European aerospace group Airbus has named Matthieu Louvot as chief executive officer of its helicopter division, effective April 1. Louvot joins from industrial services firm SPIE, where he oversaw operations in 15 countries and drove a 20% increase in revenues to €2.8 billion in 2023. He succeeds Bruno Even, who led the business to a record order backlog of 4,200 rotorcraft and €8 billion in annual revenues last year. Louvot’s mandate will include integrating the newly launched H160 medium-lift helicopter, scaling up production from 30 to 50 units per year by 2026, and improving operating margins above the current 12% baseline. Investors will watch for his strategy to secure delivery slots for key military and civilian programs, as the unit faces growing competition from U.S. and Russian rivals.