EADS has appointed Bernhard Gewert to take over its defence and security division from the departing Stefan Zoller.
EADS said Zoller was leaving to “pursue new professional challenges,” but reports suggested his exit stemmed from Cassidian’s failure to win export deals for the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Zoller has led Cassidian since 2005. In a statement, EADS CEO Tom Enders said Zoller had “significantly” improved Cassidian’s profitability and “laid the foundation for future business growth by furthering the internationalisation of Cassidian.”
Gewert has been Cassidian’s COO since 2011 and previously led its air systems and defence electronics units.
The Typhoon’s export hopes took a major hit earlier this year when India opted for Dassault’s Raphale. The Typhoon also competed unsuccessfully for orders from Japan, which chose the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in December.
