Hughes to Realign Several Units by End of the Year

Hughes Aircraft Co. said it is wrapping up a lengthy consolidation process in its information systems operations by realigning several units.

The changes, all effective Jan. 1, “are part of an effort to streamline management of what had been a group of autonomous business units,” Hughes spokesman Dan Reeder said. All of the information management business will operate as part of Hughes Information Systems.

The realignment will not result in layoffs or demotions of any executives whose operations are involved, Reeder said.

In Orange County, the only changes affect the Fullerton-based Aviation Information Management Systems unit and Command and Control Systems unit. The two will be merged under Phillip H. George, now head of aviation information systems. George will report to Charles A. Leader, head of the newly formed Hughes Information Technology Systems, which is headquartered in Reston, Va.

Leader’s unit also will oversee the business operations of Hughes Information Technology Corp. and Hughes Aircraft of Canada.

Charles W. Sutherland, head of Command and Control Systems, will take charge of a new unit, Middle East Operations, which will be based at the Fullerton campus. He will report directly to Wayne Shelton, president of Hughes Information Systems.

A third existing Fullerton operation, Hughes Advanced Systems, is not affected by the realignment, the company said.

In all, the three Fullerton-based information systems units employ about 1,000 of the approximately 2,500 Hughes employees in Fullerton, Reeder said.