Beleaguered Airbus looks outside for new sales chief

Airbus has embarked on a fresh search for a sales chief to take over from soon-to-retire John Leahy as the aerospace group seeks a clean break from turmoil over investigations into the use of middlemen, said people familiar with the plans. Leahy’s deputy, executive VP Kiran Rao, had been identified as Leahy’s successor earlier this year, but his appointment to one of the industry’s most visible jobs was never confirmed. CE Tom Enders has now decided to look outside the core part of the company in a bid to denote a fresh start, but Rao is not being targeted in the compliance investigation which centres mainly on a defunct headquarters team, the people said. The search comes as the Airbus marketing machine is seen as demoralised as a result of British and French probes, which have also sparked a blanket internal investigation. <br/>