Brazil’s Embraer has placed executive vice president Mauro Kern in charge of a new division created to explore the potential market and options for new airplane programs. Effective immediately, Kern assumes his new title of executive vice president for new programs in the airline market.

The organizational changes come as Embraer explores options for a successor to its
E-Jet line of narrowbody jets, which now cover the 70- to 110-seat market segment. The company has talked of either developing a larger model to compete with the
Bombardier C Series or perhaps introducing a new large regional turboprop.

Paulo Cesar Silva, previously senior vice president for sales financing, assumes Kern’s former role as executive vice president, airline market. Meanwhile, Artur Coutinho has accepted the newly created position of chief operating officer, with direct responsibility for Embraer’s industrial operations, procurement, technology, organizational development and human resources.

Other changes include the appointment of Antonio Julio Franco to the newly created position of executive vice president of personnel planning and development. Hermann Ponte e Silva succeeds Franco in his former position of executive vice president of organization and human resources.