Ronald A. Rittenmeyer Biography
- Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
- EDS
Ronald A. Rittenmeyer is chairman, president and chief executive officer of EDS. In this role, he serves as chairman of the EDS Board of Directors and is responsible for all aspects of EDS' strategy, operations and execution.
Previously, Rittenmeyer was president and chief executive officer of EDS and a member of the company's board of directors. From December 2006 to September 2007, he served as president and chief operating officer of EDS. Under his leadership, EDS accelerated its transformation, instilling accountability, increased productivity and quality at every level of its operations. Rittenmeyer also enabled $1 billion in cost savings while improving the company's market share and win rates.
Formerly, Rittenmeyer was co-chief operating officer and executive vice president of Global Service Delivery. In his role as executive vice president, he managed all of EDS' delivery capabilities as a single operation, leveraging the company's world-class delivery infrastructure that spans six continents.
Rittenmeyer brings more than 30 years of business experience to the corporation as a proven leader focused on operational excellence across multiple industries.
Before joining EDS, Rittenmeyer served as managing director of The Cypress Group, a private equity firm based in New York, where he was responsible for all operating aspects of the company's $3.5 billion investment portfolio. Previously, Rittenmeyer served as chairman, chief executive officer and president of Safety-Kleen, Inc., a $1.5 billion hazardous and industrial waste management company. At Safety-Kleen, he successfully led the company's reorganization from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. He retired from Safety-Kleen in 2004.
Before joining Safety-Kleen, Rittenmeyer was CEO and president of AmeriServe, where he led the successful restructuring and sale of the $10 billion food services company. Before that, he served as chairman, CEO and president of RailTex, Inc., a leading short line railroad holding company acquired by RailAmerica in 2000, and also as president and COO of Ryder TRS, Inc., a truck rental company.
In 1994, Rittenmeyer was appointed COO of Burlington Northern Railroad, leading the organization's marketing and operating units. During his tenure, the company achieved substantial revenue, margin and efficiency improvements resulting in record earnings and performance.
During his career, Rittenmeyer has held key executive positions with industry-leading companies including vice president of operations at Frito-Lay, Inc.; vice president Middle East and Worldwide Operations at PepsiCo Food International; and president and COO of Merisel. He has been a board member of AmeriServe, RailTex, Ryder TRS, Groceryworks.com, Sterling Chemicals, Merisel and Safety-Kleen. He also served as chairman of the board for ExcellerateHRO, EDS' human resources outsourcing venture with Towers Perrin, and was a former member of the board of directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Heart Association.
Rittenmeyer is currently on the board of directors of the North Texas Kidney Association, is a member of the U.S. Army War College Board of Visitors, and he serves on the Executive Board of Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business. Additionally, he is a member of the Business Council, the Business Roundtable and the Governor's Business Council.
Rittenmeyer received his bachelor of science degree in commerce and economics from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and a master of business administration degree from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.
Last update June 2008
