Charles P. Blankenship, born in 1966, holds a Bachelor's degree in materials engineering from Virginia Tech and a doctorate in materials science from the University of Virginia. He was the CEO of Howmet Aerospace, from January 15, 2018, until February...

Charles P. Blankenship, born in 1966, holds a Bachelor's degree in materials engineering from Virginia Tech and a doctorate in materials science from the University of Virginia. He was the CEO of Howmet Aerospace, from January 15, 2018, until February 6, 2019. During his short time there, he received a base salary of $1.25 million and a severance package of $4.6 million upon leaving. Despite struggling with performance metrics in 2018, he had ambitious plans in place that tied executive pay to long-term growth and shareholder interests. Before his role at Howmet, Blankenship led GE Appliances and served in various important roles within GE Aviation. An interesting fact is that he had a solid financial stake in Howmet, trading shares regularly, which reflects both confidence in the company and his alignment with shareholder interests. After leaving Howmet, he transitioned quickly, marking an impactful but brief tenure that raised both opportunities and questions about the company’s direction.