New Irving Shipbuilding President Abruptly Resigned From His Last Job
HALIFAX—Irving Shipbuilding has named Maine native and long-time General Dynamics employee Dirk Lesko its new president. Lesko will start his new job on September 1.
Lesko will take over the job formerly held by Kevin Mooney, who left in late June for personal reasons. Irving Shipbuilding’s vice-chairman, Ross Langley, will continue as interim president until Lesko takes over.
Lesko starts his new job just a few months after he abruptly resigned as president of Maine’s General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard (BIW), in April.
BIW is one of only two shipyards that build a specific class of ships for the U.S. Navy.
Lesko’s surprise resignation came just as BIW agreed to a significant raise—as high as 40 percent in some cases—for about 4,000 unionized employees. The pay raise happened even though BIW was in the middle of what Forbes called a “hard-fought three-year labor contract.”
Forbes called the wage adjustment “a major concession for General Dynamics.” The pay bump could help bring much-needed new workers to the yard, however, the increased costs could also burden the shipyard’s long-term viability.
At the time, everyone involved in Lesko’s departure was tight-lipped about the specific reason. However, some speculated it was related to either a change in leadership at the Navy or Lesko violating BIW company policy.
One industry watcher told News Centre Maine Lesko broke BIW rules “concerning delegation of authority.”
“Dirk violated corporate policy, a specific rule, and that was deemed sufficient for a parting of the ways,” The Lexington Institute CEO Loren Thompson said, although he declined to elaborate.
Prior to his resignation from BIW, Lesko had been with the company for three decades, six of them as president. His time at the helm was characterized by what many considered a successful rebuilding effort after the company lost a major contract with the U.S. Navy.
He navigated a nine-week strike and landed on a stable, three-year contact with regular pay increases for employees with the International Association of Machinists And Aerospace Workers Local S6. However, that contract was thrown into question the day Lesko resigned after the new wage increases were agreed upon.
In a news release announcing Lesko’s as its new president, Irving Shipbuilding co-CEO Jim Irving said he was “pleased” that Lesko was joining the company.
“He brings extensive experience in military shipbuilding which will continue to enhance Irving Shipbuilding as Canada’s Combatant Shipbuilder,” Irving said.
Irving Shipbuilding is a partner in the federal government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Since 2011, the company has been building hundred-million-dollar navy warships out of its Halifax shipyard.
The company did not let Huddle interview either Dirk Lesko or Jim Irving.
Trevor Nichols is the Associate Editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].