The White House announced on May 9, 2019, that Trump intended to nominate Shanahan as the Secretary of Defense.[4][5] That decision was reversed on June 18, 2019, when Shanahan said that he was withdrawing,[6] and Trump announced that he would be making Mark Esper the acting U.S. Secretary of Defense.[7] Shanahan's last day in that position was June 24, 2019.[8]
Shanahan joined Boeing in 1986, becoming involved in Computer Services and the Boeing 777 program.[3] Over the course of his career, he held management roles with respect to the Boeing Missile Defense Systems, as well as 737, 747, 767, 777, and 787 commercial airline programs.[17] He also played a role spearheading the recovery of Boeing's 787 program,[18] and was known there as "Mr. Fix-it" from as early as 2008.[19]
Shanahan served Boeing Commercial Airplanes as vice president and general manager of the Boeing 757 program, with responsibility for the design, production, and profitability of the 757 family of planes.[3] He also held leadership positions on the Boeing 767 program and in the fabrication division.[20]
Shanahan served as vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems, starting in December 2004 overseeing the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, Airborne Laser and Advanced Tactical Laser programs.[17][3] He served as vice president and general manager of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner program, where he led the program during a period of the aircraft's development from 2007 to 2008.[3] He next served as senior vice president of Airplane Programs at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, beginning in December 2008.[22]
In April 2016, he became senior vice president, Supply Chain & Operations, for Boeing.[22] His responsibilities in that position included manufacturing operations and supplier management functions,[21] carrying out advanced manufacturing technologies, and global supply chain strategies.[23]
Shanahan was a member of the Boeing Executive Council.[24]
United States Department of Defense (2017–2019)
Deputy Secretary of Defense
On March 16, 2017, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Shanahan as the 33rd Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon's second-highest civilian position.[25] Trump nominated Shanahan to lead plans to increase the size of the military.[26]
Shanahan's Senate confirmation hearing took place on June 20, 2017. During the hearing, Senator John McCain, a proponent of providing arms to Ukraine, threatened to block Shanahan's nomination over his response in a written statement about whether or not the U.S. should provide such weapons to Ukraine. Shanahan said he did not have access to classified military information in order to make a decision on the matter.[27][28]
Robert O. Work, the Deputy Secretary of Defense at the end of the Obama administration, remained in the position until Shanahan's confirmation.[29] Shanahan was confirmed by the United States Senate with a vote of 92–7 on July 18, 2017,[30][31] and became the 33rd Deputy Secretary of Defense on July 19, 2017.[17]
President Trump initially announced that Shanahan would be elevated on February 28, 2019, to Acting Defense Secretary, when the Jim Mattis resignation was originally to become effective. But a follow-up Trump Twitter announcement on December 23, 2018, stated that Shanahan would be elevated two months prior to the resignation date announced by Mattis. Trump accelerated Mattis's departure date after reportedly becoming angered by the media coverage of his resignation letter,[32][33][34] due to language in Mattis’ resignation letter which criticized Trump's worldview.[2][35] Shanahan assumed the office on January 1, 2019.[36]
In late March 2019, news sources reported that Shanahan was under investigation by Office of Inspector General because of allegations he improperly advocated on behalf of his former employer, Boeing Co.[39]
In a May 2019 internal memo, Shanahan ordered new restrictions on how information about global operational plans and orders are shared with Congress, such that summaries are provided rather than an actual plan or order that was requested.[40]
On May 9, 2019, the White House announced that President Trump would nominate Shanahan as his second defense secretary, despite skepticism and even hostility from lawmakers and officials within the Department of Defense.[8] However, Shanahan withdrew from the confirmation process in June, following increased public scrutiny of several incidents and allegations of domestic violence involving Shanahan's ex-wife and son.[6] In a tweet addressing the withdrawal of the nomination, President Trump said that Shanahan intended to "devote more time to his family."[41]
Career 2019-present
Since leaving government service in 2019, Shanahan has been appointed to serve on various boards of directors including Zanite Acquisition Corp. (2021),[42]Leidos (2022),[43] and CAE Inc. (2022).[44] On October 2, 2023, Shanahan, a member of the company's board of directors, was appointed interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.[45]
Personal
Shanahan lives in Seattle with his wife, Adrienne Shanahan. He has three children from a previous marriage.
Awards and memberships
Current positions
Member, National Academy of Engineering in 2019 for aerospace industry leadership in commercial aircraft, missile defense and rotorcraft and for service to the Department of Defense.[46]
^Laviola, Erin (December 23, 2018). "Patrick Shanahan: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Heavy, Inc. Retrieved December 27, 2018. Patrick Shanahan is 56 years old. (His birthday is June 27, 1962).
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