The Board of Directors at Textron has appointed Lisa Atherton, current President and CEO of the company’s Bell subsidiary, to take over as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 4.
Atherton will succeed Scott Donnelly, who has led the industrial conglomerate for 17 years. Upon the transition, Donnelly will assume the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, and Atherton will simultaneously join the board as chief executive.
R. Kerry Clark, Textron’s lead director, commended the company’s disciplined succession planning process in naming Atherton. Clark noted, “As a member of Textron’s executive leadership team for over 8 years, we witnessed Lisa play a key role in driving growth across her businesses and winning critical programs. On behalf of the Board, we look forward to working with her even more closely as she leads the company through this next phase of execution.”
Atherton is a seasoned executive with 18 years of experience in various leadership capacities across multiple Textron businesses and functions. Before taking the helm at Bell in April 2023, where she previously served as Chief Operating Officer, she was the President and CEO of Textron Systems from 2017 to 2023. Her background also includes time as Executive Vice President leading Bell’s military business.
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Atherton’s government experience is extensive. Prior to joining Textron, she spent eight years working at the requirements directorate for Air Combat Command and served as a contracting officer within the U.S. Air Force.
Atherton expressed enthusiasm for her new role, stating she looks forward to collaborating with Donnelly, the board, and the company’s global teams to deliver innovative technologies to customers and generate significant value for shareholders.
