Today is a momentous day here in America and around the world, regardless of anyone’s political beliefs. It is a day of realization of a vision and a dream. It is a day of recognition of the hard work and the sacrifices of leaders of the past who paved the way for Barack Obama to become the president of the United States.

Today, less than 150 years since the war to end slavery here in America , a black man takes the oath to become the president of all Americans and to represent us to the rest of the world. From the beginning and through the decades of the civil rights movement, envisioning a black American president was as much, if not more, improbable as thinking that man can one day land on the moon, a vision reaffirmed by President John F. Kenneday in our own backyard here in Houston at Rice University.

Ending slavery and landing on the moon have several common attributes; they both started with a vision and required steadfast leadership and unconventional resolve of many dedicated people.

Here at PAS, our vision for an industry where every operator goes home to his family safely at the end of every shift is also an ambitious vision. But with the resolve and the ingenuity of our people, we can see the day.

I had a note this morning from a PAS Alumni asking me why I have been slacking off and not updating the blog in sometime. Thanks for caring, BW. I’ll take the blame. It sure isn’t because I don’t have much to say – just ask the folks I work with here at PAS.


The blog is a very important communication vehicle to our business. It gives insight to the company – what we do, what we are thinking, and most importantly, who we are. Our culture should resonate right through the blog.

In fact, just last night, I met an enthusiastic young man over dinner as part of our unique screening/interview process. He told me that one of the reasons he was so excited bout joining PAS was that he had learned so much about the company by reading our blog.

Two Elements of Success

For those of you who have worked with me, you know that I place a great deal of value on the human side of business. I believe innovation and success start with talented people and a shared vision coming together to create extraordinary results. It’s a given that strategy and execution are essential elements of success. But without a clear vision and the right people, the best strategy goes nowhere and there can be no meaningful execution.

There are two reasons – aside from his qualifications and his impressive credentials – that Chris is here to help us at PAS. 1) his focus on the human factor, and 2) his vision for tomorrow’s successful plant operations. We happen to be perfectly aligned along these two important elements. For those of you who may not know, Chris Lyden and I go back over 21 years. In fact, I came to know Chris when he hired me into Honeywell as a young automation systems trainer in the summer of 1987. And what an experience that was. I learned more in my first two years at Honeywell than I had the prior seven years at Schlumberger.

Over the years, Chris and I have maintained a close personal friendship. At times, we have been on opposite sides of a negotiating table; but we have always maintained a great level of respect for one another.

Chris Lyden is well known to the automation industry insiders. His thirty plus years of industry experience spans just about every aspect of business discipline – he started as an engineer at Honeywell designing the old TDC2000 HLPIU. He grew through the ranks and eventually became the VP of sales for Honeywell Hi-Spec business and VP / GM of Honeywell Chemicals Automation Business. At Invensys, Chris was a major contributor and part of the team (with Mike Caliel and Ginny Burnell) that turned IPS around and restored it to financial health.

Chris is well known for his visionary and innovative ideas, his long term relationships and passion for the human part of business make him an exception in today’s corporate world. Chris passionately cares about people.

Another thing that I really appreciate about Chris is his sense of humor and his ability to laugh – even during the most serious of situations.

And for fun now, let’s see if I can remember where this picture was taken. Oh yes. This is Chris at the top of the Havasu Falls in Grand Canyonin October 1987. We went on a family camping adventure down the canyon for two days and it was a blast. A must do fro anyone going to northern Arizona.

Now you know a bit about Chris and a little more about me…more to come as we go through the year.

If you have an interesting story to share about Chris, send it to me. I’m sure it’s associated with creativity and fun.