SPR Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. on Tuesday said it named General Electric Co.'s Tom Gentile as its new chief operating officer.

Mr. Gentile, who was chief operating officer of GE Capital, will start with the fuselage maker April 1. The hiring comes amid reports that Spirit AeroSystems was seeking a chief operating officer as part of a potential succession plan for the CEO.

Chief Executive Larry Lawson, 57 years old, said earlier this month that he had no "imminent" plans to step down but noted the company has been bolstering the executive ranks and undergoing normal succession planning.

"Tom's addition to the Spirit leadership team will further enhance both our strategic and operational focus," Mr. Lawson said Tuesday. "He has demonstrated success in managing and growing large, complex, global technology businesses."

Mr. Gentile spent two decades with GE, including roles as chief executive of GE Aviation's services division and chief executive of GE Healthcare Systems. Before GE, he spent 5 1/2 years with McKinsey & Co.

Shares of Spirit, down 17% over the past three months, were inactive premarket.

Write to Anne Steele at Anne.Steele@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 16, 2016 09:05 ET (14:05 GMT)

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