Textron Aviation has officially confirmed that Ron Draper will retire from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer after eight years of executive leadership. Following a deliberate and structured succession planning process, Brian Rohloff has been named the company’s next President and CEO, with the appointment taking effect on Monday, 31 August 2026. Draper will remain with the aerospace manufacturer through the end of the calendar year as a Senior Advisor to ensure a seamless leadership transition.

Draper’s tenure at the helm of Textron Aviation was defined by significant portfolio modernization, workforce development and sustained market leadership across the global aerospace industry. Under his guidance, the business navigated dynamic market cycles, reinforced its global customer footprint and continued to advance engineering excellence across its core Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker product lines.

Reflecting on his departure, Draper noted that serving as President and CEO was the greatest honor of his career, highlighting the dedication of the company’s workforce and expressing total confidence in Rohloff’s ability to guide the organisation into its next era of flight innovation.

Brian Rohloff assumes executive control from a foundation of extensive operational and commercial depth, bringing nearly 30 years of direct experience across Textron Aviation. Throughout his career with the company, Rohloff has held key leadership positions spanning advanced aircraft manufacturing, assembly quality control, global sales strategies and worldwide customer support networks. His appointment ensures operational continuity while positioning the manufacturer to maintain its focus on customer-driven innovation, fleet readiness and long-term production milestones.

As Textron Aviation approaches its next century of aerospace manufacturing, the executive change reinforces the company’s core priorities: delivering high-performance aircraft platforms, executing dependable sustainment solutions and maintaining robust partnerships across commercial, general aviation and special missions sectors worldwide.