Hughes Unit Names New President and CEO

Hughes Electronics Corp., one of the world’s largest satellite makers, named Tig Krekel president and chief executive of its Hughes Space & Communications Co. division, succeeding Donald Cromer, who retired last month. Krekel, 45, takes over on Jan. 18. He will join El Segundo-based Hughes Electronics from AlliedSignal Inc., where he was president and CEO of its Torrance-based Aerospace Equipment Systems unit. Krekel joined AlliedSignal in 1992 and was named president of AES in 1997. Hughes’ Space & Communications unit is the world’s biggest maker of the most expensive communications satellites, having built nearly 40% of those in operation, the company said. Krekel’s appointment comes as Hughes-built satellites have recently been hit by a string of problems. Krekel was also elected vice president of Hughes Electronics and named a member of the Hughes Electronics executive and management committees. Hughes Electronics is a unit of General Motors Corp., whose Class H shares track Hughes’. The Class H stock rose 94 cents to close at $43.94 on the NYSE.