Major Leadership Shift at Airbus India: Who Is Jürgen Westermeier?

Airbus has designated Jürgen Westermeier, currently its Executive Vice-President and Chief Procurement Officer, as the new head for India and South Asia. He replaces Rémi Maillard, who is transitioning to a global leadership role as Executive Vice-President of Engineering for Commercial Aircraft and Head of Technology at Airbus.

Expanded Regional Mandate

In his new position, Westermeier will oversee Airbus operations across commercial aircraft, defence and space, and helicopter divisions in India and the region. His responsibilities include,

• Driving commercial aircraft sales.
• Expanding the company’s presence in areas such as services, engineering, digital initiatives, innovation, and training.
• Championing Airbus’s “Make in India” strategy to deepen its local manufacturing and partnerships

Background & Experience

Westermeier joined Airbus in 2020 as Chief Procurement Officer. He played a pivotal role in fortifying supplier alliances and streamlining procurement processes across the company’s divisions.

Prior to Airbus, he held several strategic roles at BMW—including in information services, motorcycles purchasing, quality management, supplier networks, and cost engineering—from 1998 to the mid-2010s. He also served as SVP of Purchasing and Supplier Network in Asia.

Academically, he holds an Industrial Engineering degree from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany.

Why This Matters

India is an increasingly strategic market for Airbus, with major orders from airlines and robust presence across commercial and defense sectors. Westermeier’s role will be crucial in capitalizing on this momentum—reinforcing Airbus’s operational footprint, accelerating local manufacturing under “Make in India,” and deepening partnerships in engineering, innovation, and training.