AAR announces Chief Financial Officer transition

Rhea-AI Summary

AAR (NYSE: AIR) announced that Sarah Flanagan will serve as Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective December 11, 2025, succeeding Sean Gillen, who is departing to pursue another opportunity.

Flanagan joined AAR in 2012, has 13 years at the company, previously served as Group CFO for the largest business segment, and was named an Officer in 2017. The company emphasized internal continuity and Flanagan's industry and global finance experience during the interim transition.

Positive

• Interim CFO effective December 11, 2025
• Internal successor with 13 years at AAR
• Named an Officer in 2017
• Previously served as Group CFO for largest segment

Negative

• CFO departing after seven years in role
• Interim appointment creates uncertainty over permanent CFO timeline

Key Figures

Interim CFO effective date December 11, 2025 Start date for Sarah Flanagan as Interim CFO

Tenure at AAR 13 years Sarah Flanagan’s experience at AAR as of announcement

Join year at AAR 2012 Year Sarah Flanagan joined the company

Officer appointment year 2017 Year Flanagan was named an Officer of AAR

CFO tenure 7 years Duration of Sean Gillen’s service as CFO

Market Reality Check

$83.79 Last Close

Volume Volume 197,609 is below the 20-day average of 352,352, indicating lighter trading conditions ahead of the CFO transition news. low

Technical Shares at $82.64 are trading above the 200-day moving average of $70.97, reflecting a pre-news uptrend.

Peers on Argus

AIR slipped 0.29% while key aerospace peers showed mixed modest moves, suggesting today’s setup was more stock-specific than sector-driven.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 25	Contract win	Positive	+3.6%	Trax selected by Pan Am for eMRO and cloud-hosted maintenance platform.
Nov 18	ESG report	Positive	+1.0%	Publication of 2025 Sustainability Report outlining ESG activities and oversight.
Nov 18	Employer award	Positive	-1.5%	Recognition among Forbes' America’s Dream Employers 2026 list.
Nov 11	Employer recognition	Positive	+0.6%	Designation as 2026 Military Friendly Gold and Military Friendly Spouse Employer.
Nov 03	Acquisition	Positive	-2.1%	Acquisition of HAECO Americas and related multi-year heavy maintenance contracts.

Pattern Detected

Recent corporate and reputational news has often seen modest single-day moves, with some divergence when larger strategic transactions are announced.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, AIR has reported several corporate developments. On Nov 3, it announced a $78 million HAECO Americas acquisition with related $850 million contracts, followed by multiple sustainability and employer-recognition announcements on Nov 11 and Nov 18. On Nov 25, its Trax unit secured Pan Am as a customer for eMRO and cloud-hosted solutions. These events show ongoing M&A, contract wins, and ESG positioning, against which today’s CFO transition adds a leadership change in the finance organization.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Short Interest

2.58%

0% 15% 30%+

low

Short interest at 2.58% of float with 3.5 days to cover indicates limited short-driven risk or squeeze potential around management transition headlines.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details a CFO transition, naming long-tenured executive Sarah Flanagan as Interim Chief Financial Officer effective December 11, 2025. Her 13 years at AAR and prior roles as Group CFO and FP&A leader emphasize internal continuity in financial leadership. Recent history includes acquisitions and equity financing, so the finance organization remains central to capital allocation and integration. Investors may watch for future disclosures on longer-term CFO succession and any updates to financial strategy.

Key Terms

Interim Chief Financial Officer financial

"Sarah Flanagan has been named the Company's Interim Chief Financial Officer"

An interim chief financial officer is a temporary leader responsible for managing a company's financial activities, such as budgeting, financial planning, and reporting, during a transitional period. Think of it as filling in for a key manager until a permanent replacement is found. For investors, this role is important because it ensures financial stability and clear guidance during times of change or uncertainty.

MROs technical

"aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs"

MROs, or Maintenance, Repair, and Operations supplies, are the everyday items and tools companies need to keep their facilities running smoothly, such as parts, cleaning supplies, and equipment. For investors, MROs are important because they represent essential costs that can impact a company's profitability and efficiency over time. Managing these supplies effectively helps businesses operate reliably and maintain long-term success.

OEMs technical

"aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs"

OEMs, or Original Equipment Manufacturers, are companies that produce the main components or products that other companies use to build finished goods. For investors, OEMs are important because their performance can influence the supply chain, manufacturing costs, and overall market trends in industries like technology, automotive, and electronics. Their success often reflects broader economic health and consumer demand.

FP&A financial

"served in various FP&A, Controller, and Group CFO roles at Honeywell"

Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) involves examining a company's financial data to help guide its future decisions. It’s like creating a detailed roadmap that shows where the business is now, where it wants to go, and how to get there. Investors rely on FP&A to understand a company's financial health and its potential for growth, making it a key tool for assessing investment opportunities.

Group Chief Financial Officer financial

"including Group Chief Financial Officer for the Company's largest business segment"

A group chief financial officer (CFO) is the executive responsible for overseeing a company's overall financial health and strategies across all its divisions or subsidiaries. Think of them as the financial captain of a large organization, guiding decision-making to ensure stability and growth. Investors pay attention to the group CFO because their leadership influences the company’s financial stability and ability to meet its goals.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

WOOD DALE, Ill., Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR), a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, announced that Sarah Flanagan has been named the Company's Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective December 11, 2025. Ms. Flanagan, AAR's Vice President, Financial Operations, will succeed Sean Gillen, who will depart AAR to pursue another opportunity outside the aviation industry.

Ms. Flanagan joined AAR in 2012 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in the Company's finance organization, including Group Chief Financial Officer for the Company's largest business segment. Her financial leadership supported AAR's growth, and in 2017, she was named an Officer of the Company. Prior to AAR, Ms. Flanagan served in various FP&A, Controller, and Group CFO roles at Honeywell International, Inc. and as an auditor at PwC.

"I want to thank Sean for his many contributions as CFO over the past seven years," said John M. Holmes, AAR's Chairman, President and CEO. "Sean's experience has played a key role in executing on our strategy to reposition and enhance AAR's portfolio to focus on higher growth, higher margin businesses over the last few years. We wish him the best in his new role."

Holmes continued, "We are fortunate to have a deep bench of strong talent at AAR, and Sarah brings vast industry knowledge and extensive experience across AAR's global operations. Sarah and I have worked closely during her 13 years at AAR, and I am excited she will lead our finance organization during this interim period."

About AAR
AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company with operations in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through four operating segments: Parts Supply, Repair & Engineering, Integrated Solutions, and Expeditionary Services. Additional information can be found at aarcorp.com.

This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, reflecting management's expectations about future conditions, including leadership of our finance organization and execution of our strategy. Forward-looking statements may also be identified because they contain words such as ''anticipate,'' ''believe,'' ''continue,'' ''could,'' ''estimate,'' ''expect,'' ''intend,'' ''likely,'' ''may,'' ''might,'' ''plan,'' ''potential,'' ''predict,'' ''project,'' ''seek,'' ''should,'' ''target,'' ''will,'' ''would,'' or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to "Risk Factors" in AAR CORP.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond management's control. Management assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Contact 
Investor Relations
+1-630-227-5830
investors@aarcorp.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aar-announces-chief-financial-officer-transition-302633470.html

SOURCE AAR CORP.

FAQ

Who is AAR's interim CFO and when does Sarah Flanagan start as AIR CFO?

Sarah Flanagan will serve as Interim CFO effective December 11, 2025.

Why is AAR (AIR) replacing its CFO on December 11, 2025?

Sean Gillen is departing AAR to pursue another opportunity outside the aviation industry.

What experience does Sarah Flanagan have for the AIR CFO interim role?

Flanagan joined AAR in 2012, has 13 years at the company, was Group CFO for the largest segment, and was named an Officer in 2017.

Will Sarah Flanagan be AAR's permanent CFO (NYSE: AIR)?

She is named as Interim CFO; the company did not announce a permanent appointment or timeline.

How long did Sean Gillen serve as AAR's CFO before leaving?

The company noted Sean Gillen served as CFO for seven years.