Airbus SVP Is Homebuilt Aircraft, Powered Paraglider Enthusiast

Ken McKenzie, a recreational aviation enthusiast and senior vice president for strategy and corporate development for Airbus Group, Inc., has joined the EAA board of directors.

McKenzie (EAA Lifetime 1181112) was invited to join the board during its fall meetings earlier this month at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. As a Class III director for EAA, he will serve a one-year renewable term on the EAA board.

“Ken McKenzie is an EAA lifetime member who is personally committed to recreational aviation in all its forms and brings very strong aviation industry leadership experience to our organization,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO/Chairman. “We are grateful he has accepted our invitation to join EAA’s board whose members volunteer their time and expertise to lead our association, as we pursue our mission of growing participation by sharing the spirit of aviation.”

McKenzie has 35 years of involvement in aviation, beginning as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force for 14 years. His recreational aviation pursuits include owning and flying a homebuilt Lancair IV-P, and more recently, enjoying “low and slow” flight with powered paragliders. He holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate, Transport Canada Transport Pilot’s License and Transport Canada Commercial Helicopter Pilot’s License.

Upon joining Airbus Americas in 2001, McKenzie first served as Senior Vice President of Customer Services and Chief Operating Officer. In 2014, he moved to his current role of Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development, where he oversees strategy development, merger and acquisition activity, and research and technology activity in the Americas.

Prior to joining Airbus, McKenzie worked in the commercial air carrier side of the aerospace industry at WestJet (Canada), Air Canada Jazz, and Spirit Airlines. He also served abroad as Program Director of the West African Flight Program for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

McKenzie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba, and a Master’s of Business Administration from the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University. He has also successfully completed the Ivey Executive Program at the University of Western Ontario.

(Source: EAA news release)

FMI: www.eaa.org