Textron names Lisa Atherton as CEO

Global multi-industry firm Textron announced Lisa Atherton, former president and chief executive officer of Bell segment, as the company’s new CEO and president effective from January 4, 2026.

Atherton has been with Textron since 2007 starting off her career with the company as Smart Weapons manager for the company’s Defense Systems segment.

“It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to serve as Bell’s president and CEO … I am excited to become president and CEO of Textron, and I look forward to working with Scott, the Board and our global teams to bring our innovative technologies and products to our customers and create value for our shareholders,” said Atherton.

She will replace outgoing CEO Scott C. Donnelly who led the company for 17 years. Scott will become Textron’s executive chairman and lead the board of directors.

“The board is pleased to name Lisa as our next CEO,” said R. Kerry Clark, Textron’s Lead Director. “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.”

Textron is known for its brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Textron Systems.