Honeywell has appointed Jim Currier as president and chief executive officer of Honeywell Aerospace, which will become an independent, publicly traded company following its planned spin-off, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026. Honeywell also announced that Craig Arnold has been selected to serve as chairman of the Honeywell Aerospace board of directors.

Arnold will assume his role as non-executive board chair upon the completion of Honeywell Aerospace's planned spin-off from Honeywell. In the interim, he will serve on Honeywell's board of directors effective immediately.

As a standalone company, Honeywell Aerospace will be one of the largest publicly listed pure-play aerospace suppliers, with more than $15 billion in 2024 sales. With leading positions in propulsion, cockpit and navigation systems and auxiliary power, Honeywell Aerospace's technology is featured on virtually every commercial and defence aircraft platform worldwide, making it uniquely positioned to capitalise on long-term growth trends. The independent company will be headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Together, Jim and Craig bring extensive leadership experience and complementary industry expertise across aerospace and industrial operations that make them the ideal fit to lead Honeywell Aerospace in this new chapter,” says Vimal Kapur, chairman and CEO of Honeywell. “As a pure-play aerospace supplier with a highly focused leadership team, Honeywell Aerospace will not only have greater flexibility to advance innovative new technologies but also to sharpen its strategic focus and optimise capital allocation as it delivers for stakeholders while continuing to shape the future of aviation.”

Currier has served as the president and CEO of the Honeywell Aerospace Technologies business since 2023. Previously, he spent nearly two decades in senior roles across the globe at Honeywell, including as president of the electronic solutions business, president of the company's aftermarket organisation across Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, and vice president of airlines, North America. Under his leadership, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies has strengthened its position as a leading aerospace and defence supplier.

“As a Honeywell veteran, Jim's unmatched knowledge of our aerospace and defence business, our global customer base and our vast supply chain make him exceptionally well-suited to drive Honeywell Aerospace's accelerated growth while unlocking further scale and efficiency,” adds Kapur.

Arnold brings more than two decades of experience in senior leadership roles at industrial and technology businesses. Most recently, he served as chairman and CEO of Eaton Corporation, where he drove the global intelligent power management company's transformation through operational excellence, a strong corporate culture and disciplined capital allocation. He previously spent more than two decades at General Electric where he held international leadership roles across multiple businesses. He currently serves as lead director on the board of directors at Medtronic, Inc.

“Craig is a proven leader with a deep track record of delivering transformational results and driving continuous improvement that will enable him to provide strong strategic and governance oversight as Honeywell Aerospace evolves its business,” concludes Kapur.

On February 6, 2025, Honeywell announced its intent to pursue a full separation of its Aerospace Technologies business. The separation is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to certain customary conditions, including, among others, the filing and effectiveness of applicable filings (including a Form 10 registration statement) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, receipt of customary confirmation that the separation is expected to be tax-free to Honeywell's shareholders, and receipt of applicable regulatory and other customary approvals and final approval by Honeywell's board of directors. The announcement follows Honeywell's earlier announcement of its plan to spin off its Advanced Materials business, now known as Solstice Advanced Materials, which became an independent, U.S. publicly traded company in October 2025.