Austal USA has announced that Michelle Kruger has been elected president of the Mobile-based shipbuilder after serving as interim president since August 2023.

According to information released Friday by Austal USA, Kruger is a marine engineer “with over 25 years of maritime industry experience in new construction, repair, and maintenance operations.” She earned a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, was commissioned into the U.S. Navy reserves in 1987 and earned a master’s degree in marine engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1995.

Before coming to work for Austal in 2022 as vice president of global services and support, she had worked in a variety of leadership positions for divisions of General Dynamics. Her duties there included work supporting the Virginia-class submarine program, benchmarking for facility upgrades, oversight of new construction planning and leadership of a program building Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

“I am honored to be chosen to lead the unparalleled shipbuilding team at Austal USA, who work together every day to deliver with excellence and integrity,” Kruger said in Friday’s announcement. “I am thrilled and committed to lead Austal USA’s on-going growth as one of the Nation’s premier shipbuilders. Our growth in both surface ship and submarine module manufacturing is an incredible opportunity for us. As a team we will continue to deliver worldwide service and support capability while steadily advancing technology in support of our Nation’s readiness needs.”

Kruger became interim president of the Mobile shipyard in August 2023, as the company announced the resignation of Rusty Murdaugh. Murdaugh himself had become interim president in February 2021 before being confirmed in the position later that year. He led Austal through a transitional period when the shipbuilder, which had previously specialized in aluminum, added the capacity to manufacture steel ships and began landing steel contracts.

At the time Paddy Gregg, the CEO of Australian parent company Austal Ltd., said the leadership change from Murdaugh to Kruger reflected the end of one era and the start of another, as Austal focused on putting its new steel capability to work.

“Rusty’s done a tremendous job of filling the order book and winning new work, turning the business around strategically,” said Gregg. “Now is the time that we absolutely need that operational focus in the business. That’s the conclusion we’ve come to and that’s what we’re doing. We’re really knuckling down and we’re going to get into operational delivery.”