Airbus directors have named Guillaume Faury as successor to Tom Enders as chief executive.

Faury currently serves as president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft. He will succeed Enders, who will remain chief executive until the company's next AGM on 10 April 2019. At that point Faury's appointment as executive member of the board will be submitted to shareholders.

Faury served in various senior management roles at Eurocopter between 1998 and 2008. After a stint at Peugeot, he returned in 2013 to become chief executive of Airbus Helicopters. In early 2018, he took the helm of Airbus Commercial Aircraft.

Airbus board chairman Denis Ranque says: "We are delighted to be appointing someone of Guillaume’s calibre to take the helm. His global outlook, extensive operational experience, strong personal values and straightforward leadership style make him the ideal candidate to rally Airbus teams in the delivery of value to customers, partners and shareholders going forward."

Ranque also paid tribute to Enders. "The company’s strategic, structural and governance transformations brought about under Tom’s leadership, stand Airbus in good stead to pursue its performance trajectory and continue to deliver on commitments to our shareholders and the wider financial community in future years.”

Airbus meanwhile announced Ranque will step down as chairman when his mandate ends in April 2020, as part of previously announced plans to implement a staggered succession strategy.

"At that time and after seven years as chairman, Denis Ranque has requested to leave the board to pursue other interests," Airbus says. "The board will commence the process of selecting a new chairman in due course having regard to, as expressed in its internal rules, the importance of maintaining international diversity at board and management level."

Source: Cirium Dashboard