Cobham announced that Chief Executive Officer Andy Stevens had decided to take early retirement due to the recurrence of a long term serious back injury. The Chairman, John Devaney, assumed the position of executive chairman while a search for Andy’s successor was conducted. Cobham plc (‘Cobham’ or the ‘Group’) is pleased to announce the successful completion of that process with the appointment of Robert (Bob) Murphy as Chief Executive Officer of Cobham with effect from 25 June 2012.
Murphy is a seasoned Aerospace & Defence executive with a successful track record spanning more than 25 years working in the Civil, Commercial & Defence sectors of the industry. He is a member of the Executive Committee of BAE Systems plc and currently Executive Vice President with responsibility for the global operations of the Product Sectors business for BAE Systems, Inc., which has annual revenue of some US$10 billion per annum and employs 25,000 people. The Product Sectors business has operations in the USA, UK, Sweden and South Africa and includes both the Electronic Systems and Land & Armaments Sectors. The Electronic Systems Sector, in addition to having a strong defence portfolio, also includes the legacy Platform Solutions Sector, a leading provider of critical sub-systems for civil aircraft and transportation.
Before taking his current role, Murphy was President of the Land & Armaments business and previously held positions in BAE Systems, Inc. as Chief Financial Officer and President of the legacy Technology Solutions Sector. He joined BAE Systems in 1999 after 18 years with GE, where he held numerous financial leadership positions, culminating in his role as CFO of the military engines operation of the GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) Group. Prior to that he spent eight years working in the commercial aircraft industry supporting GEAE.
Murphy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), the Board of Visitors for the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland and is a member of the BAE Systems/FNSS Joint Venture Board of Directors in Turkey.
Stevens will continue to assist the Board until further notice and will support Murphy during this transition. Murphy will relocate to the UK and will primarily work out of existing offices in Wimborne, Dorset.