SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, announced that Michael J. Bender joined Aerojet today as an executive director of Advanced Programs in the Business Development department. Bender will be responsible for creating and developing opportunities for the company. He has previously held key positions in the aerospace industry including vice president of Government Business Development at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), corporate director of Business Development at Alliant Techsystems (ATK), and senior manager of Business Development at Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital).

"Mike is an important addition to the Aerojet team," said Vice President of Advanced Programs, Farid Khadduri. "He brings a significant amount of experience which complements our capabilities in pursuit of growth opportunities."

"I am pleased to have Mike on board," said Aerojet's Vice President of Business Development, Rick Yezzi. "He will provide an excellent perspective in helping to create new markets for Aerojet."

Bender holds a Master of Business Administration from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife Liz, and their two children live in Manassas, Va.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company's excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' websites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.

SOURCE Aerojet