Woodward CEO Tom Gendron to retire
FORT COLLINS — Woodward Inc. (Nasdaq: WWD) CEO Tom Gendron is retiring effective May 9, the company announced Thursday in a news release. He will also retire from his roles as president and chairman of the board.
Gendron’s replacement will be Chip Blankenship Jr.
Gendron spent more than 31 years at Woodward, including 17 as CEO. He had originally announced plans to retire in 2020, but complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic compelled him to stay on.
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“I have always believed that my greatest responsibility as chairman and CEO is to manage Woodward for the challenges of today while positioning the company and its members for long-term growth and success,” Gendron said in a prepared statement. “It has been an honor and a privilege to lead this special company and its talented members. I am confident in the board’s choice of Chip as my successor, and I look forward to working with him over the coming months to ensure continuity during this transition period.”
Gendron will remain with Woodward as an employee until July 11 to help ensure a smooth transition.
Blankenship joins Woodward from Arconic Inc., an aerospace advanced alloys and components company, where he was CEO. He previously spent 24 years at General Electric Co. in numerous roles, including as CEO of its appliances division.
Woodward designs, manufactures and services control systems and control system components for aircraft engines, industrial engines and turbines, power generation and mobile industrial equipment.