Ronald Draper, senior VP of integrated supply chain (operations) at Textron Aviation, Inc, has been named to succeed Scott Ernest as the OEM's president and CEO. Ernest, who has led the company since 2011, will become president and CEO of Textron Inc's industrial segment and of Textron Specialised Vehicles Inc.

Draper has led all aspects of manufacturing operations for Textron since 2012, including strategic sourcing, quality, support services and aftermarket parts, as well as overseeing the manufacturing operations for the Beechcraft and Cessna product lines. Since joining the firm in 1999, he has held various leadership roles in business units throughout Textron, including VP of integrated supply chain and director of strategic sourcing for E-Z-GO, director of procurement for the V-22 programme at Bell Helicopter and director of supply chain production development at Cessna.

Chairman and CEO Scott C Donnelly comments: “Ron Draper has a great depth of knowledge about the worldwide aviation business and has led several of our most impactful strategic initiatives. He has driven solid gains for the business in recent years, including the successful integration of our Beechcraft and Cessna operations, expansion of our quality management systems and global sourcing strategies.

"I am confident he is the right choice for leading us through our next phases of product development and growth.”