StandardAero has launched a formal CEO succession process under which Lead Independent Director Paul McElhinney is slated to become Chief Executive Officer on 1 October 2026, succeeding current Chairman and CEO Russell Ford. The move was detailed in a company succession announcement dated 29 May 2026 and in related regulatory disclosures outlining the planned transition structure.
Russell Ford, who has led StandardAero as CEO since October 2013 and has served as Chairman since April 2019, will retire from the CEO role on the transition date and is expected to step down as Chairman at a later stage while remaining on the board as a director. The company has put in place a transition agreement for Ford and a new employment agreement for McElhinney to manage the leadership handover.
Regulatory summaries indicate that McElhinney’s employment terms include an annual base salary of 1.1 million dollars and a target annual bonus opportunity set at 125 percent of base salary, underscoring the scale and seniority of the role at one of the industry’s largest independent MRO and aerospace services providers.