ATR has appointed former Airbus executive Alexis Vidal as its new commercial head effective 26 June.
The 42-year-old takes over from Fabrice Vautier, who will take on “new responsibilities” within ATR after five years as its senior vice president, commercial. He will report to ATR chief Nathalie Tarnaud Laude.
Vidal has spent nearly 20 years at Airbus, which is a joint venture partner in ATR with Italy’s Leonardo, starting as business development manager in its satellite division in 2004.
He later moved to Airbus Helicopters, holding management positions in customer services and sales, before moving to the energy and leasing segments within the Airbus Group.
In 2021, Vidal was appointed the head of marketing for Airbus’ widebody programmes, a post he held until his move to ATR.
“Alexis will bring true added value in supporting ATR with his in-depth knowledge of the industry and proven experience in sales, marketing and customer services,” the airframer states.
The leadership reshuffle comes days after the Paris air show, which saw ATR clinch several commitments from regional operators, including Taiwan’s Mandarin Airlines and Malaysia-based Berjaya Air.
