Conversation on American Industrial Competitiveness at Sea
September 11, 2025 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT
| Share:
Join a luncheon discussion on the Maritime Industrial Base with The Honorable Richard V. Spencer, former Secretary of the Navy. We will discuss the national security necessity for improved U.S. maritime infrastructure and efforts to fund and develop American competitiveness at sea.
Speaker Background
Spencer served as the 76th Secretary of the Navy from August 2017 to November 2019. He began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps serving as an H-46 (Phrog) pilot. After leaving active duty, Spencer began a successful career in finance, working on Wall Street for 16 years, before becoming Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. He is now the Chairman of Austal Limited, Global Chairman of Bondi Partners, and Managing Director of Pallas Ventures.
Cost: $85 – 500
Organizer:
jkennedy@bens.org
Registration
More Events
The Convergence of Defense & Energy Panel in Securing Our Future
Ahead of the Eisenhower Award Gala, where BENS will honor leaders advancing space security and energy independence, BENS will surface a shared picture of the future across space, air, cyberspace, land, and sea. Organized and moderated by BENS Board Director Andrew Hersh, we’re hosting an afternoon of panels with leaders from defense, energy, investment, and industry to address one of the defining challenges of our time: securing the future across domains, identifying who is building it, and translating ambition into…
2026 BENS Eisenhower Award Gala
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) invites you to the 2026 Eisenhower Award Gala, honoring General Stephen N. Whiting, USSF, Commander of U.S. Space Command, and Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. In an era of evolving threats, space has become essential to America’s national security. Communications, navigation, intelligence, and deterrence capabilities depend on our ability to operate in this domain. Securing space is foundational to our homeland resilience and our ability to respond when it matters most. Protecting…
Financing the Arsenal of Democracy Series: The Credit Landscape
As part of BENS’s Financing the Arsenal of Democracy panel series, we are convening leaders from finance, industry, and national security to move beyond abstract concepts and get into the mechanics of how capital actually flows into national security priorities with real-world practitioners. Building on our first and second sessions focused on venture capital and then the equity landscape, we are pleased to invite you to the third session: the Credit Landscape. In-person guests are welcome to join for coffee…
REFUNDS: Event Registration Fees are fully refundable up to 3 business days before the event. After that time, they are non-refundable as BENS has already incurred the expense of registration. Contact your Regional Director, the event coordinator, or email BENS@bens.org to withdraw from an event and begin the refund process. For additional information on refunds and payment policies, please visit our payment information page.