Vaughn College has announced that Barry Eccleston, retired chief executive officer and president of Airbus Americas, Inc., is the newest member of its board of trustees. Eccleston brings five decades of experience working in, and providing dedicated support to the aviation and aerospace industry. He is an aeronautical engineer, pilot and past president of the Wings Club and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Vaughn College in 2007.
“We are very fortunate to have someone with Dr. Eccleston’s impressive qualifications supporting the College and sharing his valuable insights as we continue to launch the next generation of engineers, managers, and technicians into the fields of transportation, manufacturing, robotics, public utilities and more,” said Vaughn College President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo. “Eccleston exemplifies a leader with vision and passion who is a longtime champion for Vaughn’s students and shares our vision of providing a transformational education that leads to a lifetime of opportunity.”
Eccleston joined Airbus in August 2005 and retired as chief executive officer in 2018, after serving for more than 12 years in that role. At Airbus Americas, he was responsible for all aspects of the Airbus commercial business in North America including sales and marketing, engineering, manufacturing operations, service, logistics, training, and all shared services. During this time Airbus’ market share of sales in the region grew from approximately 20 percent to more than 70 percent in 2017.
Prior to Airbus, Eccleston served as vice president and general manager for Honeywell’s Propulsion Systems Enterprise, and previously as Honeywell’s vice president of commercial aerospace for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Before Honeywell, he held executive positions at Fairchild Dornier Corporation, Rolls-Royce, and International Aero Engines.
“I am proud to have made a career in the aviation business for more than 50 years, and it has been rewarding in so many ways,” said Eccleston. “Now it is time for me to give back to the industry, and to hand over the baton to the next generation of leaders. I am truly excited to bring my knowledge and experiences to Vaughn College to help further its success, and most importantly—the ambitions of its talented students.”
Eccleston holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in aeronautical engineering from Loughborough University in England, which also awarded him an honorary doctorate, and he completed the International Executive program at the Institute of Management Development in Switzerland.
He currently serves on two public company boards for Wizz Air Holdings PLC, a UK listed airline operating in Europe as chairman of the remuneration committee, a member of the nomination committee and board member responsible for employee engagement; and FLYHT Aerospace Solutions, a small aviation aftermarket business in Toronto as executive chairman. Eccleston has been a member of the Aero Club of Washington Board, the Flight Safety Foundation Board, and the National Business Aviation Association’s Associate Member Advisory Council and Chairman of the British-American Business Association in Washington DC.
Eccleston is married to Valerie, and they have two grown children who live close to their home in North Virginia where they settled after a lifetime of working in the United Kingdom, Japan, USA, Canada, France and Germany.
