Embraer Commercial Aviation president and CEO Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva is replacing Frederico Fleury Curado as CEO under a transition plan that is expected to begin next month and continue over the next six months, the company said in a surprise announcement on June 9.
Curado, who is departing the company after a more than 32-year career with the Brazilian manufacturer, said he has “completed a cycle in my career. I will now concentrate on other professional and personal activities.”
Curado began his career in 1984 as mechanical engineer, working at Pratt & Whitney on behalf of Embraer. By 1995, he had become an executive officer of the company, initially as executive v-p for planning and organization development and then executive v-p for the airline market. He was named CEO in 2007.
Curado joined Embraer as the twin-turboprop EMB 120 Brasilia was nearing market entry, giving the company a strong anchor in the regional airline market. Since that time, Embraer has grown into one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world, with a presence in both the commercial and business aviation sectors, as well as in the defense market.
Under his purview as CEO, Embraer built up its Executive Jets portfolio, adding models in nearly every market niche and becoming one of the top producers of business jets. The company also expanded globally with new manufacturing bases in the U.S. and Portugal.
He leaves the company at a time where backlog remains at near record levels of $22 billion and annual revenues topping $6 billion. He also leaves the company as the first E190-E2 prototype recently completed its first flight and prepares for market entry in the next two years.
Embraer announced the E2 family in November 2011, making a decision to build off its existing E-Jet series rather than embark on an all-new design as had competitor Bombardier. Silva, who joined Embraer in 1997 and took the helm of the Commercial Aviation segment in 2010, has spearheaded the next iteration of the E-Jet series. “With Paulo, Embraer will be in good hands,” Curado said.