Michael Thacker

Michael Thacker

SVP, Engineering & Technology

Michael Thacker is senior vice president of Engineering & Technology at Pratt & Whitney. In this role, Thacker leads and directs Pratt & Whitney’s Engineering organization, which is engaged in the design, development, testing and certification of commercial and military products. He drives world-class engineering through a relentless focus on customer requirements, advancing market differentiating technologies, leading continuous improvement, and developing technical leadership throughout the organization worldwide.

Thacker joined Pratt & Whitney in October 2024 from Textron Inc.’s Bell business, where he was most recently executive vice president of Commercial Programs and a member of Bell’s Executive Leadership Team. During his tenure at Bell, Thacker held responsibility for core engineering and technology development and for commercial new product development, programs, global sales and customer support and services.

Prior leadership roles at Textron included senior vice president of Engineering for Textron Aviation, where he was responsible for the engineering efforts of the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker product lines. He first joined the company with Cessna in 1993 as an engineer in propulsion integration.

Thacker was elected an associate fellow by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) for his significant and lasting contributions to the aerospace profession. He currently serves on the School of Engineering Advisory Board at the University of Kansas.

Academically, Thacker holds bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units.