ATR names Vittorio Lorenzo Della Bella chief executive

ATR has named Vittorio Lorenzo Della Bella as its new chief executive, succeeding Nathalie Tarnaud Laude. The appointment takes effect on 1 November and the manufacturer said it is in line with its bylaw terms.

Della Bella has spent much of his career in the rotorcraft sector. He was managing director of NH Industries and a director of Rotorsim, a training joint venture between Leonardo and CAE. Before becoming president of Leonardo Helicopters' US division, he was senior vice-president of customer support, services and training for the helicopter business.

ATR is owned equally by Italy's Leonardo and Airbus.

Tarnaud Laude led the company for four years, having taken the top post in September 2022. She had previously served as president of NH Industries. Della Bella said that under her guidance ATR strengthened its position as the world's leading regional aircraft manufacturer and laid solid foundations for the future.

The company also announced a second senior appointment. Patrick Bergues, Airbus's US finance head, will become chief financial officer on the same date, 1 November. He was previously chief financial officer of Starlab Space, an Airbus joint venture developing an orbital weightlessness research station, and succeeds Andrea Coccetti, who will move into a new role within Leonardo.