This is a profile image of Chris Daehnick

Chris Daehnick

Senior Solution Leader & Associate PartnerDenver

Leads Radar, McKinsey’s analytic platform for defense, space, and commercial aviation markets, directing a team of market and software experts who serve clients both directly and through publicly available insights

Chris leads Radar, McKinsey’s aerospace and defense market analytics platform. In this role he oversees analytics and software development, serves as a subject matter expert, leads specialized client engagements, and provides direct customer sales, training, and support. He is an expert on the US defense markets and systems, and both government and commercial space systems, with experience in growth strategy, business development, and program analysis. Chris leads a team of industry analysts and technologists responsible for development of the Radar analytics platform serving the strategic, market, and operational needs of dozens of global clients.

Examples of Chris’s recent projects include the following:

  • leading the development of commercial aviation aftermarket and government contract management dashboards for Radar
  • authoring an article on emerging space internet concepts
  • serving as a market and industry expert for multiple teams serving aerospace and private equity clients
  • serving as a defense and space budget expert for multiple teams advising major defense and aerospace US government entities
  • leading a team analyzing changes in government acquisition policy for a Fortune 100 defense firm

Published Work

Space launch: Are we heading for oversupply or a shortfall?,” McKinsey & Company, April 2023

Planning for uncertainty in commercial aerospace,” McKinsey & Company, February 2023

Is there a ‘best’ owner of satellite internet?,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022

The $773 billion question: Inflation’s impact on defense spending,” McKinsey & Company, March 2022

Lockheed Martin’s Joe Landon on the emerging space economy,” McKinsey & Company, February 2022

Seeing earth from space: The power of satellite images,” McKinsey & Company, December 2021

Wall Street to Mission Control: Can space tourism pay off?,” McKinsey & Company, May 2021

Large LEO satellite constellations: Will it be different this time?,” McKinsey & Company, May 2020

Past Experience

VisualDoD
COO

US Air Force
Chief of strategy and policy, US Strategic Command
Director of staff, Air Force Space Command

Education

Air Force Institute of Technology
MSc, astronautical engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BS, aero/astro engineering

University of Colorado
MBA

University of Dayton
MA, international relations