Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American businessman and is thechairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, the fifth largest company by market capitalization.[2][3]
Tillerson is believed to be the front-runner among the candidates whom President-electDonald Trump is considering for nomination as the next United States Secretary of State.[4]
Early life and education
Tillerson was born on March 23, 1952, in Wichita Falls, Texas, the son of Patty Sue (Patton) and Bobby Joe Tillerson.[5][6] He earned the rank of Eagle Scout[7] in 1965.
In 1970, he graduated from Huntsville High School in Huntsville, Texas. He received aBachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975.[8]During his time at UT Austin, he was involved with the Tejas Club,[9] Longhorn Band,[9] andAlpha Phi Omega.[10]
In 2006 he was named a Distinguished Engineering Graduate.[8]
Business career
Exxon
Tillerson joined The Exxon Company in 1975 as a production engineer.[11] In 1989, Tillerson became general manager of the central production division of Exxon USA. In 1995, he became president of Exxon Yemen Inc. and Esso Exploration and Production Khorat Inc.[11]
In 1998, he became a vice president of Exxon Ventures (CIS) and president of Exxon Neftegas Limited with responsibility for Exxon's holdings in Russia and the Caspian Sea. In 1999, with the merger of Exxon and Mobil, he was named Executive Vice President of ExxonMobil Development Company. In 2004, he became president and director ofExxonMobil. On January 1, 2006, Tillerson was elected chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), following the retirement of Lee Raymond.[11]
Tillerson re-established his position of chairman and chief executive officer during a shareholder meeting on May 28, 2008. The Rockefeller family sponsored a non-binding resolution to separate the CEO and chairman positions to maintain a system of checks and balances. The Rockefeller family also wanted Exxon Mobil to invest more in alternative energy. However, the resolution did not obtain the necessary majority and Tillerson held on to both the chairman and chief executive officer job titles.[citation needed]
Role in Exxon's acquisition of XTO Energy
In 2009 Exxon Mobil acquired XTO Energy, a major natural gas producer, for $31 billion in stock. Some writers have stated that "Tillerson's legacy rides on the XTO Deal."[12]
Ties with Russia
Tillerson has close ties with Vladimir Putin; the two men have been associates since Tillerson represented Exxon’s interests in Russia during Boris Yeltsin's premiership.[13]John Hamre, the president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (for which Tillerson is a board member), states that Tillerson "has had more interactive time with Vladimir Putin than probably any other American with the exception of Henry Kissinger."[13]
Tillerson is a friend of Igor Sechin,[14] the leader of the Kremlin's siloviki faction,[15] who is "widely believed to be Russia's second-most powerful person" after President Putin.[16]
In 2011, on behalf of ExxonMobil, Tillerson signed an agreement with Russia for drilling in the Arctic that could be valued up to $300 billion.[17] Although the company began drilling in the Kara Sea in summer 2014, sanctions against Russia during the Ukrainian crisis brought the project to a halt in September of that year.[18][19]
In 2013, Tillerson was awarded the Order of Friendship by Putin.[11]
Ties with Kurdistan
In 2011, Tillerson, on behalf of ExxonMobil, signed a deal to develop oil fields in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. The agreement was in defiance of Iraqi law, which forbids companies from dealing directly with Iraqi Kurdistan.[20]
Compensation
In 2012, Tillerson's compensation package was $40.3 million.[21] It was $28.1 million in 2013, $33.1 million in 2014, and $27.2 million in 2015.[1]
Other affiliations
Tillerson is also a trustee for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and theAmerican Petroleum Institute, and is a member of the Business Roundtable.[11]
He was a member of the Executive Committee of The Business Council for 2011 and 2012.[22]
Tillerson is a longtime volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, and from 2010 to 2012 was the BSA's national President, the organization's highest non-executive position.[23]
Political involvement
Political views
Opposition to sanctions
Tillerson has stated that "We do not support sanctions, generally, because we don't find them to be effective unless they are very well implemented comprehensively and that's a very hard thing to do".[24]
Climate change and carbon pricing
In 2010, Tillerson said that while he acknowledged that humans were affecting the climate through greenhouse gas emissions to some degree, it was not yet clear "to what extent and therefore what can you do about it."[25][26]
Tillerson also stated "The world is going to have to continue using fossil fuels, whether they like it or not."[27]
Tillerson stated in 2009 that he favors a carbon tax as "the most efficient means ofreflecting the cost of carbon in all economic decisions—from investments made by companies to fuel their requirements to the product choices made by consumers."[28]
Support of free trade
Speaking in March 2007 at a Council on Foreign Relations event, Tillerson asked "Should the United States seek so-called energy independence in an elusive effort to insulate this country from the impact of world events on the economy, or should Americans pursue the path of international engagement, seeking ways to better compete within the global market for energy? Like the Council's founders, I believe we must choose the course of greater international engagement. ... The central reality is this: The global free market for energy provides the most effective means of achieving U.S. energy security by promoting resource development, enabling diversification, multiplying our supply channels, encouraging efficiency, and spurring innovation."[29]
Rex Tillerson with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Economic growth drivers
Tillerson has stated that "energy is the lifeblood to economic growth".
Government regulation
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Tillerson expressed his impatience with government regulation, stating "there are a thousand ways you can be told 'no' in this country."[30]
Education
In September 2013, Tillerson wrote an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal defendingCommon Core.[31]
Fundraising and donations
Tillerson is a longtime contributor to Republican campaigns. According to the FEC records available online, he has given $442,284.50 in direct contributions since 2003, $72,200 in "joint fundraising contributions" and $5000 to a Super PAC. FEC records do not show any contributions by Tillerson to Democrats during this period.[32]
He has contributed to the political campaigns of George W. Bush,[4] as well as Mitt Romneyin 2012 and Mitch McConnell.[33] He did not donate to Donald Trump's campaign.[4] He donated to Jeb Bush's campaign during the 2016 Republican primaries.[4][34]
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Tillerson serves on the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.[35]
Secretary of State consideration
On December 5, 2016, speculation began that Tillerson was in consideration for the position of U.S. Secretary of State for the Administration of President-elect Donald Trump.[36]
On December 9, transition officials reported that Tillerson was the top candidate for the position surpassing Mitt Romney and David Petraeus.[37] His nomination was reportedly being advocated by Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner.[38]
The evening of December 10, the BBC cited NBC reports that "sources close to Mr Trump [were] ... saying that Mr Tillerson is likely to be named next week" and that former UN ambassador John Bolton "will serve as his deputy".[39]
Personal life
Tillerson is married to Renda St. Clair and has four children.[40][7] He resides in Irving, Texas.[7]
Tillerson is a Christian.[41][page needed] He and his wife donated $5,000-$10,000 to theNational Association of Congregational Christian Churches in 2012.[42]
On February 20, 2014, news outlets reported that Tillerson and his wife joined opponents of a proposed water tower that could lead to fracking-related traffic near their homes. Plaintiffs included former U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey and his wife.[43][44] The Tillersons dropped out of the lawsuit after a judge dismissed their claim in November 2014.[45]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Tillerson
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