Austal USA names Gene Miller president and adds three new leadership team members

Gene Miller, president, Austal USA.

Austal USA reports that Gene Miller has now been chosen as the company’s president. He has served as interim president since February 16, 2026, following the planned retirement of former president Michelle Kruger. His selection follows a comprehensive three-month search conducted by the company’s board of managers.

Miller has more than thirty years experience in naval architecture and shipbuilding. Prior to joining Austal USA as chief operating officer in 2024, he held a number of senior leadership roles, most recently at Ingalls Shipbuilding, where he served as director for amphibious ship programs. Prior to that, Miller spent more than 20 years at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, serving in a variety of engineering, operational and program management leadership roles before becoming vice president of programs and planning. Miller is a graduate of Webb Institute and MIT.

“Gene’s selection reflects our confidence in the leadership team we have built and the direction Austal is moving toward,” said Austal USA chairman of the board of managers Chris Chadwick. “Since stepping into the interim role in February, he has demonstrated the qualities we have been looking for: operational discipline, a commitment to the workforce and the ability to deliver results. He has the relationships and strategic clarity to carry Austal USA’s momentum forward at a critical moment for our industry and for national defense. We are in a strong position for what comes next, and Gene is the right leader to take us there.”

As president, Miller will lead a team of more than 3,500 shipbuilding professionals in Austal USA’s operations in Mobile, Washington D.C., San Diego and various Virginia locations. He will oversee all aspects of the company’s ship and submarine module manufacturing and development of autonomous sea-ready technologies..

“I am honored by the board’s confidence and energized by what this team has built together,” said Miller. “Austal USA’s greatest strength is its workforce, and everything we do as a leadership team is in service to the men and women who show up every day to build ships that defend this nation. I am committed to growing this company, investing in our people and delivering on the promise of what Austal USA is capable of.”

NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS

In other leadership news Austal USA has added three new members to its senior leadership team: Michael Pruitt, vice president of surface ship programs; Michael Oberdorf, vice president of submarine programs; and Andrew Hinkebein, Director of State and Local Government Relations.

“These three highly experienced industry professionals each boast broad defense backgrounds that will contribute unique perspectives to their Austal USA leadership roles,” said Miller. “We are excited to have them join our senior leadership team and look forward to having them help to grow Austal USA.”

With over 25 years of experience directing large-scale shipbuilding activities, Pruitt has managed multi-billion-dollar Navy surface ship portfolios at both Huntington Ingalls Industries and Northrup Grumman Shipbuilding. He has led cross-functional teams to deliver complex naval and commercial programs. His expertise includes production efficiency, supply chain management, and workforce training development, with a track record of fostering safety, compliance, operational excellence, and risk mitigation at all stages of ship construction and delivery.

Pruitt holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt, bringing a strong foundation in business and process improvement to his new role.

A retired U.S. Navy captain, Oberdorf joins Austal USA from Bath Iron Works where he was senior director of operations

A qualified nuclear engineer with a master’s of science in electrical engineering and a Navy career that spanned over 30 years, Oberdorf served as Shipyard Commander and Installation Commander at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, leading a $1.5B organization of 6,700 personnel in submarine overhauls, modernization, and refueling. His Navy career included roles at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

Austal USA notes that his extensive expertise in nuclear submarine operations, Navy program funding, and strong relationships with senior leaders, making him well positioned to drive growth in Austal’s submarine module business.

As director of local and state government affairs, Hinkebein will lead the company’s engagement efforts with state and local governments, economic development organizations, community stakeholders, and strategic partners. He will also oversee Austal USA’s external communications initiatives.

A United States Marine Corps veteran, Hinkebein has extensive experience in government affairs, public policy, economic development, and maritime defense. Most recently, he served as director of government affairs for Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding, where he worked with federal, state, and local stakeholders to advance shipbuilding initiatives, workforce development efforts, infrastructure investments, and defense industrial base priorities.

Previously, Hinkebein served as State Director for U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, overseeing statewide operations and stakeholder engagement across Alabama. He also served on the staff of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi, where he worked on issues involving national defense, shipbuilding programs, economic development, and strategic investments supporting the nation’s defense industrial base.