Albany International has has appointed Gunnar Kleveland to succeed Bill Higgins as president and CEO, effective September 1. Kleveland will also join the company’s board at that time. Mr. Higgins, who previously announced his intention to retire as CEO, will remain a member of Albany’s Board.

Kleveland is a seasoned executive with nearly two decades of industrial and aerospace leadership experience at Textron Inc. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., which designs and manufactures a range of vehicles and equipment for commercial and consumer applications. During his tenure, Kleveland was instrumental in developing and executing a strategy that leveraged the business’ expertise in electric drivetrains and lithium-ion battery technology across its brands and product lines. As a result, Textron was able to reduce its vehicles’ carbon footprints and increase energy efficiency, outperforming its peers and meeting the evolving needs of its customers. Prior to that, Kleveland served as president of Textron’s TRU Simulation + Training Inc. He also held various leadership roles in strategic sourcing, supply chain and logistics at Bell Helicopter, including serving as executive Vice President of Integrated Operations. Prior to these roles, he was a fighter pilot in the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) and finished his 15-year career in the air force as the Chief of Flight Safety.

Kleveland holds a degree from the RNoAF Academy, a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Business Administration from Midwestern State University.

“Gunnar’s appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive search process that the Board and Bill have worked on together over the last several months,” says Erkie Kailbourne, Chairman of the Albany Board of Directors. “We are pleased to have identified such an accomplished and experienced executive and are confident that he is the right person to lead Albany. Gunnar’s strategic vision, focus on commercial execution and innovation and proven ability to build strong and collaborative teams have translated to tangible results. We look forward to leveraging his expertise to further build on our momentum and deliver value for all of our stakeholders.”