Alexandria, Virginia, August 28, 2023 - The global transportation industry mourns the loss of an exemplary leader, Brian J. Stearman, who passed away on August 23, 2023. Brian was the IRF Global Chairman from 2001-2004 and a devoted member of the IRF Global Executive Committee for more than two decades. IRF Global President & CEO C. Patrick Sankey said, “During Brian’s tenure as the Chairman, IRF Global soared to new heights and made remarkable strides across the entire globe.” Sankey continued, “Beyond his organizational influence, Brian's leadership and management skills touched the hearts and minds of thousands of individuals including myself, as well as hundreds of entities worldwide.”
Based on part time consulting jobs during his graduate studies, Brian decided that management consulting was his calling. His first stop was with Roy Jorgensen Associates, where Brian set the trajectory for an exemplary 40-year career in the transportation industry. Showcasing unparalleled competence, he ascended to the role of Vice President at RJA and held a seat on their Board before the age of 30. Over subsequent decades, his profound management expertise had a direct affect on transportation projects in 35 countries and all 50 states in the USA. Brian's knowledge and executive management skills were duly recognized when he became a Partner at Booz Allen & Hamilton, and a Vice President and subsidiary President of the Parsons Corporation. In total, Brian served on 11 Boards of Directors…6 as Chairman.
Brian’s stature as a global leader in the transportation arena was also recognized by experts around the world who, on seven different occasions, recognized his projects with one of the world’s highest honors for Project Management, an IRF Global Road Achievement Award. Additionally, IRF Global chairman His Excellency Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel and the IRF Executive Committee honored Brian with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
As an ardent advocate for education, Brian’s academic accolades included a BS in Management from the University of South Carolina, an MBA from Louisiana State University, and Executive Training from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Center and the Aspen Institute in Colorado. His passion for education shone brightly throughout his life, and his unwavering support for the IRF Fellowship Program (https://www.irf.global/fellowships/) was one such example. Through his initiatives, he championed the establishment of graduate and Ph.D. scholarships for young engineers from around the world who needed financial assistance.
As a testament to Brian’s profound impact and legacy, his wife Kathy and their four children have established an educational endowment at IRF that will bear Brian’s name. Brian felt strongly about the IRF Fellowship Program, and the initiative will further strengthen the mission of the IRF which he passionately and relentlessly advocated for during and after his retirement from the transportation industry. To date, the IRF Fellowship Program has already empowered more than 1500 students to chase their dreams and passions, just as Brian did at the beginning of his career in the transportation industry.
To contribute to Brian's permanent legacy, and to support future leaders in the transportation industry, please consider donating to the Brian J. Stearman Endowment at https://www.irf.global/funding/brian-j-stearman-endowment.