Key MRO Executives To Watch In 2025
Aviation Week Staff December 20, 2024
Eva Azoulay, Group CEO and board member, ITP Aero
ITP Aero CEO Eva Azoulay is seeking to leverage the company’s growth and expand its aftermarket engine services and capabilities following its sale to Bain Capital in 2022. In 2024, ITP Aero made several strategic moves to grow its North American footprint. The company acquired U.S.-based engine services provider BP Aero in February, which adds capabilities such as teardowns, component repairs and services for CFM International CFM56 and Leap engines. In October, ITP Aero opened a new production and logistics facility in Queretaro, Mexico.
Kim Ernzen, Chief Operating Officer, StandardAero
As StandardAero’s recently appointed chief operating officer, Kim Ernzen will oversee the company’s accelerating growth strategy. StandardAero is in the process of an initial public offering that seeks to raise $1.1 billion at a valuation of up to $7.5 billion, and it recently acquired military MRO provider Aero Turbine. In 2024, it invested millions to roll out CFM International Leap capability at its San Antonio shop ahead of the engine platform’s forecasted dominance over the next decade.
Mahesh Kumar, CEO, Asia Digital Engineering
Asia Digital Engineering (ADE) CEO Mahesh Kumar is leading the company’s ambitious growth plans. ADE opened a massive, 14-bay hangar in Malaysia in September and is planning to build another four-line hangar close to that facility—as well as engaging in talks with Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad to acquire a 20-acre plot for another 14-bay hangar. In 2024, ADE also opened a subsidiary in Cambodia, and the company continues to develop its own digital tools for parts procurement and aircraft health management.
Abdulkhaliq Saeed, CEO, Saudia Technic
Appointed as Saudia Technic’s new CEO in August, Abdulkhaliq Saeed will lead the company’s efforts to grow Saudi Arabia’s aviation infrastructure. The country’s Public Investment Fund has invested in Saudia Technic to open a large MRO Village in Jeddah in 2025 that will boost the company’s hangar capacity as it aims to capture more work from the growing domestic fleet. A 40-year industry veteran, Saeed previously led Etihad Engineering’s capacity expansion in Abu Dhabi and its significant third-party maintenance growth.
Soeren Stark, Chairman and CEO, Lufthansa Technik
Shortly after abandoning plans to sell a minority stake in the business, Lufthansa Technik (LHT) in 2024 announced a lofty Ambition 2030 growth plan that will involve investment of more than €1 billion ($1.05 billion) over the next four years. Chairman and CEO Soeren Stark is aiming to grow the company’s revenue to more than €10 billion by 2030, eyeing various global investments and increased capacity. In 2024, LHT acquired Tulsa, Oklahoma-based component services provider ETP Thermal Dynamics and disclosed plans to build a new MRO facility in southwest Europe.
Eva Azoulay, Group CEO and board member, ITP Aero
ITP Aero CEO Eva Azoulay is seeking to leverage the company’s growth and expand its aftermarket engine services and capabilities following its sale to Bain Capital in 2022. In 2024, ITP Aero made several strategic moves to grow its North American footprint. The company acquired U.S.-based engine services provider BP Aero in February, which adds capabilities such as teardowns, component repairs and services for CFM International CFM56 and Leap engines. In October, ITP Aero opened a new production and logistics facility in Queretaro, Mexico.
Kim Ernzen, Chief Operating Officer, StandardAero
As StandardAero’s recently appointed chief operating officer, Kim Ernzen will oversee the company’s accelerating growth strategy. StandardAero is in the process of an initial public offering that seeks to raise $1.1 billion at a valuation of up to $7.5 billion, and it recently acquired military MRO provider Aero Turbine. In 2024, it invested millions to roll out CFM International Leap capability at its San Antonio shop ahead of the engine platform’s forecasted dominance over the next decade.
Mahesh Kumar, CEO, Asia Digital Engineering
Asia Digital Engineering (ADE) CEO Mahesh Kumar is leading the company’s ambitious growth plans. ADE opened a massive, 14-bay hangar in Malaysia in September and is planning to build another four-line hangar close to that facility—as well as engaging in talks with Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad to acquire a 20-acre plot for another 14-bay hangar. In 2024, ADE also opened a subsidiary in Cambodia, and the company continues to develop its own digital tools for parts procurement and aircraft health management.
Abdulkhaliq Saeed, CEO, Saudia Technic
Appointed as Saudia Technic’s new CEO in August, Abdulkhaliq Saeed will lead the company’s efforts to grow Saudi Arabia’s aviation infrastructure. The country’s Public Investment Fund has invested in Saudia Technic to open a large MRO Village in Jeddah in 2025 that will boost the company’s hangar capacity as it aims to capture more work from the growing domestic fleet. A 40-year industry veteran, Saeed previously led Etihad Engineering’s capacity expansion in Abu Dhabi and its significant third-party maintenance growth.
Soeren Stark, Chairman and CEO, Lufthansa Technik
Shortly after abandoning plans to sell a minority stake in the business, Lufthansa Technik (LHT) in 2024 announced a lofty Ambition 2030 growth plan that will involve investment of more than €1 billion ($1.05 billion) over the next four years. Chairman and CEO Soeren Stark is aiming to grow the company’s revenue to more than €10 billion by 2030, eyeing various global investments and increased capacity. In 2024, LHT acquired Tulsa, Oklahoma-based component services provider ETP Thermal Dynamics and disclosed plans to build a new MRO facility in southwest Europe.
Five potential MRO headliners in 2025.