Northrop Grumman Executive to Retire

President of Aerospace Systems and corporate Vice President Gary W. Ervin will step down at the end of February 2013, the company announced this week in a news release.

Ervin, who graduated from UCLA, joined Northrop Grumman in 2001 as vice president and deputy of the company's Air Combat Systems business segment. He also served as the president of the company's Integrated Systems sector.

Additionally, James "Jim" Pitts, a corporate vice president and president of the Electronic Systems sector, will retire at the end of the year.

"I wish to personally thank Gary and Jim for their exemplary leadership and significant contributions to Northrop Grumman and our country," Chairman, CEO and President Wes Bush said in a news release.

Ervin will be replaced by Thomas E. Vice, who is currently the corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Technical Services sector. Vice was one of a number of people elected to the leadership position by the board of directors, and his appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Vice joined Northrop Grumman as an engineer on the B-2 program in 1986, according to the company. He received his bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Southern California.

The Aerospace Systems sector is an approximately $10 billion business headquartered in Redondo Beach, according to Northrop Grumman. About 23,000 employees work in the sector, which includes operations in Redondo Beach; El Segundo; Palmdale, Calif.; San Diego; Bethpage, N.Y.; Clearfield, Utah; and Melbourne and St. Augustine, Fla.