Chaker Chahrour has been named the new executive vice president of CFM International, effective February 1, 2009. Mr. Chahrour is replacing Bill Clapper, who will be on special assignment as he transitions to retirement later in 2009.
CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) and General Electric Company.
As part of the CFM Executive Team, Mr. Chahrour will serve as the primary interface between General Electric and Snecma. Along with his counterpart at Snecma, he will be responsible for overseeing CFM56 program management, marketing and sales, communications, and after-sales support
Mr. Chahrour joined GE Aviation in 1979 as a design engineer after receiving a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois.
He progressed through a number of engineering roles, including combustor designs for the CFM56 engine family, the military F101 and the GE37 engines, before moving to leadership assignments in the CF6 Controls and Systems Engineering organizations.
In 1995, Mr. Chahrour was appointed as GE Aviation's Engineering Six Sigma Master Black Belt, where he helped launch the GE's overall Six Sigma strategy, plan, and organization. In 1997, he was named as GE90 engine product line General Manager. In the fall of 2005, Mr. Chahrour relocated to Singapore to assume his current role as the head of Sales and Pole Executive for GE Aviation in Asia Pacific.