Shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wis., has appointed former U.S. Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite as chairman of its board of directors.
Braithwaite previously served as the 77th Secretary of the Navy and as the 31st U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway. His appointment was announced Dec. 19 by George Moutafis, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group, Washington, D.C.
“It is a pleasure and a privilege to welcome Ambassador Braithwaite into the FMM board of director as chairman,” Moutafis said in a statement. “His unique experience and vantage point on our Navy’s and Nation’s needs will prove invaluable, and we are fortunate to have him.”
Braithwaite is a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He served on active duty as a naval aviator conducting anti-submarine missions in the Pacific and Arctic and later as a public affairs officer aboard USS America, participating in NATO and Mediterranean–Indian Ocean deployments. He left active duty in 1993 and continued serving in the Navy Reserve, retiring as a rear admiral.
His reserve service included deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, serving as the first commander of the Joint Public Affairs Support Element–Reserve, and deployment to Pakistan for disaster assistance following the 2005 earthquake.
Braithwaite’s private-sector career began at Atlantic Richfield. In 1997, he entered public service as a senior advisor and state director for U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. He later held leadership roles in the healthcare industry, including vice president positions at Ascension Health and serving as executive director of the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council. Prior to becoming ambassador to Norway, he was a group senior vice president at Vizient Inc.
He was sworn in as Secretary of the Navy on May 29, 2020, following his ambassadorial service during President Donald Trump’s first administration.
Braithwaite joins Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s board alongside former Wisconsin governor James Doyle; Vice Adm. Ronald Boxall, USN (Ret.); and former senior military acquisition officials Steffanie Easter and James Geurts, all serving as outside directors.
The announcement follows the Navy’s November cancellation of the final four planned Constellation-class frigates at Marinette Marine. The shipyard will continue work on the first two ships, Constellation (FFG-62) and Congress (FFG-63), while the four follow-on hulls not yet under construction were terminated.
