Kresa stated, "I have enjoyed my association with Caltech over the last 10 years. The next decade will be an exciting one for Caltech, and I am delighted to do my part."
Kresa was chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Northrop Grumman from 1990 to 2003. He served as president from 1987 to 2001.
Prior to joining Northrop, Kresa served with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the Department of Defense, and from 1961 to 1968 he was associated with the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Kresa serves on numerous corporate and institutional boards, including Avery Dennison Corporation, Fluor Corporation, General Motors Corporation, and several non-profit organizations and universities. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering; a past chairman of the board of governors of the Aerospace Industries Association; and an honorary fellow, and also a past president, of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is a senior advisor for the Carlyle Group.
Kresa's prestigious awards for leadership include the International von Kármán Wings Award; the California Institute of Technology's Management Association Excellence in Management Award; the California Manufacturers and Technology Association Award for Manufacturer of the Century; California Museum of Science and Industry and the California Museum Foundation Award for the California Industrialist of the Year; the Howard Hughes Memorial Award for contributions to the advancement of aviation and space technology; selection by Business Week magazine as one of the nation's top 25 managers for 2001; Forbes magazine's "Company of the Year" recognition in December 2002; and Aviation Week magazine's 2002 Laurel Citation for achievements in aeronautics/propulsion.
Kresa is a graduate of MIT, where he received a BS in 1959, an MS in 1961, and an EAA in 1966, all in aeronautics and astronautics.
Kresa succeeds Ben Rosen, who had served as Caltech chairman of the Board of Trustees since 2001.
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Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges (626) 395-3227 debwms@caltech.edu
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Written by Deborah Williams-Hedges