Schultz, Robert J.
Robert J. Schultz, in his 37-year career in the automobile industry, advanced from a project engineer at Oldsmobile to vice chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of General Motors Corporation. He retired from GM management on January 1, 1993.
As vice chairman of General Motors from August 1990 until his retirement, Schultz was responsible for GM Hughes Electronics Corporation (GMHE), Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS), and GM's Corporate Information Activity. These operations combined have more than 163,000 employees and annual sales exceeding $18 billion. For a portion of this period, he was also responsible for GM's Technical Staffs Group.
He served as chairman and chief executive officer of GMHE, which includes Hughes Aircraft Company and Delco Electronics Corporation. Hughes is a leader in the field of defense electronics and commercial communications satellites, and Delco Electronics is a leading manufacturer of automotive electronics. EDS provided a wide range of computer services to business and government customers worldwide.
Schultz literally grew up in the automobile industry. He was born May 22, 1930 in Lansing, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1954 and a master's degree in Business Administration in 1969.
In his career at GM, Schultz successfully managed many technical and managerial challenges. Starting at Oldsmobile in 1955, he advanced to assistant chief engineer, where his work included pioneering engineering activity on airbags and electronic engine controls.
In 1977, he was named chief engineer of GM's Emission Control Systems Project Center at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. His team was successful in reducing engine emissions and also improving mileage and engine performance.
A year later, Schultz was named chief engineer of the Buick Motor Division, where he led the design of new generations of the Riviera, LeSabre, and Park Avenue cars. He was also involved in advancing the state-of-the-art in braking technology and in modernizing the V-6 engine to make it smoother and more powerful.
In 1981, he was named general manager of GM's Delco Electronics Division headquartered in Kokomo, Indiana, which produced virtually all of the electronic components for GM's cars and trucks.
Early in 1984 Schultz returned to GM's corporate management ranks as vice president and director of engineering for GM's former Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM of Canada (C-P-C) Group. This position involved leading the engineering for cars and trucks with annual sales of more than three million units.
In 1986, he was promoted to group executive in charge of the C-P-C Group, which designed, manufactured, and marketed approximately half of GM's cars. In 1989, he was elected an executive vice president of GM.
After departing GM, in September 1993, Mr. Schultz became a member of the board of directors of OEA, Inc. and, in January 1998, was elected chairman of the Board of Directors, a position he held until the sale of the Company in April 2000. OEA, Inc. was a provider of explosively actuated devices for the aerospace industry. In June 2002, he became chairman of Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. a company that utilizes its proprietary electron beam technology to build and market unique electron beam systems for advanced manufacturing processes and environmental control. He resigned from the AEB board in October 2005. Since April 2000, he has been a member of the board of directors of MCT Corporation. MCT Corporation builds and operates cellular phone systems in Russia and Central Asia. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1992.
Tag Cloud
 |
English |