John M. Richardson

Admiral John Richardson served as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations from September 2015 until August 2019. He retired from the Navy after 37 years of service in September of 2019. At sea, Richardson served in the submarines USS Parche (SSN 683), USS George C. Marshall (SSBN 654) and USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716). He commanded USS Honolulu (SSN718) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Richardson also commanded Submarine Development Squadron 12, Submarine Group 8, NATO Submarine Allied Naval Forces South, and Naval Submarine Forces. Additionally, he served as the Director of Naval Reactors where he was responsible for the full life-cycle, including regulatory responsibilities, of more than 90 reactors operating around the world on nuclear-powered warships. His staff assignments include naval aide to the President, teacher for prospective submarine commanding officers, the Joint Staff, and director of Strategy and Policy at U.S. Joint Forces Command. Richardson served on teams that have been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and other awards for outstanding team performance. He was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for his time in command of USS Honolulu. Admiral Richardson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He holds master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and National Security Strategy from the National War College. Admiral Richardson also serves on the boards of The Boeing Company and BWX Technologies, Inc., and as a Trustee for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.