Page 71: of Marine News Magazine (November 2021)

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People &

Companies

Phillips Tapped to Lead MARAD

President Joe Biden intends to nominate Ann Phillips to serve as Administrator of the U.S.

Maritime Administration (MARAD) at the Department of Transportation (DOT), the White

House announced in mid-October. The position has been vacant since Mark Buzby resigned from the role in the wake of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January.

If con? rmed, Phillips, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and currently the ? rst Special As- sistant to the Governor of Virginia for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, would take over as head of the DOT’s maritime agency amid signi? cant shipping and supply chain disruption.

In the White House’s announcement, Phillips is described as “a leader in the ? eld of coastal resilience and climate impact on national security at the regional, national and international level”. She is currently working to address rising waters and climate impact to federal, maritime and other critical coastal infrastructure assets across Virginia.

Phillips previously served nearly 31 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Rear

Admiral. Her ? nal Flag command was as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, including 14 ships and 10 subordinate commands – all the Amphibious Expeditionary Forces on the East Coast of the United States. Earlier she served on the Chief of Naval Operations’ Staff as Deputy Director and then Director of Surface Warfare Division, had the honor to commission and command USS Mustin (DDG 89), and to command Destroyer Squadron 28.

marine technology.

Austal USA Names

Murdaugh President

Kirby Names Kumar EVP & CFO

Rusty Murdaugh has been named

Raj Kumar will join Kirby Corpora- president of shipbuilder Austal USA, ef- fective September 9, 2021. Murdaugh tion as executive vice president and chief joined Austal USA in 2017 as CFO, and ? nancial of? cer in November 2021, suc- has been serving as interim president of ceeding Bill Harvey, who will stay on as executive vice president until his retire- the company since Craig Perciavalle re- ment date in early 2022 to help ensure signed as president in February 2021.

an orderly transition.

Palmer Named Inmarsat

Murdaugh Vieweg

Fairbanks Morse Names

Maritime President

Starr CFO

Mobile satellite communications

Power and propulsion solutions com- company Inmarsat announced that Ben

Palmer OBE will join the company as pany Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) president of its maritime business unit announced that Robert Starr is joining the executive team as chief ? nancial of? cer.

on November 8, 2021.

Costanzo Joins Puget

Sea Machines Hires

Sound Pilots

Vieweg as CTO

The Puget Sound Pilots have hired

Sea Machines has hired Trevor Vieweg

Charles Costanzo as executive director. as chief technology of? cer, a new posi-

Costanzo previously worked for over a tion with responsibility for the com- pany’s overarching technology strategy, decade at The American Waterways Op-

Starr Costanzo as well as continuing to develop a team erators, where he served as general coun- focused on the development of advanced sel and VP for the Paci? c region.

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