EVENDALE, OHIO -- GE Aviation has renamed its Learning Centre to honor Brian H. Rowe. 



The Brian H. Rowe Learning Centre is the face to GE Aviation's world headquarters in Evendale and houses conference rooms and a museum for employees and customers. The facility opened in 2004. 



Brian Rowe is one of the most important leaders in GE Aviation history, serving as president and chief executive officer from 1979 to 1993. He served GE for 38 years before retiring as division chairman in 1995. During his leadership, the division grew from $2 billion to $8 billion, to assume a world leadership position. 



"Everyone at GE Aviation today is a beneficiary of Brian's unique vision and courage," said Scott Donnelly, president and CEO of GE Aviation. 



A longtime Cincinnati resident, Rowe, age 75, now resides in Key West, Florida. Among his many accomplishments at GE's Evendale headquarters: 



*Led development of the CF6 engine, GE's first commercial high-bypass engine. 

*Key player in forming CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of GE and Snecma of France. 

*Launched the GE90 engine, the world's most powerful jet engine. 



Rowe received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kings College - Durham University in 1955. He worked for deHavilland Engine Company in England for several years on the design and manufacture of piston, jet and rocket engines as well as the world's first commercial jetliner engine that powered the deHavilland Comets. 



He joined GE in 1957 as an engineer. He served as an engineering manager at the Lynn, Massachusetts, facility before leading the CF6 project in 1968. He became general manager of commercial engines in 1972, vice president and general manager of airline programs in 1974, and vice president and GM of engineering in 1976, before becoming president and CEO in 1979. 



Rowe is well respected in the aerospace industry and has received numerous awards. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautices and Astronautics and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He received the Legion D'Honneur by the French Government in 1985 and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science and Technology from the University of Cincinnati in 1987. 



GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of jet engines for civil and military aircraft. GE is also the world's leading provider of maintenance and support services for jet engines.