Sir Brian Burridge CBE FRAeS to be new RAeS CEO
The Board of Trustees of the Royal Aeronautical Society has confirmed that it has selected Sir Brian Burridge CBE FRAeS (above) to be the new Chief Executive for the organisation.
Most recently an independent consultant, until 2016, Sir Brian spent 10 years with Leonardo, a top-ten global high-tech manufacturer in the aerospace, defence and technology sectors, rising to the position of Senior Vice President. During that time, he chaired two of the Group’s businesses and held board positions in the trade association, ADS, and the Defence Growth Partnership where he also chaired its innovation hub.
Earlier, Sir Brian spent a full career as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF) holding a frontline command at every level in the Service, including the national joint command in the 2003 Iraq war. He also spent a number of years in the UK Ministry of Defence in policy posts and left the RAF in 2006 as Commander-in-Chief Strike Command.
Sir Brian read physics and electronic engineering at Manchester University and holds an MBA from the Open University and two honorary doctorates. He was previously a research fellow in political science at King’s College London and is now a visiting professor at the University of Reading.
Sir Brian will start with the Royal Aeronautical Society on 1 October and will replace Simon Luxmoore FRAeS, who leaves the role after nine years.
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Sir Brian on the recommendation of a Nominations Committee of the Board and following an extensive search and recruitment process.
Martin Broadhurst OBE FRAeS, chair of the Royal Aeronautical Society Board of Trustees, said: “I am delighted to announce that Sir Brian Burridge has been selected to take over as Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society. The Board was incredibly impressed by the energy, vision and commitment Sir Brian exhibited throughout the recruitment process and I believe he will bring strong leadership to the Society’s executive team. He clearly demonstrated a firm intellectual grasp of the Society’s purpose and mission and his familiarity with the organisation and the issues it faces means he will be able to hit the ground running.
“Sir Brian’s connections throughout the aerospace community and his commitment to diversity, position him well to raise the profile of the Society among its membership and the aerospace industry. Furthermore, his strengths map well to the Society’s priorities for development so he is ideally placed to reinforce the organisation’s professional and technical offering well into the future.
“Sir Brian joins a Society which is in good shape. Our outgoing Chief Executive, Simon Luxmoore, leaves the organisation with membership growing, sound finances and an enhanced reputation. I would wish to place on record the gratitude of the Society for all that Simon has achieved during his tenure and to wish him all the very best for a long, happy and successful retirement.”
On being appointed, Sir Brian said: “The future in aerospace and aviation will be confronted by both political challenge and technological opportunity, aspects with which our founders were very familiar more than a century and a half ago. I am excited and honoured by the prospect of taking this world-class learned society into this new era in the knowledge that we can build on some very firm foundations.”
