On May 22, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense announced that its board of directors has appointed Alex Veneziano CEO, effective immediately. Veneziano, formerly the company’s chief administrative officer, succeeds Robert Geckle, who is departing for another opportunity. Retired Rear Adm. Kevin Sweeney will become chairman of the board.
During his 15-year tenure at Airbus, Veneziano has held several key leadership positions and played a pivotal role in standing up Airbus U.S. as an American defense company with Special Security Agreement status.
“Alex and I have worked closely throughout his tenure at Airbus, and his commitment to setting Airbus U.S. on a positive trajectory has been clear from day one,” Geckle said. “He is a testament to what investing in talent can generate for a business. He brings to the table the best of Airbus, and he has my full faith and confidence as he takes on the role of CEO.”
“I am honored to lead this exceptional team,” said Veneziano. “Having grown up in this company, I could not be more deeply committed to our mission, and I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Rob and the leadership before him.”
As CAO, Veneziano provided leadership and management for the Legal, Ethics and Compliance, Information Security, and Human Resources departments. He joined the company in September 2020 as head of Business Operations and HR.
Veneziano previously served as legal counsel at Airbus Americas, Inc., supporting Airbus’ commercial aviation business in the U.S. Alex received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and holds a juris doctor and master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University.
Source: Airbus
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By Loren Blinde
May 28, 2026
