Early Life and Education
Riley Peart Bechtel was born on March 25, 1952, in Alameda County, California. He is the great-grandson of Warren A. Bechtel, who founded the Bechtel Corporation in 1898. Riley's parents are Elizabeth Hogan and Stephen Bechtel Jr., the former chairman and CEO of Bechtel. He received his early education at The Thacher School, a boarding school. He then attended the University of California, Davis, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and psychology. He furthered his education at Stanford University, earning a joint Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 1977.
Rise to Success
After graduating from Stanford, Riley Bechtel joined the law firm Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges. He joined Bechtel Corporation full-time in 1981, holding various positions before being elected president and chief operating officer in March 1989. He became CEO in June 1990 and also chairman in January 1996. During his tenure, Riley oversaw numerous large-scale projects, including the Hoover Dam, the Channel Tunnel, and the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. He stepped down as CEO in 2014 due to health reasons related to Parkinson's disease, but remained involved with the company as chairman until April 2017.
Key Business Strategies
Under Riley Bechtel's leadership, Bechtel Corporation focused on several key strategies. These included managing large-scale, complex infrastructure projects globally, emphasizing safety, quality, and ethics, and adapting to technological advancements. The company expanded its operations across various sectors such as energy, transportation, and government services.
Philanthropy
Riley Bechtel and his wife, Susan, established the Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation. The foundation primarily focuses on supporting poverty-fighting programs to ensure access to basic needs and build pathways to employment. The foundation has made grants supporting education, healthcare and poverty-fighting programs. Riley has also supported the schools he and his family attended.