AE Industrial Partners (AEI), a private equity firm specialising in investment in National Security, Aerospace, and Industrial Services, has appointed Ryan McCarthy, 24th Secretary of the US Army, as an Operating Partner.
McCarthy joins AEI after a career in aerospace and national security. He was unanimously confirmed by the US Senate as the 33rd Undersecretary of the Army in August 2017 and was later confirmed by unanimous consent as the 24th Secretary of the Army in September 2019, a position he held until January 2021.
Prior to his confirmation as Undersecretary of the Army, McCarthy worked for Lockheed Martin Corporation in sequential vice president roles where he was responsible for the sustainment, customer solutions, and program integration of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme.
Earlier in his career, McCarthy was a special assistant to former US Secretary of Defense Robert M Gates under both Presidents Bush and Obama.
Prior to his time in the Pentagon, McCarthy served in the US Army and was deployed in combat operations during the invasion of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 75th Ranger Regiment, US Army Special Operations Command.
A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, McCarthy holds a master’s degree in business from the Robert H Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He is a member of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is Vice Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the University of Maryland Robert H Smith School of Business.
