Austal Names Three Leaders

Austal USA of Mobile recently added three new members to its senior leadership team. With more than 25 years of experience directing large-scale shipbuilding activities, Vice President of Surface Ship Programs Michael Pruitt has managed multibillion-dollar U.S. Navy surface ship portfolios at both Huntington Ingalls Industries and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. A qualified nuclear engineer with an MS in electrical engineering and a 30-year-plus Navy career, Vice President of Submarine Programs Navy Capt. Michael C. Oberdorf (Ret.) brings deep expertise in nuclear submarine operations, Navy program funding and strong relationships with senior leaders. He joins Austal from Bath Iron Works, where he was senior director of operations who led new construction programs. Director of State and Local Government Relations Andrew 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’s external communications initiatives. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Hinkebein brings experience in the areas of 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.