Overview
- A Navy spokesperson said Dr. Rachel Riley is serving as the Chief of Naval Research and confirmed Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus has been reassigned, without disclosing timing or his next role.
- USNI News reported that ONR’s public website still lists Rothenhaus due to limited updates during the government shutdown.
- Riley is a former McKinsey consultant and HHS senior adviser with reported ties to the Department of Government Efficiency, and her LinkedIn notes work on confidential projects since Inauguration.
- Her LinkedIn lists a PhD in social policy from Oxford and a Rhodes Scholarship, while the Navy cited her acquisition, technology, and organizational expertise.
- The Bulwark first reported the switch, and Sen. Mark Kelly questioned the break from the longstanding practice of assigning a senior military or SES leader to the role.