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Nuclear Deterrence Summit

The Summit brings together U.S. and international leaders, experts, and industry executives involved in the field of nuclear deterrence to discuss the management of the nuclear complex, the security of the stockpile, arms control negotiations, and strategic policy.

Bechtel Speakers

Monday, January 27, 3:30 pm — 4:15 pm

Mike Costas Headshot

Mike Costas, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Bechtel National Inc.

Furthering the AUKUS Partnership and the Path Forward

This session will address the maturing partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States under the AUKUS trilateral agreement, which enables cooperation essential to Australia’s capacity to safely build, operate and maintain a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability. The agreement serves as a critical platform for ensuring stability, fostering innovation, and bolstering shared defense capabilities. The session will explore recent developments and successes within the AUKUS framework, highlighting collaboration efforts in advanced technology sharing, infrastructure modernization, and nuclear-powered submarine capabilities. 


Tuesday, January 28, 10:30 am — 11:45 am

Richard Tighe, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC

Richard Tighe, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC

Perspectives from NNSA Site Operations

Gain insights into the operational challenges and strategic initiatives at the (NNSA) sites. This session will feature key leaders from various NNSA facilities who will share their perspectives on managing site operations, maintaining safety standards, and advancing mission-critical objectives. Attendees will hear about the latest developments in site management, collaboration across facilities, and the innovative approaches being employed to ensure national security and technological advancement and guidelines to assist sites to move into the next phase.


Wednesday, January 29, 8:30 am — 9:30 am

Todd Ailes Headshot

Todd Ailes, Project Manager, Pueblo Chemical Agent – Destruction Pilot Plant, Bechtel National Inc.

Morning Keynote: Managing Global Risk

Do our current risk management processes really support fully informed decision making at all levels, from strategic down to technical risk? This session will first explore how our definitions of risk and our tools do or do not support effectively analyzing, integrating, and managing risks to achieve our objectives. Then, the discussion will shift to the decision makers, focusing on the challenges they face and how they can best use knowledge of risk to navigate the path to success.

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