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!
This quarter, we’re pleased to introduce you to Carlos A. Sabater, who joined the KBR Board of Directors in June 2021 and serves on the Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Carlos is an accomplished global business executive with a comprehensive multicultural business background.
Carlos A. Sabater
KBR Board of Directors Service: Eight months
KBR Board Committees: Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Birthplace: Cuba
Lives in: Coral Gables, Florida
Area(s) of Expertise: Accounting and finance, international business, corporate governance
Favorite Hobby or Leisure Activity: Golf, sporting clays and boating in particular. I dream about my surfing days when I was a professional on the East Coast!
Favorite Place(s) You’ve Visited: London, but really all of Europe. Interesting that at the moment it is an area of great concern to the entire world. There is nothing like strolling the Parisian streets with my wife and two daughters and visiting absolutely any café that we happen to come across to enjoy an espresso.
Favorite Book or Movie: Yuval Noah Harari’s books, especially “Sapiens.” They caused me to focus on where we, mankind, came from and our responsibility to our future. I really enjoy all aero and space movies, like “Apollo 11” and “The Right Stuff.”
Read Carlos’s full bio at KBR.com.
Please tell us about your early life, from Cuba to accounting school.
After Fidel Castro’s rise to power in Cuba, my family lost their freedoms and all they had worked for. An unimaginable decision was reached — that at the age of 3, I should leave for the United States with my grandmother. She became my very first mentor and heroically helped me survive the many long months waiting for my parents and other family members to be allowed to leave Cuba and join us. She taught me that I can overcome any obstacle and persevere by relying on the guidance and experience of others. Growing up in that humble immigrant household, I must have quickly learned the importance of assimilation — how to learn a new language, different customs and how to get along with new people. These life lessons and the early mentoring relationships set the stage for me to be able to succeed in my business and personal life, and I applied these principles in all of my business affairs.
After completing high school, I had a life-threatening and -altering accident. After being run over by a boat and hit by its propeller, I spent nearly a year in the hospital. I vividly recall setting out to make the most of what was an awful situation, and I was determined to persevere — just like had while living in a backroom shack of an immigrant home in Little Havana. I turned my focus to my physical recovery and to completing my education and charting a path for my future. I became serious about my career aspirations and my desire to become a certified public accountant (CPA) and work with outstanding people and clients. I learned during those difficult days that any significant challenge should be dealt with head on and that challenges in fact lead to new possibilities. In my case, it was unimaginable that one day I would become a partner in a major firm and ultimately join the board of a prestigious company like KBR. However, I believe that without these early challenges and development opportunities and without the help I received from others, this reality would not have occurred.
I pursued a finance and an accounting degree after becoming friends with a student who was a few years ahead of me in his studies. He aspired to become a CPA and an auditor at an international professional services firm. He had a background similar to mine, and I saw him as a success and a role model. In essence, he had what I wanted — a sense of purpose and determination. I asked him for his guidance, and he mentored me all the way through my college years, and I ultimately followed him right to Deloitte. While in college, I established a nightly accounting lab to generate some much-needed income to cover my expenses and to help others succeed at school. I developed countless relationships those nights in that accounting lab, and many of those people became clients, life-long friends and colleagues.
How did those experiences lead you into international business leadership roles, particularly with Deloitte?
Success at Deloitte came from hard work, determination and the guidance I received from those ahead of me in their careers, my mentors. They helped me develop my leadership and relationship skills and to become an excellent accountant and auditor. I soon realized that what I enjoyed most was working with exceptional international clients and colleagues. I enjoyed learning about different cultures, business practices and the way things were done across the globe. I worked my way through the ranks of the Deloitte organization and with the help of my mentors was elected to its board of directors and was selected to lead Deloitte’s United States and, ultimately, its global audit business. I owe my success leading Deloitte’s multibillion-dollar businesses to the mentorship I received during my entire life and career, to holding myself to the highest ethical and performance standards, and to my sincere desire to pass along to others what I have gained. I am rather sure that you gain far greater success as a giver than a taker.
What’s a career highlight of which you’re particularly proud?
The highlight of my career came every year during the month of May, when new partners and directors were elected from within the Deloitte organization. This promotion, which came after these individuals had delivered outstanding client service over a dozen years or so was likely the most momentous moment of their careers. It signaled a rise to the pinnacle of their chosen profession, and it reminded me of my own journey. I mentored and stuck by many of these star performers from the day they were hired by Deloitte. The indescribable pride I felt being able to play a meaningful role and enjoy their entry to the partnership made the endless hours of travel and hard work so very worth it. Not only did their dreams come true, but so did mine.
What was your first association with KBR?
I am very new to the KBR organization and did not have a personal experience with KBR until just about a year ago. Being in the business world, I had certainly been aware of KBR and its enormously successful people and businesses, but I never had the privilege to work directly with KBR. I was approached by Stuart Bradie, our president and CEO, to consider serving on the board of directors. Within the first few minutes of our discussion, he described KBR’s mission, the concept of ONE KBR, the strong culture of service delivery and integrity across the globe, and its Zero Harm culture. In those first few minutes of that very first conversation, I had an immediate attraction to KBR. It’s desire to deliver solutions to governments and companies around the world that could actually change the world we live in, all the while developing its people, made me feel I was home. Stuart’s description of KBR’s role in science, technology, engineering and sustainability lined up nicely to my interests and seemed like a perfect fit. It did not take much convincing at all, and within a few weeks I was selected to serve on our board of directors, a role I hope to contribute in for years to come.
KBR provides numerous opportunities for employees to proactively take charge of their careers through thousands of online learning and training resources and through initiatives such as Communities of Interest, the ONE KBR Tech Fellows program, and more. How important have resources like this been in making you the leader you are today?
I feel continuous improvement resources were vital to my own development and leadership skills. I have always believed that leadership is about gaining experiences, personal development and learning, and then being able to lead, guide and pass those learnings and experience to others. As a finance professional and CPA, I have spent countless hours in my own professional development. I felt it was not only my responsibility but my privilege to continue to develop and learn. But more importantly, I felt compelled to then to pass it along to others. Resources and development opportunities such as KBR Communities of Interest, which encourage people to learn directly from their peers, are best practice. This process allows them to develop their own problem-solving and leadership skills by leveraging the capabilities of others. KBR will then gain a competitive advantage when our people then reach back into the KBR communities and give those learnings back to others.
Your passion for mentorship has been crystallized in the Sabater Scholars program. Tell us about that.
A few months after my retirement, I found myself driving in heavy traffic on the way to attend a board meeting at Florida International University (FIU), my alma mater. Or so I thought! Upon arriving at “the board meeting,” I found myself surrounded by former partners, directors, family, friends and colleagues. I immediately imagined that it was an impromptu retirement celebration. Much to my surprise, I learned that the gathering was in fact the naming, in honor of my legacy at Deloitte, of an endowed scholarship and mentoring program for first generation FIU business students, many of whom are minorities. What an amazing experience that was for me and what an honor to be able to not only lend my name, but also my resources and efforts to this cause. The endowed scholarship, named The Deloitte Foundation–Sabater Scholars Program, will provide financial support to selected students as well as training and mentoring opportunities, such as ethics, community involvement, and how to manage and prioritize multiple commitments. I love to shamelessly raise money for my endowed scholarships (currently well over $1.5 million) and dedicate much time and effort to the development and mentoring of these students. It is such a privilege to actively make a difference in the lives of others. I have embraced the power of mentorship and have made it a life calling.
