David P. Hess became president of Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. on Jan. 1, 2009. He is responsible for the company’s global operations in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. With an installed engine base of 67,000, an unmatched global service network, and strong partnerships in building and servicing engines, the company reported revenues of $12.1 billion in 2007.

Hess joined Pratt & Whitney after four years as president of Hamilton Sundstrand, the United Technologies division where he began his professional career in 1979. Under his leadership, the company won major systems contracts on the Boeing 787, Airbus A380, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Mitsubishi Regional Jet, Embraer regional jet family and Sikorsky’s CH-53K helicopter. Before becoming president, Hess headed the company’s Aerospace Power Systems business segment, with responsibility for the Air Management Systems, Power Systems and Electric Systems divisions as well as HS Nauka of Russia and Nord-Micro of Germany.

Prior to that, he served as vice president and general manager of Hamilton Sundstrand’s Air Management and Power Systems division, with oversight of the auxiliary power unit, environmental control system and fan product lines; as vice president of Environmental Control Systems, responsible for all environmental control system product lines; and as general manager of Hamilton Standard Commercial Aircraft Electronics Inc. in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Hess holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Hamilton College and a bachelor's and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was awarded an MIT Sloan Fellowship in 1989, receiving a master's in management in 1990.