Michael H. Jordan, CEO, troubleshooter for CBS

CBS Corp. said Mr. Jordan died Tuesday in New York.

Mr. Jordan was instrumental in crafting the media conglomerate that became the CBS of today as its chairman and chief executive. As the top executive at Westinghouse Electric Corp., he engineered the acquisition of CBS in 1995. He later sold off Westinghouse’s industrial businesses and kept the media business. Viacom Inc. bought CBS in 1999 but they parted ways seven years later.

CBS Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said Mr. Jordan “took over Westinghouse when most thought its demise was inevitable and brought it back to life, transforming the old industrial corporation into one completely focused in the media world.’’

Early in his career, Mr. Jordan was a consultant and principal at McKinsey & Co. He would later hold various executive positions at PepsiCo before retiring in 1992 as chairman and chief executive of its international foods and beverages division.

He did not stay retired for long. Shortly after leaving PepsiCo, he joined private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. In 1993, he became the head of Westinghouse and stayed for five years. He retired again, became a private investor and wrote a mystery novel.

In 2003, Mr. Jordan was coaxed out of retirement to turnaround Electronic Data Systems, the software and networking company, as chairman and chief executive. He stepped down in 2007, but remained chairman emeritus until Hewlett-Packard Co. bought EDS a year later.

He leaves his wife, Hilary Cecil-Jordan, four children, and six grandchildren.