Kimmitt served as acting Secretary of the Treasury from Friday, June 30, until Monday morning, July 10, following John W. Snow's resignation,[3] but prior to Henry Paulson being sworn into office.

He then served a 17-month combat tour with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam (1970–1971), earning three Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

He was subsequently assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (1972–1974), where he completed Jumpmaster school and qualified as a Senior Parachutist.

For his service during the Gulf Crisis and War, President George H. W. Bush presented Kimmitt with the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Nation's second-highest civilian award.

Robert Kimmitt was Chairman of the International Advisory Council of Time Warner, where he had served from July 2001 to February 2005 as Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy.

[6] In May 2007, he was mentioned in media reports as among the top candidates to be named president of the World Bank, a position ultimately filled by Robert Zoellick.

Kimmitt was the independent chairman of the Deloitte Center for Cross-Border Investment from 2009 to 2012, and currently is Senior International Counsel at the WilmerHale law firm.