Penelope Jane Basson

Penelope Jane Basson is Head of Corporate Governance, Quality and Security since 1st of July 2025. In this role she remains a member of the Airbus Defence and Space Executive Committee. 

Previously she was Head of Transformation and Corporate Secretary in Airbus Defence and Space.

Jane worked for various law firms and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD in Paris before joining Airbus in 2000. She held various roles in Corporate Communications before being appointed Vice President Internal Communications in 2003. In 2008 she joined Human Resources to develop a culture change programme in support of the Company’s business transformation strategy Power8. She was appointed Senior Vice President Leadership Development & Culture Change for the Group in June 2012 when she set up the Airbus Leadership University. In 2016 she became Chief of Staff to the CEO and from 2019 to 2021 she was Chief of Staff to the COO of Airbus and Head of Transformation and People Empowerment in Operations.

Jane founded and chaired Balance for Business, a federation of Airbus’ different employee resource groups which paved the way  to a more inclusive working environment. 

Since 2019 she is a member of the Board of Directors of Nexans, a global player in energy transition.

Jane has a degree in International Communications, Journalism and Business Administration from the American University of Paris. Originally South African, Jane has French nationality and lives in Toulouse with her husband and daughter.