Naval Group Australia appoints CEO, Future Submarine program director

Naval Group Australia on May 18 announced that its board of directors appointed John Davis as the chief executive officer (CEO) and Future Submarine program director.

According to Naval Group, the appointment will become effective 1 July 2018.

John Davis will be in charge of the delivering a fleet of 12 new submarines to the Royal Australian Navy as part of the Future Submarine Program. This includes the design of a new submarine shipyard at the Osborne Naval Shipbuilding precinct in South Australia.

John has worked within the defense industry, both in Australia and in the United Kingdom, for over 30 years. John has worked for Raytheon Australia, the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance, BMT Defence Services and the UK defense ministry.

“After a comprehensive search process, the board is delighted John has agreed to lead Naval Group Australia into its next stage of growth,” said Jean-Michel Billig, executive vice president Future Submarine Program, Naval Group.

“John has a track record of strong leadership and this, combined with his deep industry knowledge and strong customer focus, makes him uniquely qualified to lead the organisation successfully into the future.

Brent Clark, who has served as interim CEO of Naval Group Australia, will transition into the role of special advisor to the chairman. Jean-Michel Billig will perform the roles and duties of the CEO until 1 July.

In April 2016, Naval Group was selected to deliver a total of 12 Shortfin Barracuda submarines for Australia at a cost of AUD 50 billion. Lockheed Martin Australia was picked as the Combat Systems Integrator. Construction is expected to start in 2022–23 once 85 per cent of the design work is completed.