Robert Leduc, a 35-year veteran of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has been named president of UTC’s aircraft engine unit Pratt & Whitney.
He will succeed Paul Adams, who has led the business since 2014 and will retire by the end of February after a 17-year career at UTC, the company said Thursday.
Leduc is a former president at helicopter manufacturing business Sikorsky Aircraft, which Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) bought from UTC through a $9 billion transaction that closed in November 2015.
“His vision and experience in the aerospace industry, his proven leadership skills and his track record of executing complex development programs make him the right choice to lead Pratt & Whitney, ” said Gregory Hayes, UTC president and CEO.
Leduc also previously served as chief operating officer at Pratt & Whitney and led the organization’s large commercial engines division as well as managed space systems business and Boeing (NYSE: BA) programs within UTC’s aerospace segment.
Additionally, David Hess, a UTC senior vice president, has been promoted to executive vice president and chief customer officer for the aerospace segment.
Hess will collaborate with Leduc and Dave Gitlin, president of UTC’s aerospace systems unit, in efforts to create value for the company’s partners and customers.
