Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
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O’Keefe fate unknown; assessing impact on tanker competition
The fate of Sean O’Keefe, CEO of EADS North America, who was among those on the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter than crashed and killed five of the nine people on board, remains unknown. Former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, for whom O’Keefe once worked, was killed, according to NBC and CBS news.
O’Keefe reportedly was traveling with his son. The elder O’Keefe often accompanied Stevens on fishing trips.
EADS NA is in a controversial and bitter competition with The Boeing Co. to win the contract for the KC-X USAF aerial tanker. Whether O’Keefe was among those killed or serious injuries require a long recovery period, his absence from the EADS leadership is unlikely to affect the company’s effort to win the contract.
When O’Keefe was named CEO in October 2009, the man he replaced, Ralph Crosby, moved up to chairman of EADS NA. Crosby continued to be active in the tanker effort. While O’Keefe has strong government ties, including his service with Stevens and as head of NASA, Crosby is an alum of Northrop Grumman prior to his being named CEO of EADS NA and likewise knows his way around the Pentagon and The Hill.
Crosby will undoubtedly step back in to fill O’Keefe’s position, either on an interim basis should O’Keefe be among those killed, or during O’Keefe’s recovery.
Keith’s 2:22 PM EDT update: According to a family source both Sean O’Keefe and his son Jonathan than survived the plane crash but they are both rather banged up.
http://nasawatch.com/archives/2010/08/sean-okeefe-and.html
Keith Cowing now reports that “according to a family source both Sean O’Keefe and his son Kevin survived the plane crash – but they are both rather banged up. In an earlier post I stated that his son Jonathan was on the plane. He was not on the plane. Instead it was his brother Kevin who made the flight. Sean O’Keefe suffered a broken pelvis and I believe that Kevin has a broken leg.”
Yhank God Sean O’keefe and his son survived. Senator Ted Stevens did not. Even though Stevens was a big supporter of Boeing, and O’Keefe is the head of EADS-NA, both were long time friends. This tragedy has nothing to do with the KC-X compitition between Boeing and EADS.
Also, O’Keefe was the head of NASA from 2001 to 2005.