A Word from the Board
KBR is fortunate to have an outstanding lineup of experts with extensive experience in numerous industries serving on our board of directors. These individuals not only work together to help guide our business strategies, monitor performance, evaluate risk, conduct oversight and much more — they’re also fascinating people! In this edition, we’re excited to introduce you to Ann D. Pickard, who draws on 30 years of diverse leadership experience to help guide KBR’s sustainability and governance strategies, enabling the company to keep its environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.
Ann Pickard
KBR Board of Directors Service: 5+ years
KBR Board Committees: Chair of the Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committee and member of the Audit Committee
Birthplace: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Lives in: Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Coronado, California
Area(s) of Expertise: Oil and gas, international business, and negotiations
Favorite Hobby or Leisure Activity: Reading, golfing, traveling, music and a nice glass of wine
Favorite Place You’ve Visited: My husband (a retired U.S. Navy captain) and I had a race to see who would get to 100 countries first … too many favorites to name. But he has been to Petra and I have not, so it’s on my bucket list!
Favorite Book or Movie: My first favorite book was “A Wrinkle in Time” when I was about 8 and the list continues from there! Loved “Top Gun” (can’t wait for the sequel) and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Read Ann’s full bio at KBR.com.
Tell us about your education and how degrees in arts eventually led you to a career in the global energy industry?
I wanted to be an international oil negotiator. University of Pennsylvania allowed me to design my own master’s degree program. I took international business classes at Wharton, arms control classes for negotiating strategies (this was during the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the U.S. and Soviet Union), studied international oil and politics, and also had a Middle East focus. What’s a career highlight of which you’re particularly proud?
One of the biggest highlights were the people I met, some famous and some not. Nelson Mandela has to be at the top! Seeing the ruling styles up close of Turkmenbashi (Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov, who ruled Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006) versus Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (emir of Qatar from 1995 to 2013) on one business trip alone! Getting to know the first female prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, and helping her to craft a carbon tax that was ahead of its time. Meeting President Menem and talking about why Chilean wine was more popular in the United States than Argentine wine at that time. Being asked by the vice president of Ghana how the country could get more value for its premium chocolate (which was used by big chocolate producers to improve the quality of poorer chocolate). Another career highlight was making sure I always did the right thing, even when it wasn’t easy or popular. Some legacies include leading the efforts that secured Sakhalin and Tengiz (rich oil fields). And being in Red Square when the Soviet flag came down and the Russian flag went up. Being “invited” to Lubyanka by the KGB for questioning right before Christmas (about my activities in Kazakhstan) and then having my passport taken away until Christmas Eve at a time I was trying to get to Bahrain to see my husband, where his ship was doing a port call. Seeing the Berlin Wall come down. Walking the seismic lines in the Libyan desert, where we got to see so much ancient and WWII history. Witnessing early COP (Convention of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) meetings and realizing climate change was real. Meeting Mohammad Barkindo there as Nigeria’s delegate, then seeing him again as head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and then again as head of OPEC. Helping to get Qatar projects (Ras Laffan) started and seeing the country change over 30 years. Catching on to Enron’s “game” early and convincing non-litigious Shell to sue partner Enron for their actions in South America. Hitting one million barrels of oil a day in Nigeria and overseeing its liquefied natural gas (LNG) growth. Seeing expansion of Northwest Shelf in Australia, plus overseeing Prelude, Gorgon and east coast Australia gas assets, where I made the hard decision not to build another plant on Curtis Island. Successfully drilling a well under near impossible regulatory conditions in the Arctic, several hundred miles offshore Barrow, and then pulling the plug on the program when it was not oil. What was your first association with KBR?
KBR is a premier builder of LNG plants. I was the customer several times, with the last two being in Nigeria and Australia. I visited Pearl (the world’s largest gas-to-liquids plant) a few times in Qatar and was amazed by the complex issues surrounding its construction, the many races and cultures that were involved, and how we worked to respect everyone and keep each person safe. The EU recently announced an aggressive plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 55% by 2030. China unveiled a plan for a national carbon market. Why is KBR’s domain expertise in sustainable technology solutions a potential game changer at this moment in time?
It took the world a long time to recognize climate change as an issue. The first UN meeting (COP) was in Berlin in 1995. But with increasing dangerous weather patterns, coupled with rising seas and polar ice melt, the threat is now recognized. The world is grappling for answers and KBR can provide solutions to its customers.
In addition to helping customers achieve their sustainability goals, KBR is active in numerous communities around the world. How does the board help guide the work we do to make a positive difference in our communities when we’re in so many different places and with disparate cultures?
The board visits various locations. One of my favorite trips was to Djibouti with Ella Studer to visit the operations there. I saw safety up close and personal — our commitment to Zero Harm — and everyone’s efforts to keep each other safe. I was in awe of our people and operations and their mission. I also had a wonderful trip with Jay Ibrahim visiting military facilities on the Salisbury Plain in the UK. Of course, my favorite new program is One Ocean. It is a global collaboration between our employees, local youth and environmental groups. It is making a difference! Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) is a major focus at KBR. From your experience as a leader, how important is it to have an inclusive, diverse culture that supports its people and provides opportunities for development and advancement?
Companies that are diverse make better decisions. Our clients are diverse, so how can we understand them if we are not? Diversity is a business imperative, just like safety. We need to recognize that some people are reluctant to put up their hand for a job or new opportunity. So, we must actively help to manage their careers, making sure they are getting the opportunities that are out there. We must also recognize that we all have biases and seek to ensure that those biases don’t impact the work environment. Part of KBR’s I&D focus is on gender parity and equality, from the employee level to the board of directors. For example, women now make up 25% of KBR’s board. What improvements have you seen since joining the board and how is the board helping KBR go further?
I was the only female on the board when I joined. Since then, we have consciously sought to increase the board’s diversity via both gender and people of color. What I am most proud of is that we focus on inclusion and put it first when we talk about it. I always say that we can “buy” diversity (i.e., recruiting diverse talent), but without inclusion, we won’t keep that talent. So that’s where our focus needs to be. You said in a 2016 interview with members of ASPIRE, KBR’s employee resource group dedicated to development of women and promotion of gender diversity, that you had a passion for improving educational opportunities for women. Is that passion guiding you in some ways with your work on KBR’s board?
I came from a lower middle-class background and neither of my parents had gone to college. University opened up the world (literally) to me. I am on the Foundation Board of the University of Wyoming and involved with several programs there, including STEM for females. Plus, my husband and I have started a scholarship program at Wyoming for “first generation” students — people like me whose parents never went to college. I am always thrilled to meet KBR’s diverse employees, and to hear what is working for them and what is not. I look forward to post COVID when those opportunities resume! What are some other causes you’re passionate about?
My husband and I adopted two kids, one Native American and the other identifies as African American. Both have struggled with mental health issues, learning differences and discrimination in their lives. I didn’t have any personal familiarity with these issues but have learned to see the world through their lives and to see the challenges they face. As a result, I have become passionate about trying to address these issues whenever I can. For example, we have funded a program to help educate primary school teachers in Wyoming to identify learning differences early and then to give students the tools to work with.
