Staff ReportVERO BEACH — Piper Aircraft made some changes within the ranks of senior management Friday, announcing that CEO Kevin Gould will also take on the role of President and that four other executives have been promoted.Gould will assume the President’s duties after John Becker resigned, effective Dec. 1 to pursue other career goals. With the addition of President’s title Gould will have the same responsibilities has his predecessor, Jim Bass. “We are at a pivotal point in Piper’s history,” said Gould. “Throughout our product line – from our entry-level aircraft to the PiperJet – we are making significant advancements and innovations. At the same time, we are aggressively expanding our markets globally to meet and exceed the wants and needs of our customers.”Also promoted were Jeff Barger to vice president of manufacturing operations, Dr. Dennis Olcott to vice president of engineering, Derek Zimmerman to vice president of supply chain and aftermarket development and Mary Messuti to senior director for Asia.Piper has been struggling along with the rest of the airline industry with the world wide economic slump. Sales have been down all year, but Gould did say he is seeing signs of a better 2010. The slump has forced the company to layoff hundreds of workers and institute a one week a month furlough to all its employees.Piper also announced recently it is delaying the introduction of its new PiperJet until 2013. The company and its owner Singapore-based Imprimis, is staking the future of the company on development of the PiperJet and breaking into the Asian market, where Piper has never competed before.”The expansion of Kevin’s responsibilities and the augmentation of his management team directly reflect the strategic investments we’re making in Piper’s future,” said Stephen W. Berger, Piper’s Chairman and Managing Partner of Imprimis. “Kevin has an exciting and aggressive vision for the company that will enhance the owner and pilot experience at every level of the Piper product line. We will deliver the breakthrough Piper Jet to the market and dramatically expand Piper’s global market presence, especially in Asia.”The departure of Becker was something of a surprise as he had assumed the President’s role just six months ago, after former CEO Bass announced he was leaving the company.”John Becker has been a strong and valued member of the Piper team,” Gould said. “His 20 years with the company have been marked with a dedication to innovation and technological excellence that has made Piper one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers. John will be missed, but his contributions and presence will live on in the excellent team he assembled to lead Piper’s engineering development and the PiperJet in particular.”Messuti, formerly Piper’s Director of Production Engineering, will take on a key new role within the company as Senior Director, Asia. She will be responsible for the successful development, implementation and management of assigned Asian aviation initiatives. Messuti, who joined Piper in 2007, has more than 10 years experience in the aviation Industry and 24 years of business management experience. The other changes were as follows: Barger, formerly Senior Director of Piper Manufacturing, was promoted to Piper’s new Vice President of Manufacturing Operations; Dr. Olcott, formerly Senior Director of Piper Engineering to Vice President of Engineering; Zimmerman, who joined Piper as Senior Director of Supply Chain in 2006, to Vice President, Supply Chain and Aftermarket Development.
