Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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Matt Thurber

Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper has announced his retirement today after eight years as the leader of Textron Aviation and 27 years at parent company Textron Inc. Brian Rohloff, senior v-p of customer support, will succeed him as president and CEO of Textron Aviation on August 31, while Draper will remain with the company until the end of the year to support the transition.
A former U.S. Army captain, company commander, and Black Hawk helicopter pilot, Draper holds a fixed-wing commercial pilot certificate. He began his career with Textron as Cessna Aircraft’s director of supply-chain management in 1999, then starting in 2004 became Bell’s director of procurement. In 2008, Draper joined Textron’s E-Z-GO business—now Textron Specialized Vehicles—as the supply-chain v-p before moving back to Cessna in 2011 as director of production control and logistics and in 2012 as senior v-p of integrated supply chain.
He became president and CEO of Textron Aviation in 2018 and has led the rapid pace of product upgrades in the Citation series and other products, as well as the introduction of the Cessna SkyCourier utility twin and development of the Beechcraft Denali turboprop single.
<img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Ron%20Draper%20Pipistrel%20Alpha%20Electro.jpeg" data-entity-uuid="1b4eb992-16cc-4f6c-a8c2-ee0a0df5b11b" data-entity-type="file" alt="Ron Draper" width="6000" height="4000" loading="lazy">
“Serving as president and CEO of Textron Aviation has been the greatest honor of my career,” Draper said. “What I will be most proud of is the incredible people who make this company what it is every day. Together, we’ve navigated challenges, celebrated successes, and continued advancing aviation while staying true to our commitment to our customers, communities, and each other. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of this team, and I have tremendous confidence in Brian and the future of Textron Aviation.
“At Textron Aviation, one of our values is to be trustworthy. We understand that trust is earned with years of reliability and commitment. Our customers and community count on us to deliver. Our employees are the backbone of our company and the driving force behind our success. Their dedication, hard work, and passion make them the best workforce in the industry.”
“I want to thank Ron for his outstanding leadership and many contributions to Textron throughout his career,” said Textron Inc. president and CEO Lisa Atherton. “Under his guidance, Textron Aviation strengthened its position as an industry leader, expanded its product portfolio, and fostered a culture centered on pride, quality, and safety. We are grateful for his service and wish him the very best in retirement.”
A graduate of Wichita State University, Rohloff has held various roles at Textron Aviation, including v-p of quality; v-p of sales; senior product director for the Citation XLS+ and Citation X; and director of paint operations.
<img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Brian%20Rohloff.jpeg" data-entity-uuid="17b25c7d-e147-48e4-a080-4fc2a059d405" data-entity-type="file" alt="Brian Rohloff" width="2400" height="3000" loading="lazy">
“Brian is a proven leader who brings a deep understanding of our business, our products, our customers, and our industry,” Atherton added. “Throughout his 29-year career with Textron Aviation, Brian has demonstrated strong leadership across multiple functions and has built trusted relationships with employees, customers, and suppliers. I am confident he will continue to build on Textron Aviation’s strong foundation and drive the business for growth and continued success.”

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