In Orbit: A KBR Podcast

The energy transition is here! We’re excited to kick off a special three-part series we’ll be doing over the next few weeks on the global energy transition. Our guest Umesh Baliga —chief technical engineer of Sustainable Technologies for KBR’s Integrated Solutions business in the Americas region — spoke with us about the energy transition value chain, the key opportunities and barriers, and a few of the solutions that will be helping pave the way to net zero.

A big part of KBR’s deep domain expertise for energy, chemical and industrial projects is its proprietary equipment (PEQ) and the technologies needed to deliver valuable end products — from biofuels, to blue and green ammonia, to hydrogen, and many others. In this episode, MS Raju, senior director of operations for the Proprietary and Modular Equipment service line of KBR’s Technology business unit, breaks down exactly what propriety equipment is, how KBR differentiates itself through its PEQ offerings, and how the PEQ business is primed to support KBR’s broader growth strategies.

In the digital age, words are currency — and we’re all writers! In this episode, host John Arnold is joined by KBR communications manager Rebecca Lewis for a discussion about how KBR’s new Content Community of Practice is exploring the art of the possible with the written word, building consistency in how writing is done at KBR, and safeguarding a global brand in the process.

Arguably some of the most important work KBR does today supports the physical and mental well-being of defense and space professionals. In this episode, Dr. Holly Robles, senior program manager in Behavioral Health with KBR’s Science and Space business unit, discusses some of KBR’s work in health and human performance, the risk factors associated with various behavioral health issues, and the biggest challenges in the field.CONTENT WARNING: This content could be triggering for some listeners. It discusses mental health, suicide and suicidal ideation.

Marketing and communications (marcom) are the tools brands use to tell their story to the world. If you’re not doing them right, then your business and stakeholders can pay the price. KBR gets that. Our guests for our season 4 premier, KBR marketing experts Philip Ivy and Jessica Burnett, tell us how KBR marcom empowers its team members and is deploying digital innovation to work strategically with all points of the business and propel it forward.

You’ve heard of “airworthy” and “seaworthy.” But what makes a system cyberworthy? Find out on this episode of In Orbit, featuring Krishaan Wright, cybersecurity lead with KBR’s Government Solutions International APAC. Krishaan discusses cyberworthiness, current threats to the cyber terrain, and a cutting-edge new solution, Achilles, that has the potential to be a game changer in the defense sector and beyond.

KBR’s employee resource groups (ERGs) are central to the company’s commitment to being a place where people can belong, connect and grow. This October, KBR is launching a new ERG, ADAPT, which is dedicated to disability inclusion. Elgan Iorwerth, co-chair of ADAPT, sat down with us to talk about the group’s important mission of creating a community of support and educating, empowering and enhancing the experiences of individuals with disabilities of all kinds across KBR.

Data runs the world — and MANY of the solutions KBR delivers for its clients, including the work our experts do to advance defense and national security interests. We’re thrilled to feature one of those experts on the latest episode of the podcast. Kim Cates, senior data scientist with KBR’s Defense Systems Engineering business, spoke with us about her journey in data science, how her cutting-edge work is helping solve customer problems, and how KBR’s culture enables her to take charge of her career.

The aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, companies like KBR are doing their part to stem the tide with cutting-edge technologies like PureSAF(SM), launched in alliance with Swedish Biofuels. Dr. Monica Normark, director of Biofuels with KBR's Technology business, gave us a primer on the benefits of biofuels and explained how PureSAF has the potential to be a game changer for the aviation industry and other sectors as well.

Facts: 1) Humans are going back to the moon — and beyond! 2) KBR people are helping make it happen. 3) We’re here to talk about it in our second episode featuring KBR’s ongoing support of NASA and the Artemis lunar missions. We sat down with Kelsey Livesay from KBR’s Science and Space business to talk about her and her team’s involvement with Artemis and other crucial missions at this incredible moment in spaceflight history.

We took a little summer break, but we're back with all-new content! First up, we had a chance to speak with Michael Kluck, senior project manager-Engineering for KBR’s Integrated Solutions business, who put some of his pandemic downtime to good use and wrote a book, “Modularization: The Fine Art of Offsite Preassembly for Capital Projects.” Mike tells us about about his journey from subject matter expert to author of what is both a hands-on guide to modularization and a study on effective project management.  Don't miss it!

Cyberattacks are more sophisticated and happening with more frequency than ever before. They’re also costing companies and governments billions. Fortunately, KBR has a team of well-respected, highly certified experts helping to meet those challenges. Our guest on this episode, Derrick Nixon — vice president of Cybersecurity Solutions at KBR — talks us through KBR’s cutting-edge capabilities and world-class workforce that are helping customers respond to and defend against threats in the cyber domain.

As part of our summer series on KBR employee resource groups (ERGs), and in commemoration of Juneteenth, In Orbit is proud to feature MERGE — KBR’s Minority Employee Resource Group for Empowerment, which was created to advance our culture of inclusion and diversity through support and connection of underrepresented groups across the company. Host John Arnold sat down with MERGE chair and founder, Johnnie Richardson, to talk about the ERG’s mission, the phenomenal work they’ve already done in the areas of education, mentorship and philanthropy, and their exciting future plans.

This summer, In Orbit is proud to feature several of KBR’s employee resource groups (ERGs) and the important work they do to create environments where our people can belong, connect, grow and bring their whole selves to work. To kick things off, we’re highlighting Pride and Allies, our ERG supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies. Host John Arnold is joined by Gracie Orr, small business liaison officer for KBR’s Science and Space business unit and a leader of Pride and Allies, to discuss the ERG’s mission, progress and recent global activities, and what’s on the docket for Pride Month.

When you hear the term “circular economy,” you might think about closing the loop on waste. And that’s important! But what about the concept of closing the loop on conventional economic business models, particularly in infrastructure? Host John Arnold is joined this week by Rocio Rutter, KBR principal of Circular Economy and Sustainability, in a conversation about circularity in infrastructure and how it can function as a true change engine that can help companies and governments transform their strategies, operations and business models, both economically and environmentally.

If you thought talking about ESG and sustainability couldn’t be entertaining, guess again! Our guest this week is the very funny Adam Kramer, vice president and corporate sustainability officer at KBR. Sitting down with host John Arnold, Adam talks about KBR’s commitment to ESG and how the business is following through, how KBR is using data to report its progress to the world, and why ethical ESG action is essential for businesses. Special shoutout to surprise guest, Kirsten Mackenzie, KBR’s director of Corporate Sustainability!

Humankind is going back to the moon! Over the next few years, NASA’s Artemis program will open up a new frontier of space exploration for future generations, and KBR’s people are helping pave the way. With us to talk about KBR’s involvement with Artemis and his role as a ground controller at NASA Johnson Space Center is Patrick Ream, a member of KBR’s Science and Space team. Patrick tells host John Arnold about his lifelong fascination with space, how KBR is letting him live his dream of helping humankind reach the stars, and what we can all expect as the Artemis missions progress. You won’t want to miss it!

Interested in learning about what KBR’s up to in Australia and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region? We’ve got you covered! This week, guest host Leanne Stace speaks with Paul Kahn, president of KBR Government Solutions International, and Rob Hawketts, vice president of Government Solutions APAC, for a wide-ranging conversation about KBR’s busy year so far in Australia and APAC. As Australians say, we’ve been flat out like a lizard drinking! Topics include KBR’s capabilities in the region, the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce, the vision for KBR in the region going forward, and much more!

What does it mean to be a female-friendly company? Find out firsthand from some of the women of KBR. This special episode celebrates KBR being named to Forbes’ list of the World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies for the second straight year and highlights the amazing strides we’re making to be a great company for women. The episode is led by Reshma Bhat, chair of KBR’s ASPIRE employee resource group in the United Arab Emirates, and features Dr. Euan McCulloch, director of operations in the Middle East for KBR’s Integrated Solutions International business unit, and several of the women of KBR, who share their personal experiences and insights about being part of our team of teams.SPECIAL NOTE:The In Orbit team would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their help and encouragement in producing this episode.Preeti Santani, for assistance with content organization for the episodeRudolf D'Souza, for supporting ASPIRE UAEPayal Singh, ASPIRE UAE co-chairASPIRE leaders Aiesha Maxwell and Christina Halkias

Interesting content alert! Well, actually, it’s ALL interesting on “In Orbit.” But this week, we’re thrilled to feature Scott Hudson, chief UH-1 pilot with Kord Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of KBR. Listen as Scott recounts his remarkable flight career, which started at age 13 and has included flying missions for the U.S. Army in Europe during the Cold War, fighting fires with the U.S. Forest Service, training the next generation of pilots, and amassing more than 11,000 flight hours in helicopter cockpits. You won’t want to miss it!