Eddy W. Hartenstein ('72, Aerospace Engineering)

Eddy W. Hartenstein

Publisher & CEO, The Los Angeles Times

BS Aerospace Engineering, Cal Poly Pomona, 1972

MS Applied Mathematics, Caltech, 1974

Eddy W. Hartenstein has used his aerospace background to head up leading media and communications organizations. He began his career at Hughes Aircraft Company in 1972, developing the idea for direct-to-home satellite television while working as vice president of Hughes Communications Incorporated. This led to the 1991 formation of DirecTV, with Eddy serving as founding chairman and CEO. He was elected into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2001 and received an Emmy for lifetime achievement from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2007 for his work on satellite television development.

Eddy has been the Publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times since 2008, as well as the CEO and a board member for The Times’ corporate parent, Tribune Company.  He also serves on the boards for Broadcom Corporation, City of Hope, SanDisk and SiriusXM Radio.

“Cal Poly Pomona’s emphasis on strong academic knowledge in conjunction with hands-on experience provided me the confidence to successfully tackle a lifelong variety of career challenges and opportunities,” Eddy says. “For this, I remain forever grateful.”