Guillaume Faury became Airbus’s CEO in 2019 and guided the aerospace company through the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
The Airbus board selected Faury in October 2018 to succeed Tom Enders, with his term beginning on April 10, 2019. He brought unusually broad technical experience: he trained as an aerospace engineer, worked at Eurocopter, led Airbus Helicopters and later held a research-and-development role at Peugeot.
Faury took charge just before the aviation industry entered its deepest modern crisis. COVID-19 caused travel restrictions, airline failures and severe production disruption, forcing Airbus to cut output and protect cash while preserving long-term programs. As markets recovered, the company faced renewed demand for the A320neo family and continued pressure to reduce aviation’s environmental impact.
A frequent mix-up is naming Tom Enders, Faury’s predecessor, or Fabrice Brégier, whom Faury replaced as Airbus Commercial Aircraft’s chief operating officer. John Leahy was a celebrated Airbus sales executive, not the company’s 2019 CEO.