WICHITA, Kan., June 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spirit
AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: SPR] announced today that
Larry Lawson, its President and CEO,
has informed its Board of Directors of his decision to retire on
July 31, 2016. Lawson joined Spirit
in 2013 and is credited with transforming the company's performance
through operational excellence, organizational realignment, talent
development and business fundamentals.
"Larry Lawson has been a
tremendous leader for Spirit. Under Larry's leadership the
company's financial health has greatly improved, as has its
operational performance," said Bob
Johnson, Spirit Board Chairman. "Larry has been the catalyst
that enabled Spirit to stabilize critical maturing programs, divest
non-profitable business jet programs, transform operations across
the enterprise, build a great team and win new business which has
solidified the foundation for future growth."
Spirit's Board of Directors also announced that Chief Operating
Officer Tom Gentile will take over
as Spirit President and CEO following Lawson's retirement, and will
transition into the new role over the next several weeks.
"The Board carefully considered the leadership skills and
attributes needed as Spirit continues to evolve and grow," Johnson
said. "We are delighted to have someone of Tom's caliber, with a
strong history at GE, proven operational success in deeply
technical domains, great relationship building skills and the
ability to adapt across industries. Tom will be instrumental in
architecting our future."
"Tom and I have worked in tandem since his arrival at Spirit as
he has been absorbing the details of our business, and I am
confident he is the right leader for the future of this
enterprise," Lawson said.
Gentile joined Spirit earlier this year, assuming responsibility
and oversight of all Spirit programs as well as all aspects of
engineering, operations and business development. Prior to joining
Spirit, Gentile spent two decades in leadership roles at GE,
including President and CEO of GE Aviation Services and President
and CEO of GE Healthcare Systems. Gentile will continue to work
closely with Lawson over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth
transition.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this company and
its incredible employees," Gentile said. "I've spent the last
couple of months deeply embedded in the business--visiting the
sites, meeting the teams, and assessing Spirit's expertise,
capabilities and opportunities for growth. The more I learn, the
more excited I am about our future."
On the web: www.spiritaero.com
On Twitter: @SpiritAero
About Spirit AeroSystems Inc.
Spirit AeroSystems
designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense
customers. With headquarters in Wichita,
Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the
U.S., U.K., France and
Malaysia. The
company's core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and
wing components for the world's premier
aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses
on affordable, innovative
composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers
around the globe. More information is available
at www.spiritaero.com.
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SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc.