Not the most traditional route
Early on he was awarded a scholarship in English Literature. That sounds like the beginning of a very different story. He turned it down and enlisted in the United States Army Infantry.
Four years active duty as an Infantryman. Army Reserve as a Combat Engineer. Then the Utah National Guard, where his career moved from combat engineering into military logistics, brigade-level staff work, and special projects. He retired as a Sergeant Major.
He deployed numerous times, including an 18-month combat tour in Iraq, and received a number of medals and citations. The two that matter most to him are the ones awarded for leadership in combat — not for the recognition, but for what they represent.
Afterward came the corporate world: corporate security, then documentation and regulatory work, then production leadership and management. Thirty-six years with the same worldwide corporation.
In combat, leadership is not a theory. It is tested when people are tired, stressed, uncertain, and depending on each other.