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Henri Ziegler
Photo: André Cros, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons16

Henri Ziegler

President of Airbus (1906–1998)

Henri Ziegler CVO, CBE (18 November 1906 in Limoges – 24 July 1998, in Paris) was one of the founders of Airbus and its first president.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Henri Ziegler (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Nov 18, 1906, died Jul 24, 1998.1

About

An engineer, he was a graduate of the École Polytechnique and of "Sup'Aéro" (the national aerospace engineering school) as well as a French air force officer and test pilot. he was a founding father of Airbus Industrie, along with Roger Béteille and Felix Kracht, and was appointed as the first chief executive officer of Airbus Industrie. He was the driving force behind the development of the Airbus A300B, the original aircraft that started Airbus on its road to global success, by obtaining French government backing for the programme in 1969.

From Wikipedia’s article on Henri Ziegler, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedÉcole polytechnique3
  • Date not recordedCollège Stanislas de Paris3
  • Date not recordedInstitut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace3

Following his appointment as assistant director of the Centre d'Essais en Vol (government flight test centre) in 1938, he fought for the French Resistance during World War II. In 1944 he was made commander of the Free French air forces in London, going on to become chief of staff of the French Forces of the Interior under General Koenig. He was awarded the Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with three palms, the Médaille de la Résistance with rosette and appointed officer on the US Legion of Merit.

From Wikipedia’s article on Henri Ziegler (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: engineer, French resistance fighter, military flight engineer.9

  • 1970 to 1973Chairperson of the executive board, Aérospatiale6 8
  • 1968 to 1970Président-directeur général, Sud-Aviation6 7
  • 1947 to 1949President, X-Résistance6
  • Date not recordedWorked at Airbus4
  • Date not recordedFounded Airbus Commercial Aircraft5
  • Date not recordedPresident, GIFAS6

While acting as a special representative of the French government in Britain and the United States, Ziegler was also managing director of Air France from 1946 to 1954. In subsequent years he was the founder of Air Alpes, a member of several cabinet ministries, president of Avions Breguet; president of Sud Aviation (1968), leader of the Franco-British supersonic airliner project Concorde, and president and CEO (1970–1973) of SNIAS (Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale), which was renamed Aérospatiale in 1984.

From 1971 to 1973, Ziegler was also managing director of the French Aerospace industries trade organisation (Usias), retiring from Airbus in 1975. In 1973, Ziegler received the Tony Jannus Award, along with Geoffrey Knight, for distinguished contributions to commercial aviation. Ziegler was the father of Bernard Ziegler, the former Airbus Director of Engineering.

From Wikipedia’s article on Henri Ziegler (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornNov 18, 1906, Limoges10
  • DiedJul 24, 1998, Paris11
  • CitizenshipFrance12

Awards

  • 1989Great Gold medal of the Société d'Encouragement au Progrès13
  • Date not recordedCommander of the Order of the British Empire13
  • Date not recordedCommander of the Royal Victorian Order13
  • Date not recordedCroix de guerre 1939–194513
  • Date not recordedGrand Officer of the Legion of Honour13
  • Date not recordedLegionnaire of Legion of Merit13
  • Date not recordedOfficer of the Legion of Merit13
  • Date not recordedResistance Medal13

Sources

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