Rodolphe Saadé and Greg Hayes: Careers, Leadership and Business Backgrounds

Rodolphe Saadé and Gregory J. “Greg” Hayes are prominent business executives whose careers developed in very different industries. Saadé leads CMA CGM, the global shipping and logistics group founded by his father, Jacques Saadé. Hayes spent decades in industrial and aerospace businesses, eventually leading United Technologies and then RTX. Despite their names appearing together in some online searches, the reviewed primary records do not establish a direct partnership, family relationship, shared board role, or other formal connection between them.

Biography at a Glance

Sources: CMA CGM biography of Rodolphe Saadé; Concordia University profile; RTX leadership-transition announcement.

Who Is Rodolphe Saadé?

Rodolphe Saadé is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Group, a major international transportation and logistics business. CMA CGM’s official biography states that he was born in Lebanon in 1970. He studied at Concordia University in Montreal, where university records identify him as a 1994 Bachelor of Commerce graduate.

His connection with CMA CGM is also a family one. The company was founded by his father, Jacques Saadé, in 1978. Before joining it, Rodolphe Saadé established a water-dispenser business. He then entered CMA CGM in 1994 and gained experience in different international markets and shipping operations.

Between 1997 and 2000, Saadé managed several shipping lines. He later took responsibility for transatlantic and transpacific operations. This progression gave him operational experience before he reached the company’s highest executive positions.

In 2010, Saadé became Vice Chairman and a member of the CMA CGM board. The company’s biography also credits him with supervising its financial restructuring around that period.

From Executive Roles to CMA CGM CEO

A major milestone came in 2015 and 2016, when Saadé led CMA CGM’s offer for Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines. He subsequently became president of NOL’s board. He also led discussions associated with the OCEAN ALLIANCE operating agreement involving COSCO Shipping, Evergreen Line and OOCL.

In February 2017, Jacques Saadé appointed his son CEO of CMA CGM. Later that year, Rodolphe Saadé became Chairman and CEO. CMA CGM’s current governance page continues to identify him in those positions.

His period at the top has been defined partly by CMA CGM’s expansion beyond traditional container shipping.

One of the clearest examples was CEVA Logistics. CMA CGM completed its public tender offer in 2019, with the company reporting that it would hold 97.89% of CEVA’s outstanding shares and voting rights following settlement. Saadé was also elected chairman of CEVA’s board.

CMA CGM subsequently expanded further into air freight. In 2021, the group launched CMA CGM AIR CARGO, adding aviation to its broader transportation and logistics strategy. Its official biography also records later acquisitions including Ingram CLS, GEFCO and Colis Privé.

These developments show a significant change in CMA CGM’s scope: under Saadé, the company’s strategy has increasingly connected maritime shipping with logistics, air freight and other supply-chain services.

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Who Is Greg Hayes?

Greg Hayes, formally Gregory J. Hayes, built his career primarily in finance, industrial technology, aerospace and defense.

Corporate material published when he joined the BD board states that Hayes earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Purdue University and became a certified public accountant.

His long corporate career included Sundstrand Corporation. When Sundstrand merged with United Technologies in 1999, Hayes joined UTC. SEC records show that he subsequently held several senior financial positions. He served as Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis for Hamilton Sundstrand, then held accounting and control roles before becoming UTC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in September 2008.

That financial background became a foundation for his move into general corporate leadership.

Becoming CEO of United Technologies

On November 24, 2014, United Technologies announced that Hayes had been elected President and CEO after Louis Chênevert retired. At the time, the company described Hayes as a 25-year veteran who had spent the previous six years as its CFO.

His leadership period eventually involved a major restructuring of the company’s portfolio. United Technologies separated Carrier and Otis into independent publicly traded businesses and combined its remaining aerospace operations with Raytheon Company.

The Raytheon-UTC transaction closed on April 3, 2020. The combined company became Raytheon Technologies Corporation, later renamed RTX. Hayes became CEO of the newly combined company. SEC records from the transaction described the company as one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense businesses at the time.

This was a defining event in Hayes’ career because he moved from managing a diversified industrial corporation to leading a business concentrated heavily on aerospace and defense.

Greg Hayes’ Transition Out of RTX Leadership

Hayes eventually handed operational leadership of RTX to Christopher Calio.

Calio became President and CEO on May 2, 2024, while Hayes moved into the Executive Chairman position. In February 2025, RTX announced another step in the transition: Hayes would leave his Executive Chairman and board positions effective April 30, 2025, and serve as a special advisor to the CEO through January 2, 2026.

Therefore, describing Hayes as the current CEO or Executive Chairman of RTX in October 2026 would be outdated.

He has, however, remained involved in corporate governance elsewhere. A 2026 Phillips 66 proxy identifies him as a former RTX Executive Chairman and a Phillips 66 director. Phillips 66 announced in May 2026 that Hayes had been appointed its lead independent director. He also joined the board of Becton, Dickinson and Company in March 2025.

Are Rodolphe Saadé and Greg Hayes Connected?

This is the most important question raised by the combined keyword.

The reviewed primary corporate records establish separate professional histories. Saadé’s documented career centers on CMA CGM and its expansion across shipping, logistics and air cargo. Hayes’ career centers on Sundstrand, United Technologies and RTX, followed by corporate board positions.

No primary source reviewed for this article establishes that Saadé and Hayes are relatives, business partners, co-directors, or participants in a jointly announced venture.

That finding should be worded carefully. A research search cannot prove that two executives have never met or interacted. It establishes only that the credible public records reviewed for this article did not document a direct relationship of the type sometimes implied when their names appear together online.

There is an industry-level overlap. CMA CGM operates an air-cargo business, while Hayes spent years leading companies deeply involved in commercial aerospace and defense. Yet operating within parts of the broader aviation and transportation economy is not evidence of a personal partnership.

The distinction prevents an industry similarity from becoming an unsupported biographical claim.

Two Different Paths Through Corporate Transformation

The careers of Saadé and Hayes are useful to compare because both were involved in major corporate transformations, although the circumstances differed.

Saadé rose through a family-controlled transportation group founded by his father. His tenure has included expanding CMA CGM’s business model beyond ocean shipping. CEVA strengthened the logistics side, while CMA CGM AIR CARGO added another transportation channel. The company also completed the acquisition of Bolloré Logistics in 2024, further expanding its logistics operations.

Hayes followed a different route. His background was heavily financial before he became chief executive. His leadership at UTC and RTX included major portfolio changes: UTC separated Carrier and Otis, while its aerospace businesses combined with Raytheon to create Raytheon Technologies in 2020.

Therefore, both biographies contain large-scale corporate change, but they should not be blended into one business story.

Where They Stand in 2026

As of the research date, CMA CGM’s current governance material identifies Rodolphe Saadé as Chairman and CEO. His role therefore remains an active executive position rather than a historical title.

Saadé also remains active in the group’s international expansion. For example, in May 2026 he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss CMA CGM’s investments and potential expansion in Egyptian transport and logistics infrastructure.

Hayes’ situation is different. His RTX executive and board tenure ended in April 2025, followed by his special-advisor period through January 2, 2026. Current records instead place him in board and governance work, including Phillips 66.

That difference is important for biographies published in 2026: Saadé is a sitting chief executive, whereas Hayes is a former RTX chief executive whose documented work has shifted toward board positions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Rodolphe Saadé and Greg Hayes business partners?

No reviewed primary source establishes a business partnership between them. Saadé leads CMA CGM, while Hayes previously led United Technologies and RTX. Their industries have areas of overlap, especially transportation and aerospace, but industry proximity alone does not establish a partnership.

What company does Rodolphe Saadé run?

Rodolphe Saadé is Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group. He became CEO in 2017 and subsequently Chairman and CEO. The company has operations spanning maritime transportation, logistics and air cargo.

Is Greg Hayes still CEO of RTX?

No. Christopher Calio became RTX President and CEO on May 2, 2024. Hayes then served as Executive Chairman before leaving that position and the RTX board on April 30, 2025. His special-advisor assignment continued through January 2, 2026.

Where did Rodolphe Saadé study?

Saadé studied at Concordia University in Montreal. Concordia identifies him as a 1994 Bachelor of Commerce graduate and awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2023.

Where did Greg Hayes study?

Corporate material published by BD states that Gregory J. Hayes earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Purdue University. The same announcement identifies him as a certified public accountant.

What major transformation did Greg Hayes oversee?

Hayes led United Technologies through substantial portfolio restructuring. Carrier and Otis were separated, while UTC’s aerospace businesses combined with Raytheon Company in April 2020. Hayes became CEO of the resulting Raytheon Technologies Corporation.

What major expansion occurred under Rodolphe Saadé?

Under Saadé, CMA CGM expanded beyond its traditional maritime base. Important moves included the 2019 acquisition of CEVA Logistics, the 2021 launch of CMA CGM AIR CARGO and subsequent logistics acquisitions.

Conclusion

Rodolphe Saadé and Greg Hayes represent two distinct corporate careers. Saadé rose through CMA CGM and now leads a group that has expanded from its maritime roots into a broader transportation and logistics network. Hayes progressed from finance into executive leadership, becoming CEO of United Technologies and then the first CEO of the combined Raytheon Technologies business.

Their stories share themes of acquisitions, organizational transformation and global business. However, those similarities should not be mistaken for evidence of a direct relationship. Based on the reliable public records reviewed for this biography, their careers are best understood separately and compared only where documented facts make that comparison useful.

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