Fernando Alonso was named as Head of Military Aircraft, Airbus Defence and Space on 29 January 2015 and took up the position on 1 March 2015. He is a member of the Airbus Defence and Space Executive Committee and on 1 July 2015 was appointed to the Group Executive Committee. Previously he was Senior Vice President Flight and Integration Tests, Head of Flight Operations since September 2007, and, before that, Vice President Flight Test Division since February 2002.
 
Fernando Alonso began his professional career with McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach, California in 1979 as a performance engineer in the company’s flight test department. Three years later, he joined Airbus as a performance engineer in the flight division.
 
While remaining with Airbus, he graduated as a flight test engineer at l’Ecole du Personnel Navigant d’Essais et de Réception (EPNER) in 1990, and then became a flight test engineer responsible for aircraft performance of the A330, A340 and A321.
 
Between 1995 and 2002, Fernando was responsible for the development of flight controls and handling qualities during the flight test programmes of the A319, A330- 200, A340-500 and A340-600. Subsequently, he was deeply involved in the organisation and coordination of the flight test campaign of the A380.
 
During a career at Airbus that has spanned more than 30 years, Fernando has accumulated more than 4,300 hours of flight tests. He was a flight test engineer on the maiden flights of A340-200 in 1992, the A319 in 1997, the A380 in April 2005 and most recently the A350 XWB in June 2013.
 
Born in Madrid, Spain in 1956, he obtained a degree from the Polytechnic University of Aeronautical Engineers in Madrid in 1979. He is a keen skier and tennis player. He and his family are also actively involved in the French charity Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, fundraising and organising summer camps for underprivileged children who live in a municipal dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
 
Fuente: www.airbus.com

Born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz on 28 November 1960.
Degree in Law from the University of Sevilla.
Joined the Spanish Foreign Service in January 1985.
 
1985
Started his diplomatic career as Head of Subsection for Pacific and Security Agreements in the General Directorate of Foreign Policy for North-America and Pacific in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
1986
Joined the General Directorate for International Affairs of Security and Disarmament as Head of Subsection for politico-military affairs.
 
1987
Became Director for Atlantic Affairs in the same General Directorate.
 
1988 -1993
Posted at the Spanish Delegation at NATO where he was responsible for politico-military matters (DPC, DRC, EWG, NPG, Eurogroup, Alerts Committee etc...) and acted as Spokesman.
 
1993 - 1995
Appointed Cultural and Cooperation Counsellor at the Spanish Embassy in Brazil.
 
June 1995
Returned to the General Directorate for International Affairs of Security and Disarmament for the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, to deal with all matters concerning the Security Working Groups of the CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policy) and of the WEU.
 
January 1996 - May 1996
Diplomatic Adviser to the Spanish Minister of Defence.
 
May 1996 - October 1999
Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General.
 
October 1999 - July 2004
Minister Counsellor at the Spanish Embassy in Italy and Governor of Spain at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
 
August 2004 - August 2005
Minister Counsellor at the Spanish Embassy in Morocco.
 
September 2005 - July 2008
Deputy Director General. European and North American Foreign Policy General Directorate.
 
August 2008 – August 2010
Director General for United Nations, Global Affairs and Human Rights.
 
August 2010 – January 2011
Director General for Multilateral Affairs.
 
February 2011- May 2014
Ambassador of Spain to the Republic of the Philippines, to the Republic of Palau, to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and to the Federated States of Micronesia.
May 2012
Alternate Governor of Spain during the 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank.
 
May 2014- February 2015
Ambassador Permanent Representative of Spain to the OSCE.
 
As of 1 February 2015
Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency.
 
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Other professional and academic positions:
• Elected member of the Academic Advisory Board of the NATO Defence College (Rome) 2006-2008.
• Masters Certificate of the Public Management Leadership Program (IESE, Madrid) 2007-2008.
• Diploma of 69th course of NATO Defence College in Rome.
• Has written several articles on politico-military and defence issues in Spanish periodicals.
 
Languages:
• Spanish: mother tongue
• English: bilingual
• French: bilingual
• Italian: fluent, both written and spoken
 
Decorations:
• Spanish Cross of Naval Merit (first class).
• Commander and Officer of the Spanish Orders of the Civil Merit and of Queen Isabel la Católica.
• Commander with degree of the Orders of the Civil Merit and of the Order of Queen Isabel la Católica.
• Grand-Officer of the Order of Al-Wissam (Morocco).
• Grand-Officer of the Order of La Stella (Italy).
• Third Degree Knight Commander of Rizal, Order of the Knights of Rizal.
• Grand Cross, Order of Sikatuna, gold distinction. Republic of the Philippines.
 
Jorge Domecq is married and has two daughters.
 
Fuente: www.eda.europa.eu