BYU MarriottDuring convocation, we had the pleasure of hearing from Lewis L. (Lee) Bird.
Lee Bird married his wife, Linda Partridge Bird, 38 years ago. They have eight children (one of whom has passed away) and six grandchildren. Originally from Boston, Bird is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is presently serving as a stake president in Texas.
Bird’s career in the consumer sector has spanned nearly 40 years and included 11 moves within nine different states. He most recently served as chairman and CEO for At Home Group Inc., based in Dallas. He previously held a variety of leadership positions, including group president for Nike, chief operating officer of Gap, and CFO of Old Navy. Before his consumer retail career, he held various strategic and financial leadership roles at Gateway, Honeywell, and Ford Motor Company. He started his career as a commercial loan officer for a large bank in Boston.
Bird is currently serving on three corporate boards: Tailored Brands (owner of Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank), TileBar, and the Larry H. Miller Company, where he is also chairman of the Investment Committee. He is a member of the National Advisory Council at the BYU Marriott School of Business, and he serves on the board of trustees and as chairman of the strategic planning committee for Southern Virgina University. He is also a member of the ownership advisory group of the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars.
He previously served as a trustee on the Committee for Economic Development and as a member of the CEO council of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, both based in Washington, DC. He was also a board trustee at his and Linda’s alma mater, Ithaca College, in upstate New York.
Bird earned his MBA from Babson College, graduating summa cum laude, and his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, where he was an all-American in swimming.