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Airbus has begun a leadership transition that is expected to bring a decision on whether to retain Chief Executive Guillaume Faury or choose a successor in 2027. The European planemaker’s board changes include Amparo Moraleda taking over as chair on October 1, making her its first woman in the role, and appointing ASML chief executive Christophe Fouquet to the board.
Reuters reported on October 2 that people familiar with Airbus expect the board to consider the CEO succession question next year, potentially as early as April. Faury’s current mandate runs until April 2028; the company has not announced a decision, and an Airbus spokesperson declined to comment on speculation about leadership appointments.
Board transition brings new chair and members
Airbus announced the changes after a board meeting on October 1. Moraleda, a Spanish former energy executive who had been designated for the chairmanship in April, succeeded René Obermann. Obermann left the board to focus on his incoming role as chairman of SAP’s supervisory board.
The board co-opted Fouquet, the CEO of semiconductor-equipment maker ASML, to complete Obermann’s remaining term. Airbus said Fouquet would seek a full three-year director mandate at the company’s annual general meeting in April 2027.
Further board changes are also scheduled for that AGM. Jean-Pierre Clamadieu will not seek a new term when his current mandate expires, and Airbus selected Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux to succeed him, subject to shareholder approval. Moraleda and former BMW chairman Oliver Zipse will also seek renewed three-year mandates.
The company named Mark Dunkerley chair of its Remuneration, Nomination and Governance Committee and lead independent director, succeeding Moraleda in those positions. Airbus’s announcement set out board appointments and nominations, but did not disclose a CEO succession decision or timetable beyond the board’s expected consideration next year.
Faury’s term and the succession question
Faury became Airbus CEO in 2019. If he serves through the end of his current mandate in April 2028, he will have held the position for nine years. Reuters reported that the board is expected to decide in 2027 whether to renew his mandate or prepare a handover ahead of that deadline.
Faury has not ruled out serving a fourth term, Reuters reported. In July, when asked whether he would deliver on targets set for 2029, he said he was available for the board to decide what was appropriate and that he enjoyed his work. Airbus has not publicly named a successor or confirmed that Faury intends to leave.
Several people familiar with the company told Reuters that Lars Wagner, who became head of Airbus’s commercial aircraft business in January, is widely viewed as a potential successor if Faury steps down. Wagner previously led engine maker MTU Aero Engines. Reuters noted that he took over the Airbus divisional role more than a year after being publicly named, partly to meet handover requirements at MTU.
Why the timing matters
The CEO appointment is consequential because Airbus combines commercial aircraft manufacturing with defence and space businesses and has operations across Europe. Reuters described the position as one of the continent’s most sensitive industrial leadership roles. The next chief executive, if there is a change, would face long-term strategic decisions including choices around a future aircraft to succeed the A320 family.
Reuters reported that Airbus was formed in 1970 as a consortium backed by France, Germany, Britain and Spain, later becoming a group led by France and Germany. The company’s leadership appointments have previously been affected by national rivalries, making the current succession process a test of how its governance handles a transition without the earlier public power struggles.
The board also faces a continuity question: a successor selected well ahead of April 2028 could allow for a planned handover, while a renewed mandate would preserve Faury’s leadership. Those are possibilities reported by Reuters, not decisions announced by Airbus.
Industrial and workforce challenges remain
The succession process is unfolding as Airbus weighs product strategy and its management of a large workforce. Reuters reported that the company has about 160,000 employees and that the next CEO will have a role in strategic choices for a potential future aircraft programme. Wagner has previously outlined a vision that includes reviewing engine technologies for an eventual A320 successor, Reuters said.
Workforce relations are another issue. Reuters reported that Airbus staff in Spain voted on October 1 to end a strike after months of intermittent industrial action. The dispute had involved employee concerns about efficiency measures and a return-to-work directive; Airbus dropped a four-day office rule in August, according to Reuters.
Airbus Chair Moraleda said in the company’s announcement that she looked forward to working with the board to keep the company resilient and prepared for future challenges. Faury thanked Obermann for his leadership and said he looked forward to working with Moraleda and the board. Neither statement addressed the CEO succession question directly.
