GE Aviation chief now corporate vice chair too

General Electric's board has named David Joyce a company vice chair leading GE Aviation and additive manufacturing.

The move making Joyce one of GE's three vice chairs underscores the importance of Evendale-based GE Aviation to the Boston-based industrial giant. Under Joyce, GE Aviation has become GE’s largest division, with sales of $24.7 billion last year.

GE Aviation is a leading provider of jet, turboshaft, turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. Now, Joyce also will lead GE’s efforts to establish and grow an additive manufacturing equipment, materials and services business, as well as accelerating additive manufacturing applications across GE.

“Under David’s leadership, GE Aviation has experienced a period of unprecedented growth and expansion. The business’ revenues grew from $19 to $25 billion and the installed base climbed to 62,000 engines in his eight years at the helm,” said GE chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt in a news release Monday. “His leadership and GE Aviation’s success in additive manufacturing will be impactful across GE.”

Last week GE announced plans to acquire two suppliers of additive manufacturing equipment, SLM Solutions Group AG and Arcam AB for $1.4 billion. Both companies will report into Joyce. GE expects to grow its additive business to $1 billion by 2020.

Joyce has spent his career at GE Aviation, gaining broad and deep knowledge through a series of technical and leadership roles, and influencing the design and launch of GE’s most innovative and popular engines over the past three decades. After 15 years growing his career in advanced design and product development, he was promoted to general manager leading the around-the-clock customer and product support organization supporting a global fleet of more than 500 customers. \

Joyce went on to run the small commercial engine operations, and in 2003 was named a GE company officer responsible for the commercial engine portfolio as the vice president of commercial engine operation. In 2008, he was named president and CEO of GE Aviation.

Joyce serves on the boards of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Aerospace Industries Association, the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, and Xavier University. He was named to the National Academy of Engineering in 2014. Joyce earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan State University and holds a master's in business finance from Xavier.