A Word from the Board
A board of directors is crucial to the life of a company, with responsibilities ranging from reviewing and approving long-term business strategies and plans to monitoring overall performance, as well as evaluating risk, conducting oversight and much more. KBR is fortunate to have an outstanding lineup of experts with decades of valuable experience in numerous industries serving on our board of directors. In this quarterly spotlight, you’ll hear directly from KBR board members on a variety of topics. For this issue, we had the opportunity to speak with our newest board member, Lynn Dugle, who brings 36 years of technology, government and space industry expertise to KBR.
A Word from the Board
A board of directors is crucial to the life of a company, with responsibilities ranging from reviewing and approving long-term business strategies and plans to monitoring overall performance, as well as evaluating risk, conducting oversight and much more. KBR is fortunate to have an outstanding lineup of experts with decades of valuable experience in numerous industries serving on our board of directors. In this quarterly spotlight, you’ll hear directly from KBR board members on a variety of topics. For this issue, we had the opportunity to speak with our newest board member, Lynn Dugle, who brings 36 years of technology, government and space industry expertise to KBR.
Where are you originally from?
I was born on a naval base in Pensacola, Florida, where my young parents, just 20 years old, were not only experiencing parenthood for the first time, but were also living far from their home state of Indiana for the first time.
How does it feel to be the newest member of the KBR Board of Directors and serving on the Audit and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees, and what does that service entail?
I am both humbled and grateful for the opportunity to work with KBR leadership and the board of directors. On the Audit Committee, I help oversee financial matters, work with our third-party auditors, and evaluate risk, while my service on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee includes selecting and onboarding new directors and evaluating company governance practices. What I have most enjoyed about participating in these committees is that it provides a lens into KBR and helps me understand how the company operates. It gives me the ability to see how we are executing our strategic plan and honoring our company values. And it affords me the opportunity to meet many of the company’s leaders and gain insight into challenges.
Tell us about your career. What led you to the technology, government and space industries?
As is the case with many of our careers, I did not have a master plan. I originally planned to be a Spanish teacher, but when I realized that a teacher’s salary would not fund my desire to travel, I turned to the engineering field. When I graduated, I wanted to take six months off to travel around the world, and the only company that was willing to make me a firm offer and hold it open until the following summer was Texas Instruments Defense Sector. Thus, I began my career in the technology, space and defense fields, as well as my transition to the South and becoming a Texan.
What’s one of the things you found most rewarding or fascinating about working in those areas?
What I find most exciting and gratifying about working in the space industry and federal government is that what we do has a higher purpose. Our work is a part of the protective fabric that keeps our families, friends and neighbors safe. The technology we create and implement has a reach far beyond a specific sector or industry, and can help solve some of humanity’s biggest problems, such as famine, disease, the effects of natural disasters and the destruction of natural habitats.
What was your first association with KBR?
Having spent so much time in Texas, I always thought of KBR as an oil and gas company, and was not aware until three or four years ago that the company was transforming itself under Stuart’s leadership into a technology and government solutions business as well. As I began to see KBR make acquisitions in government services, I was curious about what the company was doing and started following what was to become a very impressive run of operational and financial success. The company consistently told the market what it was going to accomplish and then accomplished it, quarter after quarter after quarter.
This year, KBR is focusing on Stuart’s Four Words for 2020 — Passion, Teams, Trust and Sustainability. Does one of the words carry special meaning for you?
If you had asked me which of the Four Words resonated with me the most before COVID-19, I would have immediately said Passion. Passion unleashes so much energy, enthusiasm and creativity that teams who are able to harness both their passion and their purpose, while putting all of their focus on achieving their objectives, will always provide exceptional solutions for their customers and will win in the marketplace. Now that we are living through the pandemic, the word I most connect with is Trust. Do we trust our leaders to lead the company through such unprecedented times? Do we trust the information we are receiving and the guidance we are being given? And do we trust each other to take care of ourselves and those around us?
Sustainability is a big focus for KBR, both socially and environmentally, and one component of this initiative is striving to be a more inclusive and diverse company. Why is that important?
The ability for each of us to bring all of our intellect, ideas, experiences and yes — our passion — to our work is what every individual deserves in a workplace. And this is far more than just making sure that we have a good mix of men and women, people of different ages, people of different races and ethnic groups — all the things we can see that make us different. Inclusion goes much deeper. Inclusion means when someone speaks, they are listened to, that their ideas are considered, that their recommendations are used, and that others honor and respect the complete person. It takes into account the places they’ve been, the experiences they’ve had and the unique perspective they bring to their positions.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself.
I’m not sure if it’s interesting, but a number of years ago, my husband and I became involved in an organization, Zoe Empowers, that focuses on children in Africa that have been orphaned through famine, disease or tribal warfare. The organization provides food and shelter, security, skills training, and leadership and community organization education so the villages that are sponsored can become self-sustaining. We have now sponsored 12 Zoe communities in Malawi, Kenya, Liberia and Rwanda. I’m definitely looking forward to the day when we can all travel again so I can visit all of our Zoe children!
What’s playing in your car right now?
NPR radio. I appreciate the objective reporting and the global nature of the coverage, and of course the Hidden Brain series always has something new to literally “boggle the mind.”
What’s your favorite book or movie?
I read two to three books a week, so I was having a hard time coming up with my favorite. But when I took a step back, I thought, “Of course (hand smack to the forehead), it’s the Bible.” Second is “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” and anything else written by Dr. Seuss.
