Robert L. Carrel received his BSEE from Purdue in 1955 and went on to pursue his MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois. Carrel went to work in the Antenna Department of Collins Radio Company and, in 1970, he joined with three other engineers from Collins to found Electrospace Systems, Inc. (ESI). ESI's command and control systems were installed on Airborne Command Post aircraft and on Air Force One. ESI's secure-voice telephone switching systems are found in the Presidential Oval Office, in the Pentagon, and in command centers throughout the world, including those of Operation Desert Storm.

The Chrysler Corporation purchased ESI in 1987, and Carrel continued to act as executive vice-president until 1988, at which time, he became president and chairman. In 1990, he retired from ESI and now uses his technical and financial experience to aid several small start-up companies.

Carrel is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a member of the American Electronic Association and the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association. He serves on the Executive Board of Southern Methodist University School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Administrative Board of The First United Methodist Church of Bonham, Texas. He has served on the boards of numerous businesses involved in activities ranging from providing telephone services to operating a ski lodge.