Vice President
Total Quality

Aviation Systems

David is Vice President of Total Quality where he leads a unified quality system for Aviation Systems. He held a number of programme management and general management positions of increasing responsibility through the various changes of name of Lucas Aerospace culminating in David heading the TRW Aeronautical Systems aftermarket business prior to moving to a corporate role selling the business in 2002.

David Ashton was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England in 1960. He grew up at the family home in Yorkshire and gained his first management positions as Stage manager for school plays and for the local amateur drama company.

David was sponsored by Rolls-Royce to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manchester. After completing basic graduate training and managing the introduction of Rolls-Royce’s largest automated manufacturing facility, he moved to work in Japan. He returned from Japan to Derby as Programme Manager for the Rolls-Royce parts of the V2500 in 1987 and stayed with Rolls-Royce until he joined Lucas in 1989.

Following a two year secondment to Goodrich in Canada to integrate the Actuation business of Goodrich and TRW, David joined Smiths Aerospace in May 2005 as Vice President for A380.

David likes mountain biking, reading, cooking, and enjoying fine wine in his spare time. He has two children, Frederick and Alicia.