Textron Aviation names Brian Rohloff as new CEO

Textron Aviation has named Brian Rohloff as its next president and CEO, effective August 31. He succeeds Ron Draper, who is retiring after eight years in the role and more than 27 years at Textron overall.

Rohloff has spent 29 years at Textron Aviation. Most recently he served as senior vice president of customer support, overseeing global support operations. Earlier in his career he held roles including vice president of quality, vice president of sales, senior product director for the Citation XLS+ and Citation X, and director of paint operations.

Lisa Atherton, president and CEO of parent company Textron Inc., said Rohloff has a strong grasp of the business, its products, customers and the wider industry.

Draper became Textron Aviation's president and CEO in 2018. He called the role the highlight of his career. He will stay on with the company as a senior adviser through the end of 2026 to support the leadership transition.

The change marks a shift in leadership at one of the major general aviation manufacturers, with Rohloff moving from a customer-facing operational role into the top executive position.