Leading the way in top-tier EPC.

Stuart Spence serves as S&B’s Chair of the Board, bringing more than 20 years of EPC and oilfield experience to his position. He is a seasoned leader with a diverse financial and operational management background in the engineering and construction and oilfield products and services sectors. 

Stuart has held significant roles in public and private capital backed companies for more than thirty years, shaping strategic and operational frameworks within the industry. Stuart also leads Spence & Company, the management consultancy arm of The Spence Family Office, which manages a robust portfolio of investments for the Spence family. 

He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at McDermott International, where he was responsible for the global Finance and Information Technology functions. Prior to McDermott, he was Vice President of Artificial Lift at Halliburton Company, overseeing strategic and operational aspects of one of Halliburton's critical product and service lines. His career includes significant roles at Global Oilfield Services (acquired by Halliburton), Green Rock Energy LLC, and Vetco International Ltd.

Stuart holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Stirling in Scotland and earned leadership certifications from the Columbia Business School and Harvard Business School.

William “Bill” Utt brings extensive leadership experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors, having served as Chairman, President, and CEO of multiple global organizations. His career spans decades of strategic leadership, corporate governance, and business transformation in the engineering and construction sector.

Before joining S&B’s Board of Directors, Bill was Chairman of Altera Infrastructure Partners LP and held board positions at Teekay Corporation and Cobalt International Energy Inc. From 2006 to 2014, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of KBR. He was appointed Chairman in 2007, guiding the company’s global engineering, construction, and services operations in the energy, petrochemicals, government, and civil infrastructure markets. 

Before KBR, Bill was President and CEO of SUEZ Energy North America, where he led LNG, retail energy, marketing and trading, and power generation businesses. From 1995 to 2000, he served as President and CEO of Tractebel’s North American energy operations, following a decade in senior management and executive roles at CRSS, Inc. 

Bill holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in business administration from the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. He has contributed to the industry as a member of the National Petroleum Council, chairman of the Electric Power Supply Association, and author and speaker at energy-related conferences and symposiums.

Jeff Reilly is a seasoned leader with a proven track record of delivering significant business results in the global engineering and construction industry. For 40 years, he has held executive leadership roles in both owner and contractor organizations, participating in all phases of project development, financing, and execution.

Jeff began his career as a process design engineer before advancing into senior leadership positions, where he played a key role in shaping strategic initiatives and driving operational excellence. At Phillips 66, he was pivotal in implementing the company’s capital growth program, driving strategic investments to support long-term expansion. During his tenure at ConocoPhillips, he developed the post-split procurement strategy, optimizing supply chain efficiencies following the company’s restructuring. 

Jeff helped define the post-combination corporate direction at Amec Foster Wheeler, aligning business operations after a major merger. At Stone & Webster, he also led the establishment of a global engineering, procurement and construction joint venture, expanding the company’s international reach and capabilities. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston.

Son of company co-founder James G. Slaughter, Sr., ​James G. Slaughter, Jr., has spent his entire career at S&B, filling both engineering and construction positions. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston and attended graduate school at the University of Toledo as well as the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School.

James is a current member of the National Academy of Construction, past President of the Houston Area Contractors’ Safety Council, and past member of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) where he served the following roles:

• Member of the Executive Committee
• Member of the Board of Advisors
• Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Chairman of the Project Definition Rating Index research team
• Chairman of the Alignment research team
• Productivity Metrics Champion
• Member of the Nomination Committee

James has been honored with the CII’s two highest awards, the Caroll H. Dunn Award of Excellence for significant achievements in improving the engineering and construction industry and the Richard L. Tucker Leadership & Service Award for significant contribution to the advancement of CII’s mission. He also received the National Academy of Construction's Ted C. Kennedy Award for improving all aspects of the construction industry and driving positive change in the most critical areas - safety, workforce development and productivity. His roles with the National Academy of Construction include:

• President
• Vice President
• Chairman of the Membership Committee
• Chairman of Dispute Avoidance Committee
• Member Safety Committee
• Chairman of Strategic Planning Committee
• Co-founder and core member of the National Construction Forum

Additionally, James was awarded the ECC Achievement Award, which honors those who exhibit the traits of industry leaders, such as bold risk-takers, true visionaries, and professionals of integrity who’ve had a positive, lasting impact on the business.

James has pioneered “zero accidents” safety since 1987, perhaps his greatest industry role.  S&B has led the industry in safety for 20+ years, and James has freely shared S&B processes with peers. He also has put S&B on the forefront of craft training and a focus on bringing women into construction.

​James D. “J.D.” Slaughter, PE is the grandson of S&B’s co-founder James G. Slaughter, Sr and son of board of director member, James G. Slaughter, Jr.  

A degreed Chemical Engineer from Texas A&M University, he holds Professional Engineering licenses in Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina.  J. D. currently serves on the Engineering Advisory Council at Texas A&M and is past-Chair of the Chemical Engineering Advisory Council. He serves as co-chair of the Construction Sector Council for the Greater Houston Partnership’s Upskill Houston initiative.

Outside of the industry, he and his wife Angie serve on the National Leadership Council of World Vision USA and are active with many other charitable organizations.  J. D. and his wife, Angie, are blessed with five children and live in Brenham, TX.

Brook joined S&B in 1983, working his way through the ranks from a construction field hand to estimator, proposal manager,  IT manager and many years as Vice-President of Business Development, securing major contracts with leading midstream and downstream operators. 

Brook is the son of company co-founder, William A. Brookshire. He is passionate about expanding his father’s legacy of promoting education through the William A. Brookshire Foundation, which provides scholarships for many students who would not otherwise be able to attend college. Since 2010, well over 1,000 students have benefited from this foundation. 

Brook lives in Houston with his wife, Julie. Their son, James William Brookshire II, also lives in Houston and works for S&B. When not spending time with his family, Brook enjoys racing sports cars and shooting sporting clays. 

Lori Garrison is the daughter of company co-founder, William A. Brookshire. For over a decade, she has served as a director for the W.A. Brookshire Foundation and assumed the role of president in 2017.

Lori earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Texas in 1983. Her professional career was spent in information systems and communications technology. Lori initially worked in software startups including Network Applications, Inc. and Software Research Corp., where she developed early inter-computer communications solutions. She dedicated the majority of her career in leading development and support teams at MCI, CompuCom, and Metasolv Solutions, which later became part of Oracle.