The search for a full-time, deputy secretary [of defense] nominee continues and remains a top priority for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, a senior defense official said. Former Navy Undersecretary Robert Work, who stepped down earlier this year to become the CEO of the Center for New American Security think tank, is said to be a leading candidate for the deputy secretary position.Here is more about Robert Work's chances of becoming Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Work was recently named by Defense News as the 34th most influential person in US defense. More than a dozen think tankers made the list.
Here is a previous Think Tank Watch post on Robert Work. A CNAS press release said that Robert Work assumed his CNAS role on April 22, 2013.
David Ignatius of the Washington Post recently reported that several top candidates weren't interested in the job, including former Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy, a Co-Founder and former President of CNAS who currently serves as Co-Chair of the think tank's Board of Directors.
In the recently released University of Pennsylvania think tank rankings, CNAS was ranked as the 14th best think tank in the US. It was also ranked as the 24th best security and international affairs think tank in the world. It was ranked 25th in the world in terms of think tanks having the most significant impact on public policy.