KBR’s Bruce Stanski Now With Fluor?
Note: I kept forgetting to update this post about Stanksi. Post updated on 6/29/2009-See red italics
On March 17, 2009 Bruce Stanski, KBR’s President of Government and Infrastructure (G&I), just up and quit!! Stanski had worked for KBR since 1995. The Government and Infrastructure Division is the division that holds the LOGCAP contracts with DoD in the Middle East and Africa. (Click HERE to read that post)
We (I) have been wondering why an executive at his level would just up and quit. No notice…no nothing. Just “I’m outta here.” The rumors as to the reasons have ranged from:
- He went into the witness protection program
- Personal or family illness (was hoping this wasn’t true)
- Left the country to avoid prosecution for KBR’s alleged contracting fraud
- Won the lottery
- Went to work for a major LOGCAP competitor (Fluor)
Well it would appear the latter might be true. I was told that Bruce Stanski is now the Vice President of Human Resources at Fluor as of March 30, 2009. (Updated 06/25/2009): There is some conflicting information here. Jeff Uribe a former KBR concentration camp commandant is reported to be the VP of HR. Stanski clearly working for Fluor directly or as a consultant.) Can anyone fill me in here.
That just leaves me with so many unanswered questions.
Why would the President of a major LOGCAP company take a Vice President of HR position with a competitor?
Is there something going on with KBR that he no longer wanted to be a part of?
Will he use his vast knowledge of KBR’s bidding processes to assist Fluor in bidding against them? That would be only fair I guess since KBR’s Program Manager Larry J. Lust “opened the file but did not read it” with regards to Flour’s bidding information. This information was accidentally sent to him by the DoD Contacting Officer and then immediately recalled. I’m sure KBR won’t use that information to their advantage in any way. (click HERE to read about that)
Maybe it was some kind of a trade. A corporate baseball team so to speak. Like, one of your guys obtained all our bidding info…..now we want one of your guys and we won’t sue you into bankruptcy!! (I wonder if they will do trading cards? Just a humorous thought)
I’m sure there are just stacks of legal non-disclosure agreements. As an HR VP he would not be “directly” involved in the bidding process. But still…all that inside information is priceless.
It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.
What do you think?
Ms Sparky
Friday, April 24th 2009 at 9:29 am |
VERY INTERESTING!!!!!
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Isn’t it though!!
Friday, April 24th 2009 at 10:09 am |
If this is true it’s a smart move on Fluor’s part, as the transition moves ahead the labor pool stays the same pretty much so who better to poach the better employees from a competitor. KBR has its flaws and a lot of it is centered on management but there are a lot qualified individuals working for the company and this maybe just the opportunity for some of those individuals to shine. It could be a win win situation for Fluor and the troops.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
“KBR has its flaws and a lot of it is centered on management but there are a lot qualified individuals working for the company” I have said this over and over!! I could not agree more!!
Friday, April 24th 2009 at 10:25 am |
it is true. His email is bruce.stanski@fluor.com
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Thank you. And the spammers thank you too, fresh meat. LOL
Friday, April 24th 2009 at 11:30 am |
Ms Sparky-After I read your post I just shot out an email using the same email format as KBR. (same as My Two Cents posted) Damned if I didn’t luck out.
Here’s how the email went:
me:
“Are you the same Bruce Stanski that was the President of KBR G&I”
Bruce Stanski:
“the one and only”
me:
“I guess that answers that rumor. Best of luck to you.”
I don’t think I will be hearing from him again.
I want to think he left because it was just not an ethical company to work for. But then, it all happened under his watch.
Having Stanski can only be good for Fluor.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
What a super sleuth! Please forward me that email!
Saturday, April 25th 2009 at 2:35 am |
going were the money is. smart move, don’t hate player hate the game.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Something doesn’t seem right here. As a VP I don’t believe it has to be reported to the SEC. There has to be some SEC restrictions here. How about some insight from any broker and shareholder readers.
Saturday, April 25th 2009 at 3:58 am |
What concerns me the most, is that he should know how KBR bids all thier information. This is a big, no huge, issue.
I doubt he is VP of HR for long. He is probably being held in a holding pattern until a top spot in their Government Department opens. Only time will tell.
Concerned
Ms Sparky’s Response:
KBR really can’t complain too loudly. But where is Dyncorp in all this? Not only could KBR have their bid info but now potentially Fluor does. If I was Dyncorp I’d be jumping up and down crying “foul”!!
Sunday, April 26th 2009 at 5:52 pm |
Wow, wow, wow! A president of G&I with KBR and for 13 years accepts a position as a VICE PRESIDENT (not even a president) and of what? HUMAN RESOURCES. That speaks volumes of how other companies think of KBR. You can not tell me that he accepts this position for the time being till appropriate position becomes available. Accepting this HR position means his experience with KBR is and was nothing related to engineering.
To tell the truth, this is what I think of KBR, notice that acronym KBR is no longer- in my view- stands for Kellogg-Brown & Root, it rather stands for Killing Brain Resources. The company operates pretty much on nepotism, connection, racial favoritism, etc. Another example at KBR is the director of Process Engineering Department who before joining KBR has never worked in process engineering. And now what he does? he just gets every Indian to work as a process engineer and engineers of other nationalities including Americans are just laid-off or kicked out of the company.
So, we have to close our engineering colleges, we can import engineers from other countries like India.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I just thought of something…..KBR is (please forgive me if my terminology is not quite right) available for “acquisition” April 2009. It will be two years since Halliburton kicked KBR to the curb. I just wonder if Fluor has some notion of trying to “aquire” KBR. I’m not sure why they would want all the legacy lawsuits and issues we don’t even know of yet.
Or maybe Fluor knows something about KBR losing everything in LOGCAP and wants Stanski in place for a smoother transition. “Look DoD we have Stanski….we can do it…pick us….pick us!”
If that were to happen Stanski would be sitting sweet to be KBR God again. Things that make you go….hmmmmm!
Monday, April 27th 2009 at 4:46 am |
Ok . . . it all seems like a lot of cloak and dagger stuff to me. Got to agree with you Ms sparky . . . Hmmm . . .? Or in writers terms, the plot certainly seems to be thickening.
Tuesday, April 28th 2009 at 6:35 pm |
I just ran across this on the Yahoo Message Boards. I had started a Bruce Stanski thread to see what would float to the top….Here’s what I read today.
1. Bruce Stanski 23-Apr-09 06:53 pm
Has any one heard the rumor that Bruce Stanski formerly of KBR is coming over to Fluor? Anyone have info on that? (I posted this)
2. Re: Bruce Stanski 24-Apr-09 01:05 pm
Sounds like it might not be a rumor.
http://mssparky.com/2009/04/kbrs-bruce-s... (I posted this)
3. Re: Bruce Stanski 26-Apr-09 06:34 pm
Don’t know the name but David Seaton told the management team in Houston he felt he had to make changes in the leadership in both Power and Government. He put Dunning in to run power and said he would be putting in someone new to replace Hopkins in Government. It was somebody from outside the company. I did not hear this first hand. He may have said the name, but there are no changes announced for HR, so it may be the same guy.
4. Re: Bruce Stanski 26-Apr-09 07:03 pm
It is definitely Stanski. He has been hired from KBR to run Fluor Government. Seaton came to both Savannah and Greenville to inform FGG staff. He said Hopkins and maybe others were not happy but they needed to be moving forward. Apparently we started notifying the agencies and they were not happy either. What a surprise. Who thought this through? We are just starting to build volume again, have Savannah, bidding LOGCAP and we hire the guy associated with all the negative press – over charging, bad electrical ……. Worse, he must have been negotiating his deal with Fluor at the same time he was bidding against Fluor. Hopkins was in last week trying to put it back in the bottle. All the execs will be visiting Savannah this week. There will probably be an announcement then. Hope the airport can hold all the jets.
5. Re: Bruce Stanski 27-Apr-09 05:29 pm
The only reason Hopkins is still employed is that Boeckmann hasn’t retired yet. The Government Group has been ridden into the ground by Alan’s buddies Glatch and Hopkins. All their big bets on nuclear, which they had no clue about and never hired anybody who could succeed there, fell completely flat and they are failing miserably at SRS. Seaton had to try and recover what he could on the DoD side, poached Stanski, and is culling Hopkins and others who have failed in this sector. Fluor simply got pummeled by the competition in the high-margin government contracting areas, and it was bad enough that they have to make these changes. Pretty hard to do considering the environment. URS, CH2M-Hill, EnergySolutions, and Bechtel all seem to be growing in nuclear.
Thursday, April 30th 2009 at 8:20 am |
Someone may have already stated this, but does anyone have an issue with the fact that Stanski was negotiating his contract to work for Fluor while he was preparing bids for LOGCAP contracts bidding against Fluor.
I don’t know. I’m no contracts expert, but if I was the DoD Contracting Office I would be going….”What?”
Tuesday, May 5th 2009 at 7:03 pm |
Or maybe Stanski can see the writing on the wall- That “Captain Hope” in the White House has made it popular to be hostile towards KBR and someone would eventually have to take the fall for it? As you well know, it’s easier to leave on your own terms.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Just because Stanski no longer works for KBR he is not absolved of alleged crimes that occurred under his watch.
Friday, May 15th 2009 at 6:14 pm |
I received this info in an email today.
“Jeff Uribe is the VP of HR for Flour….not Stanski. Jeff used to be the PM for D&F sites for KBR in 2005. Stanski is holding down a consulting roll at the moment.
I have no way to verify. But…I am having a hard time with Jeff Uribe as HR anything. He was known as being a very brutal PM in Iraq. I hope that Fluor is not going to turn into the “new KBR” same people different name!
Saturday, May 16th 2009 at 6:06 am |
Jeff Uribe was also at Anoconda then the PM at Camp Slayer (ISG), then moved to Taji as PM, then moved to DF&I to “clean-up.” He left KBR and went to IAP prior to landing at Fluor, where he has surrounded himself with former KBR personnel who are experts in the art of A$$ kissing but not much else. He is absolutely an arrogant self promoter.
Saturday, May 16th 2009 at 6:33 am |
I forgot to add that Uribe’s task to clean-up was to rid KBR of personnel who’s transgressions became intolerable even by KBR standards. Those individual’s are now part of Dyncorp’s management team.
Friday, May 22nd 2009 at 1:21 pm |
hmm I said this months ago
I know the brass at Anaconda has bolted
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I’m sire the SEC has to have some issues with this. Not to mention the co competition clauses in the KBR manager contracts. Hmmmmm
Friday, May 22nd 2009 at 1:34 pm |
Taft unfortunatly that is the only way to move I don’t like it myself
It’s who you know not what you know
Ms Sparky’s Response:
That is what has gotten KBR in trouble. Maybe the DoD will audit manager qualifications!
Wednesday, June 10th 2009 at 4:30 am |
Just to add…be on the lookout for another trying to do the crossover..rumor has it from KBR to Flour (talk about conflict of interest) the current PM for KBR in Kuwait……second rumor, his wife works within the senior management team of Fluor….that’s not a good thing….. FACT: this PM is hated in Kuwait, 7 out of 10 guys that I know to include managers wants him gone…..
2nd….there are plenty of KBR senior managers crossing to DynCorp…..including some DPM’s…its just impossible that anyone of them will not have relevant information that could easily be a conflict of interest or considered as insider info??? hmmm…
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I truly hope that Fluor does not turn into the “new KBR”. I would like to be naive and hope that there is only one KBR. That Fluor isn’t just about the money and they want to serve our country, take care of our troops and that they will treat their employees….expats and SCW/TCN’s with respect and dignity. I’m not sure how they are going to do that with all those former KBR managers.
Honestly I don’t have the time to blog about Fluor too. But, if they start getting all ugly in Theater and treating their people poorly and killing our soldiers, I will hire a staff just to expose them too!
Wednesday, June 10th 2009 at 5:46 am |
Romulus, it that the same PM that has been there since 2007? The one that is known to put employees on lockdown with 24/7 security?
Wednesday, June 10th 2009 at 6:24 am |
…..said,
Previous PM was Charles Dais, followed by Tony Montalvo. I believe you may be referring to Tony. There are several headhunters in KBR, and Tony was always considered by many as one. The 2 DPM’s is another story. I personally like one more than the other as I have known him since our Bosnia project. If anyone is planning to work for DynCorp in the near future and you had previously worked for KBR, do not be surprised to see some familiar faces in the Senior Management.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
KBR managers seem to be spreading out and infecting every LOGCAP IV contractor. It’s like a freakin’ pandemic!!
Wednesday, June 10th 2009 at 7:14 am |
Romulus, I believe that Art Lange was between Charles Dais and Tony. Art was the PM over TTM in Anaconda.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I love it when my readers namedrop!
Thursday, June 18th 2009 at 10:37 am |
Interesting there were only 257 calls in 2007, that is probably less than KBR gets in a day. Here is the contact information if anyone would like to voice their concerns:
FLUOR
In 2007, the Ethics Hotline received 257 calls, all of which were investigated.
The Compliance & Ethics Hotline
1-800-223-1544 (call toll-free within the U.S. & Canada)
+1-704-556-7046 (call collect outside U.S.)
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Thanks. I cross posted this to another post as well.
Thursday, June 18th 2009 at 3:58 pm |
Well what a drag for all of us qualified guys on the ground looking for jobs with other Logcap contractors didnt need to hear that the “boys’ club has started showing up…hope it doesnt turn out to be the same model with a different name. Back to the sandbox on Sat will see what has been going on the last 2 weeks..more rules and regs that mean nothing but more headaches for the people that really do the work…I can’t wait, forgive the sarcasm
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Are must be KBR? Yep….it looks like KBR is going to make every kiss their butts all the way to the end and then some!! Was that sacastic? LOL No worries about the sarcasm…..it’s knee deep here. That’s how we cope with KBR!!
Thursday, June 25th 2009 at 10:16 am |
I kept forgetting to update this post. I was told the Jeff Uribe was actually the VP of HR. Hard telling how Fluor and Stanski are working around that non-compete clause in his KBR contract. But…he has/had a Fluor.com email address. Maybe they just feel sorry for him and are loaning him an office.
It is still mind boggling to me, and apparently to many Fluor employees, that Fluor could be so myopic as to hire Stanski who was in charge at the time of criminal and unethical activity. Whether he knew about it or not he was in charge and obviously ineffective either way. Unless of course it’s just about the money.
Will Fluor pay for Stanski’s attorney’s if charged for any criminal wrong doing?
Thursday, June 25th 2009 at 10:39 am |
Ms Sparky,
I believe the points you brought up would fall under compliance and ethics. Perhaps concerned taxpayers might want to give the Fluor compliance and ethics hotline a call and ask them to look into these potential conflicts of interest and hiring practices.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
What a great idea. Let me find that information again and I will post it.
Thursday, June 25th 2009 at 9:10 pm |
KBR “has undertaken many initiatives to manage and control costs,” spokeswoman Heather Browne said in an e-mail today. “In retrospect, we agree that lower costs could have been achieved under different circumstances.” She declined to comment on the company’s track record under the new program.
She needs to be put in prison with the rest of them for fraud!
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I couldn’t agree more.
Thursday, June 25th 2009 at 9:12 pm |
By Tony Capaccio
June 10 (Bloomberg) — KBR Inc. wasted billions of dollars through inefficiencies, lax oversight and poor management of its contract to support U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an independent, bipartisan panel.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio at acapaccio@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: June 10, 2009 13:57 EDT
Friday, June 26th 2009 at 11:52 am |
I currently work in the Program management Office for DCP (the DynCorp, CH2MHill, PWC Logistics team)in Alliance Texas. It is true that DynCorp is now bringing the KBR bottom feeders into their organization. None other than Art Lange and Frazier Shack (both useless)have reported for work here. I have never been so dissapointed in a project in my life. We had a great system here, bidding and winning to provide truly excellent support to our Troops serving overseas.
I feel that our reputation is already tarnished by the employment of these two idiots.
I hate to think what the USG will think when they learn that DI has hired them. My company refused to hire Shack for the project in Kuwait, so DynCorp hired him to be the postal SME in Texas. Like he knows anything about postal ops.
Taft said,on May 16th, 2009 at 6:33 am I forgot to add that Uribe’s task to clean-up was to rid KBR of personnel who’s transgressions became intolerable even by KBR standards. Those individual’s are now part of Dyncorp’s management team.
Who are the individuals now on the DynCorp management team?
Thanks for any insight you might provide on my current “fellow” employees.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
It sounds like you are mourning the death of what was once a great company. Now they have turned into KBR. My condolences.
I am still in awe at the ability of these managers….I mean freakin’ truck drivers, to be able to bull shit their way to the top and then stay there. And then bull shit their way into another company.
I didn’t know much about Shack until I started researching the death of Donald Tolfree at Anaconda and found his name was all over that. Then I was getting major complaints from electricians in Kuwait about Grounding and Bonding being managed by a freakin’ truck driver. They hated him.
Read this post on Donald Tolfree. Interesting comments. http://mssparky.com/2009/02/lawsuit-blames-kbr-in-driver-death-at-anaconda-iraq/
Friday, June 26th 2009 at 11:56 am |
Surely you are not talking about Scotty Mount? Who else besides him?
Ms Sparky’s Response:
There is only one Scott Mount and we are always talking about him. So…tell us what you know?
Saturday, June 27th 2009 at 11:13 am |
We had a medic, Dale Free, and a welder, Mitch Connor, in charge here at TQ, Dale was not the worst we have ever seen but Mitch put a Buddy system in place that would embarrass the Mafia. No matter where you went to everyone knew about the TQ Buddy’s and how twisted it was. I think our last manager was a bus driver and he got rid of himself apparently.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
That is all too common. Surround yourself with people you have dirt on. They are much easier to control.
Saturday, June 27th 2009 at 6:27 pm |
dont mean to be a bother but does any one know if kbr hires union workers with a union ticket i am a union journeyman wireman and with this i can work all over the united states . would it help to go work in iraq .i was told to get my passport ,so i went and got it ,and they told me to send it via email but still no responce , ive been doing electrical work for 14years ,i called the recruter and left a message to contact me if they do not have any work so i can start looking some where else and still no responce . can someone give some anest advice of what could be going on….
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I’m not who told you you could work all over the US with a union ticket but they misinformed you. I am a union electrician (Local 48, Portland, OR). Your union ticket will allow you to sign the books anywhere in the US but you still need to meet that states licensing requirements for you can take a call. Actually my hall won’t even let you sign the books if you can’t show you have a valid Oregon State license.
Not all states have a state license. (Personally I think there should be a National License, but that’s another post.) Did you go through a State approve apprenticeship program? When? If you State has a licensing program go test. If it doesn’t go test in a state that does.
Have you applied on-line at http://www.kbrjobs.com? KBR is not the most organized. Just keep bugging the recruiter.
Tuesday, June 30th 2009 at 1:17 pm |
I wonder if Fluor is going to foot the legal bills for any of the KBR managers they hired that are or will be named in suits against KBR.
I’m sure their illustrious VP of HR will be coming up with something….soon.
Tuesday, June 30th 2009 at 7:29 pm |
I just got this comment on another post so I thought I would post it here as well:
No Name wrote:
I work with Jeff Uribe…
He is not a VP of HR. But is in HR.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Thanks for clarifying that. I feel a little better. Keep an eye on my post for Thursday. I have to say, those of us that knew of Uribe when he work for KBR are stunned speechless that he is in HR for anybody.
Saturday, July 25th 2009 at 4:26 pm |
I’m curious about ‘enough’s’ comments regarding hiring of ex-KBR employees. If I recall correctly, hiring incumbent employees is a normal practice done to retain the knowledge base. Managers are normally replaced with company people, but the good technical folks are kept from contract to contract. So is ‘enough’s’ loyalty misplaced – he/she seems to have a vendetta against KBR individual employees and no interest in creating a successful performance contract? Am I wrong?
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I do not believe “enough” is referring to current or former KBR employees. It would be in Fluor’s and Dyncorps best interest to hire the qualified employees who are actually doing the work. I believe “enough” is talking about KBR managers. Many of whom got KBR into the situation they are in now. Many KBR employees and others are afraid, as am I that Fluor will fall into the same trap. The incompetent and what I feel to be at times criminal management activities of those managers that are now managing for Fluor and Dyncorp. To most of us it is “same shit different company”. It’s like hiring Bruce Stanski. It was under his watch that all this crap happened. Either he knew about it and was complicit or didn’t know about it and was incompetent. Either way, not the best choice in my opinion.
Saturday, July 25th 2009 at 7:26 pm |
Thanks Ms Sparky … Yho always seem to bring rationale to the argument. I guess you receive a lot of frustrated former KBR employee comment from folks like ‘enough’ who can’t seem to work the legitimate system and bring their grievances to the right folks. If he/she really works for Dyncorp (which is questionable), then I would hope that his/her concerns would be channeled through the appropriate process. Probably not his/her style though – too afraid to speak up and stand by their convictions … that perpetuates the problem … no guts.
I remain convinced that there are many current and former KBR folks who are technically competent and 100% dedicated to the job. I agree with you that poor management and managers promoted to position because of ‘contacts’ do ruin the contract. It would seem most important to ID these people and weed them out – fairly and without prejudice.
Thursday, October 1st 2009 at 1:57 am |
i agree, with the last statement, i recently posted my continuing medical issues as well as an explanation as to the problem i am facing on another one of ms. sparky’s blog, i hope to god frazier shack stays out of a freaking truck on our highways, let alone in a position running programs my fellow brothers and sisters in arms and contracts are involved with.
texasstarhorsetransport@yahoo.com