Airbus bosses get wider roles in management reorganisation

[PARIS] Airbus Group chief executive Tom Enders plans to expand a shake-up of Europe's largest aerospace group by promoting two executives to oversee engineering and programmes as he forces through more "integration" to prepare for future competition.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters the heads of the company's two remaining core divisions would get additional group-wide functions after Fabrice Bregier, head of the dominant Airbus unit, was designated as chief operating officer.

Nine months after arriving from Germany's Siemens, Dirk Hoke, the head of Airbus Group's second largest division, Airbus Defence & Space, could be awarded oversight of industrial programmes across the group, the people said.

Guillaume Faury, who leads Airbus Helicopters, may be responsible for engineering, the people said, asking not to be named because the reorganisation has not yet been announced.

Fabrice Bregier, whose planned appointment as Airbus Group's chief operating officer, on top of his existing role as head of the jetliner unit, was reported last week, will oversee group-wide operations as Enders' no 2.

Airbus Group declined comment.

REUTERS