Ray Mabus

Ray Mabus has been Secretary of the US Navy, Governor, Ambassador, and CEO.

Ray Mabus served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017, the longest tenure as leader of the Navy and Marine Corps since World War I. During President Obama’s Administration, he revolutionized the Navy and Marine Corps, opening all jobs to women, aggressively moving to alternative energy as a warfighting measure, building more than twice as many ships during his term than in the preceding eight years, and developing the Gulf Coast Restoration Plan after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. His leadership also included prioritizing areas such as People, Platforms, Power, and Partnerships to enhance the capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps. It was during his watch that Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden. Mabus has also been recognized for his efforts to transform the Navy’s energy policy, focusing on renewable energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Among many awards, he was chosen as one of the top fifty CEOs in America by GlassDoor, the only government person picked.

From 1988 to 1992, Mabus served as Governor of Mississippi, the youngest elected to that office in more than 150 years. Mississippi experienced record growth in jobs, education, tourism, and exports. He was also noted for his efforts to combat public corruption as Mississippi’s State Auditor in the early 1980s.

Mabus was United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1994-1996. He was CEO of a public company from 2006-2007 leading it out of bankruptcy in less than a year while paying all creditors in full and saving equity.

Today, Mabus is Chairman of InStride, a public benefit education company, a director of two public companies, Hilton and Kadem Sustainable Impact, and the founder of Mabus Group, a consulting organization. He is also an executive fellow at Harvard Business School and serves as an advisor to several companies. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Explorers Club, and the Screen Actors Guild. He serves on the boards of the Environmental Defense Fund and Jose Andreas’ World Central Kitchen, and the advisory board for the National Medal of Honor Museum. He has thrown out the first pitch at all 30 major league ballparks, stood on both poles, and during his life, has visited more than 190 countries and territories.

Secretary Mabus is a native of Ackerman, Mississippi, and received a Bachelor's Degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, a Master's Degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a Law Degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Mabus served in the Navy as an officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock.