After three decades navigating complex aerospace challenges across engines, avionics, airframes and global manufacturing, Justin Salmans, senior vice president, Supply Chain, has returned to Textron Aviation at a moment when the industry’s supply chain is shifting faster than ever. For him, the move is more than a professional step — it is a homecoming.
“I’m honored and excited to serve in this role,” Salmans said. “Textron Aviation is the premier business and general aviation company in the world. Where else would you want to work?”
Raised on a multigeneration Kansas ranch, Salmans learned early what responsibility feels like. “In that environment, nobody else is going to do the work for you,” he said. “You’re responsible. That sense of accountability stays with you.”
That upbringing influences the way he leads — grounded, steady and built on integrity. “My word is my bond. That’s as good as a contract,” he said. “In my family, if you give your word, you honor it.”
Salmans entered aerospace almost accidentally when a job allowed him to stay close to home after earning his industrial engineering degree from Kansas State University. What he found inside the industry hooked him immediately.
“In aviation, everyone in the room is smarter than you,” he said with a laugh. “You’ll never get to the end of learning here. There’s always something deeper — coatings, materials, systems. You can walk into a different room and find a completely new set of problems to solve.”
That belief in continuous learning shapes his leadership and keeps him energized. He often turns to a simple framework rooted in curiosity: ask why, then ask it again. “You get a few whys, a couple hows and eventually you get to a decision point,” Salmans said.
“Be present, be curious and empower people,” he said. “That’s how you build a culture where people think boldly and solve problems together.”
Salmans steps into the senior vice president role at a pivotal time. Demand across business and general aviation remains strong, while forces outside the industry, from private equity roll ups to supplier consolidations, are reshaping the landscape faster than traditional regulatory cycles or certification timelines can adjust.
His priorities include enabling growth, improving agility and leveraging technology to anticipate changes early and support strategic decisions.
Above all, he said, success will be measured by how well the supply chain serves people inside and outside the company. “Success is when everyone has what they need, every day, on our lines,” he said.
“It’s the history of this company,” he said. “A small aviation company that has made it through every event since World War II, right here in Wichita. It’s the premier general aviation company in the world.”
For Salmans, the future is about building on that legacy with the same values that brought him home.