News Releases
Senior Leadership Changes at Cessna
WICHITA, Kan., January 21, 2010 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced changes to Cessna’s Senior Leadership Team.
After nearly 40 years in finance, the last 14 of which with Cessna, Mike Shonka, executive vice president and chief financial officer, is retiring.
“Mike has had a great influence on our fiscal strategy and been a strong asset to Cessna and to Textron,” said Jack Pelton, Cessna chairman, president and CEO. “We thank him for his dedication and wish him the very best.”
Shonka will be succeeded by Eric Salander, who is joining Cessna from Textron where he currently serves as executive director, Financial Planning & Analysis. Prior to this assignment, Salander worked for Textron Financial Corporation, holding a number of senior-level positions of increasing responsibility including senior vice president, Finance. He has held several other accounting or analysis positions at companies such as Raytheon and Ernst & Young. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and a master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island.
Cessna also announced that Ron Alberti, senior vice president of Integrated Supply Chain will assume a new role responsible for the previously announced transition of work from Columbus, Ga. and Wichita, Kan. to Cessna’s facility in Mexico. He also will oversee Skycatcher production in Shenyang, China to ensure a smooth transition to high-rate production for the 162 Skycatcher program.
Eric Cardinali, currently president of Bell Helicopter, Canada, also a business unit of Textron, will succeed Alberti as Cessna’s senior vice president of Integrated Supply Chain.
Cardinali has held several key leadership roles at Textron companies including plant manager at Jacobson, and director of operations and vice president, Integrated Supply Chain at E-Z-Go. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University.
The new appointments will become effective February 1.
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Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2008, Cessna delivered 1,301 aircraft, including 467 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5.662 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 5,700 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at http://www.cessna.com.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
