Aubert & Duval names Etienne Galan its Chief Executive Officer
January 22, 2025
The Board of Directors of Aubert & Duval’s holding company – owned equally by Airbus, Safran, and Tikehau Capital – has appointed Etienne Galan as Chief Executive Officer of AD Holding and of Aubert & Duval, effective January 1, 2025. He succeeds Bruno Durand on his retirement.
Etienne Galan began his career in 1990 at the DGA (French Defense Procurement Agency), where he was responsible for the maintenance of naval aircraft structures and later for industrial strategy. In 1996, he joined the private sector, becoming Quality Director (and later Industrial Director) at Liebherr Aerospace in Toulouse.
He joined Safran Aircraft Engines in 2000, where he took charge of the Gennevilliers Forge. In 2006, he became Deputy Industrial Director – responsible for strategy and continuous improvement – before being appointed Director of the ‘Rotating Parts’ Center of Excellence in 2008. Galan was named Quality Director of Safran Aircraft Engines in late 2011, and Purchasing Director in 2013. In late 2015, he established the Quality and Progress Department of the Safran group, thereby consolidating the quality and continuous improvement departments and Safran Consulting.
Since September 2020, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of Roxel, a 50/50 joint venture between Safran and MBDA, a position he will hold until December 31, 2024.
Galan is a graduate of École Polytechnique, ISAE SupAéro, and INSEAD. He is an Armament Engineer.
