GE Aerospace's Slattery to step down in June, remain adviser

(Reuters) - The chief commercial officer of GE Aerospace, John Slattery, will step down from the jet engine maker in June and will remain an adviser, CEO Larry Culp said on Wednesday.

The Irish-born industry veteran ran the commercial arm of Brazil's Embraer, the world's third largest planemaker, before joining GE as head of its aviation business in 2020 and unveiling a new engine concept with France's Safran.

In 2022 Slattery was succeeded in the role by Culp as the over-arching GE industrial giant juggled posts in preparation for last week's historic split into three companies, with Slattery becoming chief commercial officer with an eye on strategy.

In a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, Culp hailed Slattery's "deep industry expertise and acute and strategic customer focus, which have made GE Aerospace stronger as we transformed to a standalone public company."

Slattery, 55, said in a post that he planned to embark on a "new chapter," but did not elaborate. The banker-turned-manufacturer, who has previously been linked with senior positions at groups including Boeing or in aviation finance, could not be reached for comment.

Swedish electric airplane startup Heart Aerospace said last year it had appointed Slattery non-executive chairman, a post he is expected to keep alongside any new role after the company recently completed a funding round.

Slattery's departure from GE was announced days after it completed its breakup into three companies, marking the end of the 132-year-old conglomerate that was once the most valuable U.S. corporation and a global symbol of American business power.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Tim Hepher; Editing by Leslie Adler)