‘Bear of the Pyrenees’, Former Airbus CEO Jean Pierson Dies

‘Bear of the Pyrenees’, Former Airbus CEO Jean Pierson Dies
Jean Pierson (R), then managing director of Airbus Industrie, laughs as His Excellency Sir Michael Jay (L), the British ambassador to France, adjusts the insignia of Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the Airbus Industrie headquarters in southwestern France, in a file photo. Reuters
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PARIS—Jean Pierson, the “Bear of the Pyrenees” who propelled planemaker Airbus onto the global stage and began its transformation from a loose consortium into a European giant, has died, former colleagues said on Thursday.

Pierson died on Wednesday aged 80 in France, they said.