Burns & McDonnell appoints new CEO
(WO) — Leslie Duke has been named the new CEO of Burns & McDonnell, effective Jan. 1, 2024. In March, current Burns & McDonnell Chairman and CEO Ray Kowalik announced his retirement at the end of 2023, coming off a record-breaking year for the firm. Duke will be the eighth CEO in the firm’s 125-year history.
Currently, Duke is the regional President and General Manager in Houston, Texas. Over the past two decades, she helped expand the firm’s customer base from one local Houston client when she joined the firm to more than 650 local, regional and national clients in the industrial, refining, chemical, manufacturing and power utility markets. During her tenure, the business has delivered over $5 billion in engineering, procurement, construction, environmental and consulting services from the region.
Duke joined Burns & McDonnell in 1999 as a structural engineer. She has served in multiple leadership roles, including opening and growing several new offices. She became a Senior Vice President in 2014 and was named the company’s first female president in 2016.
She played an integral role in launching the firm’s engineer-procure-construct (EPC) delivery method in the south-central region, and her efforts have led to the development and successful execution of many projects and programs. Under her leadership, Burns & McDonnell has been recognized by numerous industry and community organizations.
In 2016, Duke was named a Who’s Who honoree in energy by the Houston Business Journal. She is a member of the Executive Board of Directors for the Greater Houston Partnership, serving as chair of the infrastructure committee from 2018-2022, and is a board member of the United Way of Greater Houston, which recognized her as a Top Female Leader in 2016.
