Thales' North American subsidiary hires Geckle as CEO
Robert Geckle previously spent two decades at Airbus, including leadership roles in the U.S. and Europe. Thales photo.
By
Ross Wilkers
Robert Geckle most recently led the Airbus U.S. Space and Defense business for nearly four-and-a-half years.
Thales Group's North American subsidiary has hired a new chief executive in Robert Geckle, a two-decade Airbus veteran who most recently was CEO of the latter’s U.S. defense and space business.
Geckle will start at the Thales organization on July 1 and succeed the retiring Alan Pellegrini, a two-decade company veteran who has been Thales North America’s CEO since 2017. Pellegrini will remain a key executive through the end of this year to support the transition, Thales said Monday.
Pellegrini’s tenure as Thales North America’s CEO was highlighted by the company’s push to expand its footprint across aerospace, defense, cybersecurity and digital identity.
In March 2025, Pellegrini appeared on our WT 360 podcast to overview how Thales North America aligns its priorities with those of its France-headquartered parent Thales Group and its approach to dual-use technologies.
Geckle previously led the Airbus U.S. Space and Defense business for nearly four-and-a-half years. His overall tenure at Airbus spanned two decades, including roles in both the U.S. and Europe.
Thales Group has recorded $104.7 million in unclassified prime contract revenue over the trailing 12 months with the Navy representing 55% of that spend and Army at 29%, according to USASpending.gov data. The Defense Logistics Agency and Federal Aviation Administration make up the remaining 16%.