These current Fortune 500 CEOs have served in the armed forces, including a foreign military

FedEx founder and former CEO Fred Smith has credited his Marine Corps and Vietnam War experience with helping him found the shipping giant. In particular, the effectiveness of wartime logistics and the naval tradition of small unit command were influential. He said in 2014.

“Everything I went into at FedEx that led to the business being where it is today relates to what I learned in the Marine Corps, and I have always been grateful for that education and those I worked with,” he said at the time.

As Americans celebrate Veterans Day, here’s a look at current Fortune 500 CEOs who served in the military.

Casey’s General Stores

Written by Darren RibbleHe, who is also chairman of Casey’s, attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served as an infantry officer in the Army from 1988 to 1991, he said. LinkedIn profile.

After the Army, he began his civilian career as a KFC restaurant manager. He moved on to other companies and took on larger leadership roles, including stops at Exxon Mobil, 7-Eleven and IHOP.

Since 2019, Rebelez has served as CEO of Casey’s, the third-largest convenience retailer and No. 297 on the Fortune 500 list.

Emcor

Anthony Guzzi He also graduated from West Point and served in the Army as a Light Infantry Captain from 1986 to 1991. After the Army, he worked for McKinsey and Carrier.

He became Emcor’s president in 2004, CEO in 2011, and president in 2018. Emcor, No. 300 of the Fortune 500, is a leader in mechanical and electrical construction, industrial and energy infrastructure, and building services.

Excel Energy

Bob Frenzel He served in the Navy on active duty from 1992 to 1998, serving as a nuclear engineering officer and weapons officer. He was also in the Navy Reserves from 1998 to 2006 and attended the Naval Nuclear Power School.

“I always like to think I’ve been producing electricity for three decades,” he said. luck In April.

After active duty, he worked at Arthur Andersen Consulting, then at Goldman Sachs in the Energy and Electricity Group. He then made stops at Energy Future Holdings and Luminant before assuming his current position.

Frenzel was promoted to chairman, president and CEO of Xcel in 2021 after joining the company as CFO in 2016. Xcel is No. 319 on the Fortune 500 list.

Jeffrey Martin Another Western Pointer who served as an Air Cavalry pilot. He left the Army in 1989. Before joining Sempra, he worked at NewEnergy, UniSource Energy and the law firm Snell & Wilmer.

He began his career at Sempra, No. 322 on the Fortune 500 list, in 2004. He was named CEO and chairman of the facility in 2018.

As he contemplates his military service in 2022, Martin said People often misunderstand leadership as “creating followers,” adding that it is more important to create new leaders across the organization.

“This means that whether your focus is on winning on the battlefield or in corporate America, leadership is about lifting up those around you and bringing out the best in people, teams and organizations,” he explained.

Delek United States Holdings

Avigal Soreq He served in the Israeli Air Force in various roles between 1996 and 2004. After his military service, he worked at KPMG, Trabelsy, and SunPower, then began a 10-year tenure at Delek, an oil refining company.

He left to become CEO of Israeli airline EL AL but returned to Delek, which appointed him CEO in 2022. Delek is ranked No. 336 on the Fortune 500 list.

Advanced auto spare parts

Shane O’Kelly He also went to West Point and served as an infantry officer in the Army from 1990 to 1997, which included numerous deployments with the 1st Cavalry Division and the 325th Airborne Division.

After serving in the Army, he worked at McKinsey, followed by stops at Home Depot, A-Harris Building Supplies, PetroChoice, and HD Supply. O’Kelly has been CEO of Advance Auto Parts, No. 389 on the Fortune 500, since 2023.