Airbus is poised to hire Eric Schulz, the head of Rolls-Royce's civil engines unit, to lead its commercial jetliner sales, after months of uncertainty over the successor to sales kingpin John Leahy, three people familiar with the matter said.
Schulz, president of the civil engines division at the British engineering firm, has been recommended for the post to bring in outside blood as the company faces turmoil over the impact of U.K. and French corruption investigations.
Christian Scherer, chief executive of turboprop maker ATR, jointly owned by Airbus and Italian aerospace firm Leonardo, had also been considered for one of aviation's highest profile roles.