Jim Currier has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Honeywell Aerospace, the aerospace and defense division that is separating from Honeywell International to become an independent, publicly traded company. The appointment was announced in November 2025, with the role becoming effective on June 29, 2026, when Honeywell completes its planned spin-off of the aerospace business. The separation marks a watershed moment for the 140-year-old company's portfolio transformation and creates one of the largest pure-play aerospace suppliers with 2024 revenues exceeding USD 15 billion and operations spanning commercial aviation, defense, and space markets.
Currier's appointment follows a comprehensive portfolio review that CEO Vimal Kapur initiated after assuming the top job. Kapur said the choice of Currier, alongside board chair Craig Arnold (former CEO of Eaton Corporation), reflects the pairing of deep aerospace expertise with industrial leadership experience. No external search firm was mentioned in the appointment announcement. The board for the independent company includes eleven directors drawn from aerospace, defense, finance and capital markets backgrounds, with several executives transitioning from Honeywell's current board, including Bill Ayer from Alaska Air Group and Scott Davis from UPS. In conjunction with the aerospace spin-off, Honeywell announced on June 5, 2026, that Honeywell Aerospace common stock will begin trading on Nasdaq on June 29 under the ticker symbol HONA, while Honeywell will implement a 1-for-2 reverse stock split effective the same date.
Currier began his tenure as President and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies in August 2023, having spent nearly two decades in senior roles throughout the company. Before that appointment, he led the Electronic Solutions Strategic Business Unit, a USD 5 billion multi-business enterprise focused on avionics and navigation systems for commercial and defense markets, as well as space launch vehicle components. He also oversaw the Aftermarket organization across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, leading a USD 2 billion portfolio. Earlier, he served as Vice President of Airlines for North America. Currier joined Honeywell Aerospace Technologies in 2006 after working at United Technologies, where he oversaw design, development and testing of upper-stage rocket engine programs. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami and was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 2014 for his role in the Delta Clipper X/XA program.
Honeywell International is an integrated industrial company serving a broad range of industries, and the aerospace business has historically been a flagship division providing products and services found on virtually every commercial, defense and space aircraft worldwide. The division supplies propulsion engines, cockpit and navigation systems, auxiliary power units, environmental controls, avionics and wireless connectivity services. As an independent company, Honeywell Aerospace will focus on innovation in electrification, autonomy and safety while operating with sharper strategic focus and optimized capital allocation. The separation is part of Honeywell's broader three-company strategy: Honeywell Technologies will serve the automation and energy transition markets, and Solstice Advanced Materials (spun off in October 2025) operates as a pure-play specialty chemicals business.
Currier's appointment signals confidence that the independent aerospace company can move with greater agility and accelerate innovation in an attractive market. As a pure-play supplier unburdened by more mature automation and building technologies businesses, Honeywell Aerospace can concentrate investment on high-growth defense spending, commercial aviation recovery and emerging platforms such as electric aircraft. Currier's 17 years at Honeywell, including direct management of key business units, provides continuity of relationships with major customers including Boeing, Airbus, airlines and defense contractors. The appointment of Arnold as non-executive chair, combined with an experienced board roster, suggests Honeywell is positioning the company for public market credibility at launch. Whether the independent entity can sustain growth momentum and deliver on efficiency promises will depend on execution in a competitive supplier landscape facing supply chain headwinds and evolving defense priorities.
