The ASIS 13th European Security Conference & Exhibition is set to take place in The Hague, The Netherlands on 1-3 April 2014.  Ray Mabus is the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy and leads the US Navy and Marine Corps.

As Secretary of the Navy, Mabus is responsible for conducting the affairs of the Department of the Navy, including recruiting, organising, equipping, training and mobilising. Additionally, he oversees the construction and repair of naval ships, aircraft, and facilities, and formulates and implements policies and programmes consistent with the national security policies established by the President and the Secretary of Defense. Mabus is responsible for an annual budget in excess of $170 billion and leadership of almost 900,000 people.

Upon assumption of office and throughout his tenure, Mabus has prioritised improving the quality of life of Sailors, Marines and their families, decreasing the Department’s dependence on fossil fuels, strengthening partnerships and revitalising the Navy’s shipbuilding programme.

Mabus has made increasing the size of the naval fleet and protecting the industrial base a top budget priority of the Department. During his tenure, the Navy went from building fewer than five ships a year to having more than 40 ships under contract, most of them in fixed-price, multi-year deals that assure value for taxpayers, and certainty for industry partners.

In June 2010, as an additional duty, President Obama appointed Mabus to prepare the long-term recovery plan for the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Mabus’ report was released in September 2010 and met with broad bi-partisan support with most recommendations passed into law by Congress as the Restore Act. Included in the legislation was a fund to aid in the Gulf Coast’s recovery by distributing 80 percent of any civil penalties awarded as a result of the damage caused by the disaster. To date, civil penalties total more than one billion dollars.

Before his appointment, Mabus held a variety of leadership positions. From 1988 to 1992, Mabus served as Governor of Mississippi, the youngest elected to that office in more than 150 years. Mabus was Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1994-1996 and later was Chairman and CEO of a manufacturing company.

Mabus has been recognised for his leadership of the Navy and Marine Corps on multiple occasions. In 2013, he was named one of the top 50 highest rated CEOs by Glassdoor, an online jobs and career community. Mabus was the only leader of a federal agency to receive this award.

Secretary Mabus is expected to address issues related to maritime security in his keynote presentation.

The ASIS 13th European Security Conference & Exhibition will cover a wide range of security issues in 3 plenary sessions and 33 high-level educational sessions divided over 4 parallel tracks.