Charles Trimble is the founder and former CEO of Trimble Navigation, Ltd., a leading developer of commercial equipment utilizing the Global Positioning System (GPS). He led the company from a start-up in 1978 through a public offering in 1990. Trimble Navigation was largely responsible for the commercialization of GPS. At the time of Trimble's departure in 1998, the company was the dominant worldwide supplier of GPS equipment. Since then, he has mentored start-ups and served on boards of directors, both public and private.
Trimble is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Council on Foreign Relations. He served on the NASA Advisory Council, the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, the Silicon Valley Defense/Space Consortium, and as chair of the United States Global Positioning System Industry Council.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Inc. magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991, the American Electronics Association Medal of Achievement in 2000, the NASA Public Service Medal in 2001 and 2004, the International von Kármán Wings Award, and the Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award.
Trimble earned his BS in engineering and applied science in 1963 and his MS in electrical engineering in 1964, both from Caltech. He is currently a member of the Institute's Geological and Planetary Sciences (GPS) and Information Science and Technology (IST) Chair's Councils. He is also chair of the Biology and Biological Engineering Chair's Council.
Standing Committees: Student Experience; Technology Transfer and Innovation
