Former Boeing Exec Kevin McAllister Named AEI Senior Operating Partner

AE Industrial Partners (AEI) has appointed Kevin McAllister, former president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, as a senior operating partner, effective immediately, AEI reported on Thursday. 

"We are confident that Kevin's insights and unparalleled aviation expertise will be a tremendous asset to all of our portfolio companies as they look to improve operations and realize untapped potential. We welcome him to our leadership team." said David Rowe, Managing Partner, AEI. 

McAllister will also serve as co-head of AEI’s Portfolio Strategy and Optimization Group (PSO Group). The AEI PSO Group will help companies strengthen strategic planning processes, accelerate growth, improve quality and productivity, and improve upon a culture of safety, performance, learning and people development.

"The formation of the PSO group is a natural evolution for the AEI platform given the size of our industrial portfolio and the firm's value-added approach building businesses to scale," added Michael Greene, Managing Partner, AEI.  

Prior to joining AEI, McAllister served as president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He also served with GE Aviation for over 27 years. In his most recent role with the company, McAllister was president and CEO of GE Aviation Services. McAllister served as vice president and general manager of Global Sales and Marketing at GE Aviation, where he was responsible for delivering record backlog growth for the business. 

In addition, AEI has promoted Paul McElhinney, one of the company’s operating partners, as co-head of the AEI PSO Group and senior operating partner. McElhinney joined AEI in 2018 after his 30-year career with General Electric, where he served in a variety of senior leadership positions. 

He most recently served as president and CEO of both GE Power Services and GE Aviation Services. McElhinney holds an Honors Degree in Law from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

"Over the past two decades, AE Industrial has built a stellar reputation as a smart investor that understands the intricacies of deeply technical industries such as aerospace and defense," said McAllister. "Joining AEI is a perfect opportunity for me and I am excited to partner  with Paul, the AEI team, and the companies' management to unlock greater value in the portfolio."

About AE Industrial Partners

AE Industrial Partners is a private equity firm specializing in Aerospace, Defense & Government Services, Power Generation, and Specialty Industrial markets. AE Industrial Partners invests in market-leading companies that can benefit from our deep industry knowledge, operating experience, and relationships throughout our target markets.