Airbus has appointed Netra Gowda as Vice President, HR Transformation, Digital & AI, marking her return to the aerospace company after a leadership stint at Stellantis. In her new role, Gowda will work at the intersection of human resources, digital transformation and artificial intelligence as Airbus continues to advance technology-driven transformation across its workforce and operations.
Gowda returns to Airbus with extensive experience within the organisation. Before taking up her new position, she served as Vice President, Strategy, Planning and Portfolio at Stellantis, where she was involved in strategic planning and portfolio management.
Her latest appointment also marks a return to a company where she previously spent more than a decade in several strategic and transformation-focused roles. During her earlier tenure with Airbus Defence and Space, Gowda worked on initiatives involving Advanced Analytics, AI and Cloud Acceleration, giving her direct experience with the company’s technology and transformation agenda.
Over the course of her previous Airbus career, Gowda held several positions, including Chief of Staff to the Digital Transformation Officer, Head of Culture Change for Digital Transformation, Corporate Innovation Manager, and Group Strategy & Analysis Manager. These responsibilities covered digital transformation, organisational change, innovation and corporate strategy.
In her new VP role, Gowda’s mandate brings together HR transformation, digital technologies and AI. The position reflects the growing connection between technology adoption and workforce strategy, particularly as organisations introduce AI into business processes and reshape the skills required across their workforce.
Her responsibilities are expected to include supporting the transformation of HR through digital and AI capabilities while helping align workforce initiatives with Airbus’ wider technology priorities. As AI adoption expands, organisations increasingly need to address areas such as workforce readiness, skills development, cultural change and adoption of new technologies alongside their technology investments.
Gowda also brings experience from outside the aerospace sector, including her work with Intel. Her professional background has additionally included engagement with technology and leadership initiatives. She has served as a Millennium Leadership Fellow with the Atlantic Council and has been a guest lecturer on digitalisation at Sciences Po.
Her return to Airbus comes as the company continues to expand the use of digital technologies, AI and advanced analytics across its operations. By bringing back a leader who has previously worked across Airbus’ digital transformation, innovation and culture-change initiatives, the company is strengthening its leadership capabilities around the people and organisational aspects of technological transformation.
With her appointment as Vice President, HR Transformation, Digital & AI, Gowda will play a role in connecting Airbus’ people strategy with its digital and AI agenda, supporting the company’s workforce as technology continues to reshape how organisations operate.
