Ronald D. Sugar
Chairman Emeritus,
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Dr. Ronald D. Sugar is Chairman Emeritus of Northrop Grumman Corporation. He served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from 2003 until his retirement in 2010.
Northrop Grumman, through its 120,000 employees worldwide, provides innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services. During his tenure, Northrop Grumman effectively integrated 20 acquisitions and increased annual revenues from $26B to $35B to become the nation’s second largest defense contractor.
Early in his career, Dr. Sugar held technical and management positions in the aerospace, defense, and automotive industries. He rose to become chief financial officer of TRW Inc., executive vice president of TRW Automotive Electronics and then president and chief operating officer of TRW Aerospace. Later he became president, COO and director of Litton Industries prior to its acquisition by Northrop Grumman in 2001. Following the acquisition, Sugar became president, COO, and director of Northrop Grumman, and was elected its chairman of the board and chief executive officer in 2003.
He is a director of Chevron Corporation, trustee of the University of Southern California, director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, member of the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s board of visitors, director of the World Affairs Council of Los Angeles, and national trustee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of both the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Royal Aeronautical Society. He served as past chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association and as national fundraising chairman of the $50M Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund. He was appointed earlier by the President of the United States to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.
He graduated summa cum laude in engineering in 1968 from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he also received the master's and doctorate degrees in the same field. He subsequently completed executive programs at Stanford, Wharton, and Harvard. His honors include UCLA Alumnus of the Year, the Marine Corps Foundation's Semper Fidelis Award, the Air Force Association’s John R. Alison Leadership to National Defense Award, the Army Distaff Foundation’s Eisenhower Distinguished Citizen Award, the Howard Hughes Memorial Trophy, and the James Forrestal Award for Leadership in National Security.
He and his wife Valerie reside in Los Angeles and have two grown children.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.