEO, Embraer Commercial as Embraer’s E2 regional jet programme neared completion.
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