EADS reshuffle
January 26, 2012
EADS, Europe's biggest aerospace and defense group, on Thursday named Tom Enders its new chief executive.
German-born Enders, 53, currently heads Airbus, the flagship of EADS. He will take over the position at EADS later this year from veteran French CEO Louis Gallois.
The position at the helm of Airbus, which is the world's largest civil airplane manufacturer, will go to Frenchman Fabrice Bregier when Enders leaves. The nominations must be approved by a general assembly of shareholders in May.
The EADS board of directors also announced former European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet will join the board.
The national balance of power at the Franco-German conglomerate is politically sensitive. For a number of years, it was run by co-CEOs, one from each country. In 2007, it switched to a single CEO, and it was decided that Frenchman Gallois would be succeeded by a German.
Author: Dagmar Breitenbach (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Editor: Michael Lawton