AAR names Fortson as new chief financial officer

Wood Dale-based Aircraft maintenance and support provider AAR Corp. said John Fortson will join the company July 1 as vice president of finance.

Fortson will become vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer on July 19, or as soon as possible following the filing of the Company’s Form 10-K for its fiscal year ending May 31.

Fortson, 45, joins AAR from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he held the position of managing director, investment banking. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1998 and was promoted to managing director in 2007. His client base and scope of work has extended beyond U.S.-based companies to Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, South Africa and Israel.

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Fortson served for seven years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, with his final assignment as a company commander in the 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and received an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

“We are very pleased to welcome John to AAR’s senior leadership team,” said David P. Storch, AAR chairman and chief executive officer, AAR. “John brings extensive financial expertise to the company, with more than 14 years of experience in international capital markets. His leadership and insights will be invaluable as we execute AAR’s plans for continued growth.

“I would like to acknowledge Michael J. Sharp, who has served as acting Chief Financial Officer since 2012,” Storch added. “Mike has done an outstanding job during this interim period and we look forward to his ongoing contributions as AAR’s Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer.”