GE aviation leasing arm changes CEO

· Wednesday, November 06, 2019

Greg Conlon (left) and Alec Burger. (Photo Credit: GECAS)

GE [NYSE: GE] on Wednesday promoted Greg Conlon to president and CEO of its aviation finance and leasing arm to replace Alec Burger, who will continue as head of GE Capital and serve as chairman of GE Capital Aviation Services.

The move comes after months of speculation that GE might attempt to sell GECAS as the struggling conglomerate tries to streamline its portfolio.

Conlon previously served as executive vice president of aircraft trading and headed the company’s helicopter leasing and finance business.

Parent company GE Capital finances aviation and energy assets.

GECAS said Nov. 6 the change is being made to ensure its continued strength by having a dedicated leader and that Burger will continue to be engaged as chairman.

GECAS owns, services or has on order more than 1,700 aircraft and serves more than 250 customers around the world, including cargo airlines.

Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com