Textron Aviation Appoints New CEO Ahead of Planned Restructuring

Brian Rohloff will succeed Ron Draper, who announced his retirement, as company’s chief executive.

Jack Daleo

Monday, August 24, 2026 at 02:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Brian Rohloff (pictured) is expected to assume leadership of Textron Aviation on August 31, replacing Ron Draper. [Credit: Textron Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Brian Rohloff has been appointed as the new President and CEO of Textron Aviation, succeeding Ron Draper who will retire, with the change effective August 31.
This leadership transition is part of Textron's larger strategic plan to restructure into a "pure-play aerospace and defense company" by spinning off its industrial segment.
Rohloff, with nearly 30 years of experience within Textron, will be responsible for leading key brands and overseeing the certification and commercialization of several new generation Citation jets and the Beechcraft Denali.

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Textron Aviation is shaking up its leadership ahead of its parent company’s planned restructuring of its businesses.

Textron on Monday said it appointed Brian Rohloff as president and CEO of Textron Aviation, which confirmed that Rohloff’s predecessor, Ron Draper, plans to retire. The leadership change is expected to take effect August 31, putting Rohloff in charge of marquee general aviation brands, including Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, and Lycoming.