Pilatus Aircraft has formally elected Hansueli Loosli to replace Oscar Schwenk as chairman, the company said today. Schwenk announced Loosli as his successor in April when he revealed plans to relinquish the position, which he'd held for 15 years.

Schwenk, who has been with Pilatus since 1978, previously held a variety of other roles with Pilatus, including CEO. Pilatus credited Schwenk for reshaping Pilatus, “turning the former company focused on subcontracting work into an aircraft manufacturing plant with a clear product strategy, namely, to build the world’s best aircraft in its niche.” This included the successful introductions of the PC-12 turboprop single, PC-21 military trainer, and PC-24 light jet.

Schwenk will continue to play a role in the company, supporting its strategic direction as honorary president. He also will continue as honorary chairman and chairman of the board of directors of subsidiary Pilatus Australia.

Loosli, a businessman who joined Pilatus's board in mid-2020, has chaired numerous other boards, including those of Coop, Swisscom, Bell Food Group, and Transgourmet.

In addition to formally electing Loosli, this month’s Pilatus Annual General Meeting saw two members added to the board: Martin Furrer and Mario Rossi. Furrer is a member of the executive board and a partner of Baker & McKenzie Zurich, and Rossi has worked for Swisscom for more than 20 years, most recently as CFO.

Schwenk called Loosli an “extremely experienced chairman” and noted that Furrer and Rossi are well-known business leaders. “The know-how they bring with them makes them ideal additions,” he said.