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 thrilled to feature Lt. General Vincent R. Stewart, USMC (Ret.), who brings to KBR’s board nearly 40 years of distinguished military service and deep expertise spanning all aspects of cyberspace operations, intelligence and counterintelligence.
Meet Lt. General Vincent R. Stewart, USMC (Ret.)
KBR Board Committees: Chairman of Cybersecurity Committee and a member of Audit Committee
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Lives in: Aldie, Virginia
Area(s) of Expertise: Cybersecurity operations, intelligence, counterintelligence, geopolitical analysis
Favorite Hobby or Leisure Activity: Numismatics. I primarily collect U.S. coins and dabble a bit with Canadian and UK coins also.
Favorite Place(s) You’ve Visited: Egypt and Japan — great culture, rich history and good food.
Favorite Book or Movie: “Patton,” and my favorite book is “Before the Mayflower.”
You can read General Stewart’s full bio here.
Your story is inspiring. Will you tell our readers about your experience immigrating from Jamaica and how that led you to a career in the United States Marine Corps?
Almost 51 years ago, October 27, 1971, my sister and I landed in New York to explore our chances of living the American dream in the land of opportunity. Our parents had preceded us in this journey and were now ready for my sister and I to join them. We brought with us only the clothes we wore. We had no special title, no special exemptions, no special privileges and no wealth. All we brought with us was the American dream — the hope of creating a better life for ourselves and those who would follow. Our focus was to get a solid education, work hard and contribute where we could to our society. The decision to join the Marine Corps was simply about being a “good” citizen and giving something back to my adopted country — serving others and being a part of something bigger than myself. Over the years the Corps taught me how to be a better citizen, better father, husband, and man, reinforcing the best principles of humankind. The journey was not always easy. Adapting to a new culture, confronting racism, and limited access to mentors and role models, meant learning on the fly and sometimes learning the hard ways. That said, there were always opportunities, and I was surrounded by quality partners.
What’s a career highlight of which you’re particularly proud?
I am most proud of taking service men and servicewomen into combat and bringing most of them back. I was never concerned for my own safety, but I was always haunted by the possibility of losing folks in combat. While this was my proudest accomplishment, it was never easy to write condolence letters.
What was your first association with KBR?
I was first introduced to KBR during operations Desert Shield and Storm, when they were tasked with capping oil wells that Iraqi forces had set ablaze or destroyed. I later worked closely with KBR when I ran the base at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, where they provided morale, welfare, recreation and logistics support to our forces there.
You’ve been open about the importance of taking real, specific action to uplift, mentor and advocate for people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. One of KBR’s Sustainability Pillars is Inclusion and Diversity (I&D). Can you talk about your experience and why embracing I&D is critical not just to companies, but also to society in general?
Diversity of thoughts and ideas bring the best range of options to decision-makers. We all bring different views and alternative approaches to problem-solving. Organizations that facilitate group think, dominated by any singular demographic, are on the pathway to irrelevance. Diversity of thoughts and ideas are strengths that create multiple options from which the organization can make more informed decisions. Having said that, while we can create a diverse environment, ensuring that all members of the team feel valued and are able to contribute to team success is critical to organizational success.
You’ve been quoted as saying the next generation of warfare is cognitive — a fight for information dominance. Can you expand on that?
We have learned over the years how to deliver destructive lethal effect with incredible precision. The challenge in 21st-century warfare will be our ability to integrate our sensors to quickly understand our environment to deny, degrade, disrupt or deceive our adversary’s decision-making abilities, while protecting against their attempts to deny, degrade, disrupt our own. To increase operational tempo against a peer competitor, to get inside his decision cycle, emphasizes the art of warfare — confusing and confounding an adversary’s decision cycle.
You’re serving as chair of the KBR board’s Cybersecurity Committee. What are the biggest challenges governments and countries face right now with regard to cybersecurity?
We in the United States are the most connected and most reliant nation on our information technology — making all of us vulnerable, at risk, and a part of the attack surface whether by criminals, hacktivist, or nation state. Yet we’ve failed to adequately inform our citizens of the risk to things we take for granted in our daily lives — ATMs, vending machines, gas stations, electrical power, our water supply, access to the internet, etc. We lack an adequate and skilled workforce to defend our network environment. We have failed to train our citizens on how to act safely in the internet domain. We remain vulnerable because of simple things, like utilizing strong passwords, utilizing public and unsecured Wi-Fi access and routinely clicking on links provided by nefarious actors.
How important is the work KBR is doing to help combat cyber challenges?
Critical in protecting the defense industrial base and the broader critical infrastructure. Critical in setting the best example for our internal workforce and sharing best practice with partners and competitors.
What’s the best advice, professional or otherwise, that you ever received?
Be prepared. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, but strive to be the best prepared, so that when the lights come on and the curtain is raised you are ready for the moment.
