Background
KRESA, Kent was born on March 24, 1938 in New York, United States. Son of Helmy Kresa and Marjorie Boutelle.
KRESA, Kent was born on March 24, 1938 in New York, United States. Son of Helmy Kresa and Marjorie Boutelle.
Kresa was born in New York City, New New York His father was the songwriter Helmy Kresa. He has Bachelor of Surgery, Master of Surgery, and East.A.A. degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in aeronautics and astronautics and received an honorary doctorate of laws degree from Pepperdine University in 2003.
Formerly, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Northrop Grumman, as well as Chairman of General Motors and has worked with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Lincoln Laboratory at M.I.T, Avery Dennison, the Fluor Corporation, and the MannKind Corporation. Before being appointed as interim chairman of General Motors as a result the decisions made by President Barack Obama, Kresa served on the board. Kent Kresa"s career began when he was employed by the top-secret Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, where he was responsible for broad, applied research and development programs in the tactical and strategic defense arena.
Then from 1961-1968, Kresa was associated with the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), where he worked on ballistic missile defense research and reentry technology.
Kresa then joined the Northrop Grumman in 1975 and then was Chairman in 1987 and became Chief Executive Officer in 1990. When Kresa took over Northrop Grumman, he transformed the company which like General Motors was on the brink of extinction.
In a 2002 Los Angeles Times interview, when the company was on the verge of closing, Kresa was quoted saying, "We could just go out of business and give money back to our shareholders or we could reinvent ourselves..It became clear to us we could take the latter pathological" Under Kresa"s control, Northrop Grumman was transformed resulting in the acquisition of 16 companies including Thompson Ramo Wooldridge and the Space Park in Redondo Beach, California. Overall, Northrop went from an annual revenue of $5 billion to $28 billion during the time of the Gulf War.
Kresa retired from head of Northrop in 2003.
On November 3, 2003, the Carlyle Group hired Kresa as a Senior Advisor to its aerospace and defense group. Kresa commented on his hiring by stating, “I’ve known the Carlyle executives for many years and have an abiding respect for their approach and judgment. Foreign years, Carlyle has played a significant role in the aerospace and defense market.
Carlyle has a straightforward approach to its business and delivers on its promises.
I’m delighted to be associated with them.” He was named the Chairman of General Motors on March 30, 2009 after Rick Wagoner, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors was ordered to resign by United States. President Barack Obama. In an interview in 2008, he was asked if he thought that bailout money should come with a requirement that Wagoner be ousted.
He replied "..And we"re going to have to look at whatever the demands are from the individual who"s bringing the money. But I don"t think it"s reasonable." Kresa was replaced as Chairman by former American Telephone & Telegraph Company Chief Executive Officer Editor Whitacre on July 10, 2009.
Board of directors John Tracy Clinic for the Hearing-Impaired, W.M. Keck Foundation, Los Angeles World Affairs Council. Board of Governors Los Angeles Music Center. Fellow American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Member Aerospace Industries Association (past Board of Governors), Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Navy League United States, Society Flight Test Engineers, Association United States Army, National Space Club, American Defense Preparedness Association, Los Angeles Country Club.
Married Joyce Anne McBride, November 4, 1961. 1 child, Kiren.