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 first installment, we had the opportunity to speak with the Chairman of the KBR Board of Directors and retired U.S. Air Force general, Lester L. Lyles.
Where are you originally from?
I was born and raised in Washington, D.C.
How long have you served on the KBR Board of Directors and in what capacity?
I have been on the board since 2007 and have served as a member of the Audit Committee; member of and later Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; Chairman of the HSSE Committee; and I now serve as Chairman of the Board.
Tell us about your life in the military — what drew you to the service and how did you decide to make a career of it?
I served in the U.S. Air Force for almost 36 years and retired in 2003. My career fields were research and development, science and technology, logistics, acquisition, and program management. I led several major development programs, and I served as the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force and as the Commander of the Air Force Materiel Command. My strong passion for engineering, science and technology initially drove me to want to serve in the Air Force. The numerous opportunities I had to lead large technology programs and organizations spurred me to make the Air Force a career.
What was your first association with KBR?
My first association with KBR was not until I joined the board in 2007. However, I had lots of associations with Wyle (our major technology acquisition) during the times I led Air Force space development programs.
This first edition of KBR Link features Stuart Bradie’s Four Words for 2020 — Passion, Teams, Trust and Sustainability. Does one of the words mean something particularly special to you?
Actually, all four words are special to me. I have always had a passion for people and technology. I am fortunate to have had opportunities to lead and inspire teams to achieve objectives. I’ve always taken building and earning the trust of all stakeholders for any enterprise very seriously. And as for sustainability, any passionate endeavor should be structured to have lasting positive effects and to protect the broader environment.
What are your views on the importance of operating businesses more sustainably?
I am very interested in making sure companies recognize their critical role in sustaining the environment and operating accordingly in everything they do.
Tell us one interesting thing about yourself.
I am an avid auto racing fan, from Formula 1, to NASCAR and Indy cars, to drag racing.
Do you have a favorite car?
That’s an easy one — the 1973 246 Dino.
What’s playing in your car right now?
SiriusXM Channel 66. It’s the smooth/contemporary jazz station.
BONUS QUESTION! What’s your favorite book or movie?
“Bullitt,” with Steve McQueen. Really, I’m a fan of any movie with fast cars, like “Ford v Ferrari” from more recently.
