Biography
Les Lyles
Non-Executive Director
KBR
Lester L. (Les) Lyles, a retired Four-Star General of the US Air Force, has been an independent consultant since 23. Prior to that time, he served in the US Air Force for over 35 years as: commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center from 1994 to 1996; director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization from 1996 to 1999; vice chief of staff of the Headquarters of the US Air Force from 1999 to 2; and commander of the US Air Force Materiel Command from 2 to 23.
Les joined the KBR Board in 27 and assumed the role of non-executive Chairman of the Board in 219. He is also a member of the Cybersecurity Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Les is a director of Frontier Technology Inc. He is also a member of the National Air and Space Museum Board, National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group, which is administered by NASA, and was appointed to the JobsOhio Board of Directors for a term beginning July 6, 219, and ending July 5, 223. General Lyles previously served as a director of General Dynamics Corporation, retiring in May 22, and Battelle Memorial Institute, a nonprofit organization, retiring in November 219. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Services Automobile Association, retiring from this position in August 219. General Lyles served as a member of the Defense Science Board in the Pentagon, International Security Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of State, and President’s Intelligence Advisory Board in the White House. He also served as a director of Precision Castparts Corp. until its acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway in February 216.
Les holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Howard University and a master of science in mechanical and nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology Program from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. He is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia, the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC, and the National and International Security Management Course at Harvard. Les received Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from New Mexico State University and Urbana University and was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 29.