Ronald D. Sugar has been chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Northrop Grumman Corporation, a global defense company, since 2003. On September 16, 2009, he announced that he would retire as CEO from Northrop Grumman at the end of the year, to be succeeded by former Chief Operating Officer Wesley G. Bush. He has also been a director of Chevron Corporation

Chevron Corporation

Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...

 since 2005 and Apple, Inc. since 2010. In 1968, he graduated summa cum laude in engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles

The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...

. He obtained a Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...

 in electrical engineering

Electrical engineering

Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...

 from UCLA in 1971. He is a member of the USC Board of Trustee

Trustee

Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...

s.

Prior positions held

• President and chief operating officer of Northrop Grumman Corporation from 2001 until 2003.
• President and chief operating officer of Litton Industries, Inc., from 2000 until 2001.
• President and chief operating officer of TRW Aerospace and Information Systems.