Airbus top management team confirmed

Two weeks after his arrival in Toulouse, Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tom Enders has appointed his top management team.

The new Airbus Executive Committee (EC) will comprise nine members, three less than previously. Confirmed EC Members are Chief Operating Officer (COO) Fabrice Brégier, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Hans Peter Ring, COO Customers John Leahy, Executive Vice President (EVP) Programmes Tom Williams; EVP Engineering Patrick Gavin, and EVP Operations Gerald Weber.

New appointees to the Airbus Executive Committee are Thierry Baril (42) as EVP Human Resources, effective October 1st 2007, and Klaus Richter (43) as EVP Procurement, who will join Airbus on November 1st 2007. Since the departure of the previous function heads, HR and Procurement have been lead by EADS HR Director Jussi Itävuori and Tom Williams respectively. Furthermore, Christian Scherer (45) is appointed EVP Strategy and Future Programmes, reporting directly to the CEO. The appointments were agreed by EADS CEO.

Fabrice Brégier, Airbus‘ No. 2, will continue to have operational responsibility for Power8, the company’s wide-ranging restructuring and change programme. His other main responsibilities include the EC functions Operations, Engineering and Procurement, and the A350 programme.

„Today’s decisions complete the reshuffle of Airbus‘ top executive team. The new, leaner management structure allows for clear leadership and accountabilities. It will enable faster decision-making and better integration of processes and functions all across the company. The new top management reflects – in structure as well as in competence – the challenges and priorities we have to tackle in the coming years. Together with this team, I will continue to build the new Airbus, started by Louis Gallois,“ said Tom Enders when announcing the new organisation.

„The creation of a new EVP position for Strategy and Future Programmes reporting directly to me reflects the importance I attach to long-term business development and future technologies,“ he added.

Thierry Baril has been EVP Human Resources of EADS‘ Eurocopter Division since 2003. He had previously worked for several multinational companies such as Alstom Energy and G.E Power Systems, as well as Alcatel Space. During his professional career he gained a lot of experience in working in several multinational environments. This will bring great benefits to the new Airbus.

Klaus Richter will join Airbus from BMW where he currently heads the production materials purchasing division. His worldwide experience in procurement in the automobile industry will facilitate the implementation of the new procurement model that Airbus is putting into place in the frame of the Power8 programme. As such he will lead the procurement area into a new phase, while building up an improved relationship with our suppliers.

Christian Scherer joined Airbus in 1984, becoming successively Head of Contracting and Pricing, and then Head of Leasing markets and was Deputy Head of Commercial of Airbus. Mr Scherer’s long experience of the company and the airliner market is a strong asset when having to define the long term strategy of the company. Mr Scherer had previously been in charge of Future Programmes.

Airbus is an EADS company.

Airbus Executive Committee Members: