Airbus Group has made three key management changes at its Airbus Helicopters and Airbus Defence and Space Divisions as well as its Aerolia subsidiary.

Effective 5 May, current Aerolia CEO Christian Cornille will be appointed Executive Vice President - Industry of Airbus Helicopters. In this role, he will be in charge of raising the industrial model of Airbus Helicopters to a new standard, which is a key aspect of the Division's transformation plan. Christian Cornille, aged 51, will be a member of the Executive Committee and report to Airbus Helicopters CEO Guillaume Faury. For the last five years, Christian Cornille has been leading Aerolia, a subsidiary of Airbus Group, during which time its revenues increased by 69 percent to € 1.140 billion from € 676 million. After holding positions in the nuclear and automotive industries, he began his career in aeronautics in 1988 at Eurocopter, where he was in charge of several production units for 12 years. He subsequently joined the Airbus Aerostructures Centre of Excellence in charge of the supply chain and Power 8 programme for French and German sites.

Christian Cornille will be replaced at Aerolia by Cédric Gautier. Cédric Gautier, aged 53, was nominated Senior Vice President, Head of the A400M programme in Airbus in 2011 where he achieved the civil and military certifications and first aircraft deliveries to the customers in 2013. He also heads the legal entity “Airbus Military France” as CEO. Before joining the A400M programme, Cédric Gautier led EADS Sogerma as President and CEO for four years implementing an extensive restructuring plan and succeeding in the turn-around of the company. His wide experience in the aerospace sector will allow Aerolia to continue its strategy of profitable growth and open up new markets in the future.

Rafael Tentor, aged 57, currently Head of the Light and Medium aircraft programme as well as the Multi-Role Transport and Tanker programme in Airbus Defence and Space, will take over the A400M programme from Cédric Gautier. Rafael Tentor not only has an in-depth understanding of the product and the programme having been involved in the A400M since the early days, but through his current position also brings expertise in the ramp-up of series production.

Airbus Group

Airbus Group is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2013, the Group – comprising Airbus, Airbus Defence and Space and Airbus Helicopters – generated revenues of € 59.3 billion and employed a workforce of around 144,000.