Brian Fields, Class of 2017

Brian Fields

Chief Information Officer, Newport News Shipbuilding - A Division of Huntington Ingalls Industries
Yorktown, VA

What is new and exciting with you now or since your time with Lead Virginia?

I have been given the opportunity to lead the Newport News Shipbuilding Business Transformation effort. We are preparing to provide state of the art digital tools to our workforce to help them build the most complex machines in the world. This exciting effort is important to our employees, our company and the Navy.

How did Lead Virginia shape you as a leader?

Lead Virginia showed me that the efforts to provide good health care, workforce development and economic growth have one extremely important thing in common – our people. No matter what business you are in, the first priority of a leader is to take care of your people. Lead Virginia changed my perspective on the importance of this, not just within my company, but my community and the entire Commonwealth. I believe I am equipped to make more mature decisions are a result of the Lead experience.

Since Lead Virginia, how have you put your social capital to work?

As part of an amazing leadership team at Newport News Shipbuilding, we were able to sponsor scholarships for the entire 2020 graduating class at Achievable Dream in Newport News.

What was your biggest takeaway or lesson learned from Lead Virginia that continues to resonate with you today?

Leadership is a full contact sport. We have to engage and use our resources to help our people, our companies and our communities.