Kimray CEO Hill Speaks on Christian Ethics and Success During Annual Minter Lecture

Students, faculty and staff at OBU had the privilege of hearing from Kimray’s CEO Thomas Hill Sept. 18, as he delivered the Minter Lecture in Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium. He spoke about, “Recovering Leadership and Life: Creating a Healthy Workplace.” The lecture was hosted by the Paul Dickinson College of Business.

Hill is the Chief Executive Officer of Kimray, a leading manufacturer of valves and controls for oil and gas production based out of Oklahoma City. Kimray was founded by Hill’s grandfather Garman Kimmell in 1948. Hill grew up in the company and has had the opportunity to work in nearly every department, giving him an intimate knowledge of the people and the processes from start to finish.

He began his lecture by encouraging students to understand that they all can be leaders, even if they have doubts about their leadership abilities. He acknowledged that all leaders, himself included, question their abilities at times and that they are not alone in doing so.

His lecture focused on two primary themes: success and Christian ethics. He shared that while growing up, he looked up to both his dad and grandfather, who were incredibly successful, accomplished and handy men. He noticed at a young age that neither of them seemed to ever be afraid, they were never without a solution and they were always in control. As a result of admiring these two men, he believed that his value was dependent on his accomplishments. However, he later realized that your job and your accomplishments do not define you.

He then shared about how he became addicted to several things, including his work and his successes. He became so consumed with his addictions that his family fired him from Kimray at one point. He shared about his journey in rehab and how he encountered God through this experience. As a leader, he learned that his behavior had a significant impact on those whom he was leading.

“The culture of the organization is an organic result of the belief system of the organization,” he said. “Organizations have belief systems, things that we believe that cause us to act in a certain way, and since organizations act corporately and they behave out of community behavior, they also have a belief system. The belief system of an organization is predominantly influenced by the leader of the organization.”

He then shared the idea that as Christians, our success is defined by our faithfulness to God. He noted that we should place our faith in God above all else in our lives and that we should also love others as we love ourselves. He encouraged the audience members to take the time to put others before themselves, to listen to others and, as leaders, to share their wealth with those whom they lead.