Enders Wants EADS Headquarters In Toulouse | AVIATION WEEK

EndAirbus CEO Thomas Enders says he will develop Toulouse as the new operational headquarters of EADS after he becomes CEO of the group in June. Enders told executives at an internal meeting in Madrid that 200-300 headquarters staff from Munich and Paris will have to move to Toulouse. Enders plans to work from Toulouse, too.

EADS has worked from dual headquarters in Paris and Munich since its inception in 2000 to reflect the targeted balance between French and German shareholders. However, the politically motivated set-up has added to complexities in the daily running of the company. Enders has long been an advocate for streamlining the organization and getting rid of political influence on company matters as much as possible.

The decision to make Toulouse the de facto headquarters also is a sign that Enders is serious about more closely integrating Airbus and EADS. As a result of the recent leadership changes, Thierry Baril and Harald Wilhelm will run human resources and finance, respectively, for both companies. Those moves are seen as effectively decreasing the power of future Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier, currently the manufacturer’s COO.

ers Wants EADS Headquarters In Toulouse | AVIATION WEEK