Honorable Alan R. Shaffer

I have known Jim McAleese for at least 20 years, since the time I was the Executive Director of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection vehicle.  Jim asked me what I needed, because Jim, while running a business, is first and foremost concerned with providing for and protecting the young men and women we send to difficult and dangerous places.  He connected me with industry leaders to try accelerating delivery of these vehicles.  In short, Jim has an incredible network, and his helping me no doubt saved the lives of our deployed forces.   

We maintained our friendship and professional relationship through my assignment as the Chief Technology Officer of the Department for a little over five years, then as I was running the NATO R&D program in Paris, then coming back to the United States as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.  Through each of these assignments I found the McAleese Sitrep reports among the most important things I relied on, and used the insight to shape my decisions.  Simply, it is not a natural act within the government to study financial disclosures of public defense companies.  Jim opened this world to seniors within the DoD.  And he does it with enthusiasm.  Whether describing quarterly earnings as “eye-popping”, or describing something as “Annus Horribilis”, Jim Is both insightful, informative, and provides material in a way that is understandable and easy to read.  Through Jim, senior level Department of Defense and War leaders gained insight into critical Defense Industrial trends and issues. 

Finally, a highlight of each year is the McAleese Defense Programs Conference, of which I have been honored to moderate three times.  In one long day, Jim pulls together (typically) Service Secretaries and Under Secretaries, all Service Chiefs, and a couple of Congressmen or Senators.  These days provide the Department leadership the opportunity to get the message out to industry and other government leaders.  I can think of no greater testimony to Jim McAleese is the success rate he has getting the commitment of this many senior leaders in one day.  These leaders come to the Conference because of the interpersonal relationships Jim has formed with the senior levels in the Department—the mutual respect and reliance on each other delivers a greater capability to the young men and women the United States sends to dangerous places around the globe.  This is the enduring legacy of Jim McAleese. 

Official DoW bio:
https://www.war.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/2099457/honorable-alan-r-shaffer/

Current MIT Lincoln Laboratory role:
https://www.ll.mit.edu/biographies/alan-r-shaffer

- HON Alan R. Shaffer 

Former Acting Director, Defense Research and Engineering and Deputy Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment