In a process which began last March, Embraer may have found a successor for president and CEO, Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva. The Embraer board has announced the nomination of Francisco Gomes Neto, current president of Marcopolo, a Brazilian bus manufacturer. The formal election will be held during Embraer’s next board meeting, after the general shareholders’ meeting scheduled for April 22.
Francisco Gomes Neto has an electrical engineering degree, a specialization in business administration and an MBA in controllership and finance. He built his career in the automotive industry, holding CEO positions over the last 20 years, both in Brazil and the USA. Over the past three years, he has served as CEO of Marcopolo, where he led the company’s transformation, generating strong sales growth and market value for the business. Previously, he was the CEO Americas for powertrain specialist, Mann+Hummel and president of Knorr Bremse, a leading supplier of control systems for commercial vehicles, among other leadership positions.
“With vast international experience and focus on industrial sector management, I am confident that Francisco Gomes Neto has the right profile and competencies to lead Embraer through this period of transformation of the company and of the global aerospace sector,” said Alexandre Silva, chairman of Embraer’s board of directors.
After Embraer’s general shareholders’ meeting on April 22, Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva is expected to take on a role of senior advisor to the board of directors, during the onboarding of the new president and CEO and throughout the segregation of assets and resources of the commercial aviation business, until completion of the partnership with Boeing.
