The Dowty Leadership Team
Henry Johnston
Chief Executive Officer
Henry Johnston is the Chief Executive Officer of Dowty.
Biography
Henry has more than 20 years’ experience in the aerospace and defence sectors and has a demonstrable track record of delivering transformational business development, exceeding operational targets and delivering growth.
He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of Sheffield, as well as an MBA from the University of Warwick Business School and a Masters in Defence Acquisition Management from Cranfield University.
Gaizka Bilbao
Global Supply Chain Leader
Gaizka Bilbao is Global Supply Chain Leader for Dowty.
Biography
Gaizka has held a number of senior positions at GE Aerospace over the past 24 years in Supply Chain, Lean, Program Management and Business Leadership.
Gaizka joined Dowty in 2014 where he led recovery activities to rebuild the business after a total loss fire in their HQ facility, he led the team establishing interim sites, recovering customer deliveries, and moving to a state-of-the-art bespoke new facility.
Garima Basu
Chief Financial Officer
Garima Basu is Chief Financial Officer for Dowty.
Biography
Garima brings over 30 years' experience in strategically managing accounting and finance functions within large, listed organizations. She has a proven track record of leading high performing finance teams and successfully delivering strategic initiatives, including ERP implementations & Mergers& Acquisitions.
Garima joined GE in 2024 and leads the Global Finance for Dowty businesses from UK.
She holds a degree in Commerce from Delhi University, India and is a Chartered Accountant.
Marinela Stefanova
Global HR Leader
Marinela Stefanova is Global HR Leader for Dowty.
Biography
Marinela is responsible for leading Dowty's global HR organisation, working with business leaders to deliver effective people strategies and solutions.
Paulina Pietrzak
Global Lean Leader
Paulina Pietrzak is Global Lean Leader for Dowty.
Biography
Paulina joined GE Aerospace in 2015 as part of the GE - Alstom acquisition in 2015 but has worked directly in manufacturing environments since 2008, where she started as a Planner in GE Vernova, Poland.
Paulina has been part of the Dowty Supply Chain Leadership Team since 2018, responsible for accelerating Lean capabilities within the business.
Jonathan Chestney
Global Engineering Leader
Jonathan Chestney is Global Engineering Leader for Dowty.
Biography
Jonathan Chestney has been Technical Director at Dowty since May 2017, responsible for the team that invents, develops, certificates and supports its range of civil and military products. Jonathan started as a student apprentice with the Dowty Group in the 1980s and has held Engineering, Programme Management, Business Leadership and Sales roles in Dowty since that time.
Jonathan has a degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Loughborough University, a Master of Philosophy in Automation, and is both a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology
Joe Tink
Global Sales & Marketing Leader
Joe Tink is Global Sales & Marketing for Dowty.
Biography
Joe joined Dowty in February 2024 to lead a multi-disciplined customer facing team focused on order book growth, long term strategy, customer events and market positioning.
Joe has 28 years' aerospace experience and has a BSc(Hons) degree in manufacturing and engineering.
David Rosen
Quality Compliance and Safety Management Systems Leader
David Rosen is Quality Compliance and Safety Management Systems Leader for Dowty.
Biography
David leads a team maintaining a Quality Management System across the full product life cycle aligned to EASA, FAA and CAA regulations and has recently added responsibly for Safety Management Systems and Safety Manager to his responsibility.
Prior to GE, David developed experience in Operations, Design and Quality leadership across a number of industries including, national infrastructure, defense and security.
David has a primary education in Electrical engineering and holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the University of Warwick.
Claire Pagano
IT & Digital Technology Director
Claire Pagano is IT & Digital Technology Director for Dowty.
Biography
Claire has over 15 years' experience of partnering with businesses to lead digital technology initiatives and transformation. She has led numerous ERP implementations, digital merger & acquisition alignments and extensive data & analytical maturity assessments.
Claire also has a proven track of coaching businesses on how to develop business strategies, with an emphasis on people and inclusivity.
Claire is a DEI Ambassador and leads the Disability Advocacy Network at Dowty, creating spaces for employees to share experiences and break down barriers.
Alex Thatcher
General Counsel
Alex Thatcher is General Counsel for Dowty.
Biography
Alex oversees all legal matters for the business, helps to mitigate risk, and maintain legal compliance.
