Airbus U.S. Space & Defense promotes COO to CEO

Robert Geckle has been promoted to be the CEO of Arlington-based aerospace and aviation contractor Airbus U.S. Space & Defense Inc., moving up from serving as the chief operating officer and head of operations and corporate functions, the company announced Thursday.

Geckle has worked with Airbus across its major business lines in multiple countries for more than a decade. He has served as senior vice president, head of Airbus S.A.S. Legal Affairs – Industry & Services in Toulouse, France, as well as in general counsel positions within the Airbus Group both in the U.S. and Europe.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and earned his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Geckle succeeds Christopher Emerson, who was elected chairman of the board on Oct. 1.

“Rob and I have a long and successful professional history at Airbus and have worked especially hand-in-glove this past year to set this company on a trajectory that we are confident will garner success for both the customer and our extraordinary team,” Emerson said in a statement. “He brings to the table the best of what Airbus has to offer and has my full faith and confidence as he takes on the role of CEO.”

Emerson has been with the Airbus Group for 25 years. From 2015 to 2019, he was president of Airbus Helicopters SAS. Prior to that, he served as the chief financial officer, head of marketing and head of Airbus Future Programs and Product Strategy, where he played a key role in establishing Airbus’ A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.

Headquartered in Arlington and operating under a special security agreement with the Department of Defense, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense Inc. is a subsidiary of European multinational company Airbus S.E. that offers solutions to U.S. defense, security, space and intelligence clients, using satellite, laser communication, rotor and fixed wing solutions. Airbus has roughly  180 locations and 12,000 direct suppliers globally. In 2020, Airbus S.E. reported 49.9 million euros in revenue.