David J. Lesar

David J. Lesar
Chairman, President and CEO, Halliburton

Headquarters: Houston, Texas and Dubai, UAE
Website: www.halliburton.com
Primary Business: Energy services
Revenues: $24.8 billion
Employees: 70,000

Attracting Women Leaders, Improving Benefits Packages at Halliburton

Halliburton does business in some 80 countries—we are a truly global company. Diversity and inclusion are the heart of our culture and the source of our problem-solving vitality. I believe that diversity and inclusion are in our genes, and are key to our company’s success.

Increasingly, customers are making diversity a prerequisite for awarding business. Clearly, we cannot surpass our competitors if we are missing opportunities to recruit, develop and retain the best talent—whoever has it, wherever we find it.

With our company’s success in mind, we have implemented a comprehensive strategy for diversity and inclusion. We have appointed a global director of diversity and inclusion, who promptly embarked on a “listening tour,” interviewing senior executives and employees and learning from other organizations. In her travels, she observed first-hand what diversity is, and what its benefits are. For example, our teams in Egypt, where our workforce is 97 percent nationalized, are achieving some of the highest margins in the company.

As a first step to ensuring that we are hiring, developing and retaining the best talent worldwide, a review of policies and practices that affect the diversity of our workforce is under way. We found a major opportunity for improvement in our development of women for leadership roles, and have responded by identifying more than 150 women who have been tapped for mentoring and leadership training. We have made additions to our benefits offerings, providing adoption leave and adoption expense benefits. In response to input from women employees in the field, we are providing coveralls and two-piece work clothing that are sized for women. These better-fitting garments will improve the comfort and safety of our employees.

We are expanding our company’s participation in diversity and inclusion organizations and partnerships. Our support will include donations and scholarship funding, speakers and teachers, and mentoring programs.

Diversity and inclusion are part of every employee’s annual performance review. Training programs and workshops related to diversity and inclusion curriculum are currently being designed, and will be made available to all employees.

Diversity is already influencing our customers. It’s modifying our problem-solving ability. It’s affecting our future leadership. At Halliburton, we are making diversity thinking—and inclusive action—a high priority for everyone at every level.

Education: BS, MBA, University of Wisconsin
First Job: Auditor for a public accounting firm
What I’m Reading:Moneyball and The Big Short, by Michael Lewis
My Philosophy:Create an environment where others can excel
Best Advice: Take a job no one else will do and also take intelligent risks with your career.
Family: Wife and two children
Interests: College sports and pro football
Favorite Charity:Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic