Dean Athans to Succeed Mary Ellen Jones at The Engine Alliance

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — February 5, 2013 — Dean Athans has been named President of the Engine Alliance, succeeding Mary Ellen Jones, who is returning to a senior leadership position at Pratt & Whitney.  The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of GE Aviation (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). 

Athans comes to the Engine Alliance from the GE Power & Water Aero Derivatives business, where he has led the LMS100 power turbine product line since 2010. Prior to this role, Athans spent 25 years at GE Aviation, where he held many technical, operation and commercial leadership roles.

“I welcome this opportunity to assume leadership of the Engine Alliance,” said Athans. “The GP7200 engine is a great product with a strong customer base and wonderful team behind it.” 

Athans spent 15 years in GE Aviation’s Commercial Engines Operation and held leadership roles in Customer Support Operations and Product Supporting engineering as well as serving as the Product Leader for the CF34 engine for Bombardier aircraft. He has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an master’s degree in Business from Babson College.

“I leave the Engine Alliance with great pride in the GP7200’s performance and the accomplishments of the EA team,” said Mary Ellen Jones, who has been EA president since November 2009. “The GP7200 is the best-selling engine for the A380, and I look forward to its continued success on the A380 with Dean at the helm.”

The GP7200 is manufactured at GE and Pratt & Whitney, with GE manufacturing the high pressure compressor, combustor and high pressure turbine, and Pratt &Whitney manufacturing the fan module, low pressure compressor and low pressure turbine.  Final engine assembly is conducted at Pratt & Whitney’s Engine Center in Middletown, Connecticut.  GP7000 Engine Program participants include SNECMA (France), Techspace Aero (Belgium) and MTU Aero Engines (Germany).

The GP7200 entered revenue service in 2008 with Emirates and has proven to be the more fuel-efficient engine for the Airbus A380.  There are now 45 GP7200-powered A380 aircraft in service with Emirates, Air France and Korean Air.  The GP7200 engine has also been selected by Air Austral, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.