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LIST OF FORMER EXXONMOBIL CEOS
Standard Oil
- 1870-1911 John D. Rockefeller
Standard Oil of New Jersey (Exxon)
- 1911-1916: John D. Archbold
- 1916-1917: Alfred C. Bedford
- 1917-1937: Walter C. Teagle
- 1937-1942: William S. Farish II
- 1942-1943: Ralph W. Gallagher
- 1944: Eugene Holman
- 1944-1953: Monroe J. Rathbone II
- 1954-1963: Michael L. Haider
- 1963-1965: J. Kenneth Jamieson
- 1965-1969: Milo M. Brisco
- 1969-1975: Clifton C. Garvin Jr.
- 1975-1985: Howard C. Kauffmann
- 1985-1993: Lawrence G. Rawl
- 1993-2005: Lee R. Raymond
Standard Oil of New York (Mobil)
- 1911-1923: Henry C. Folger Jr.
- 1923-1928: Herbert L. Pratt
- 1928-1935: Charles F. Meyer
- 1935-1944: John A. Brown
- 1944-1955: B. Brewster Jennings
- 1955-1961: Albert L. Nickerson Jr.
- 1961-1964: Herbert Willetts
- 1964-1969: Rawleigh Warner Jr.
- 1969-1984: William P. Tavoulareas
- 1984-1998: Allen E. Murray
- 1998-1999: Lucio A. Noto
ExxonMobil
- 1999-2005: Lee R. Raymond
- 2006-2016: Rex Tillerson
- 2017-Present: Darren Woods
LEE R. RAYMOND
Lee Raymond was the first CEO of the combined ExxonMobil during his 1993-2005 leadership tenure.
He engineered the $81 billion Exxon-Mobil merger in 1999 and extracted $7 billion in savings through aggressive cost management.
Known for his data-driven approach reshaped operations:
- cutting 16,000 jobs
- reducing operating costs by $1.3 billion annually by 1997
- prioritizing efficiency over exploration
Under his micromanaging style, ExxonMobil outperformed the S&P 500 each year from 1993-2003 while maintaining rigid safety protocols.
He retired in 2005 with a $400 million package.
REX TILLERSON
Rex Tillerson’s 41-year career at ExxonMobil ended with the role as Chairman and CEO from 2006 to 2016.
He managed 80,000 employees across 50 countries and drove $400 billion in annual revenue.
He executed major deals including a $31 billion acquisition of XTO Energy and formed partnerships with Russian oil giant Rosneft, though U.S. sanctions later cost the company $1 billion.
Under his leadership, ExxonMobil first acknowledged fossil fuels’ role in climate change, yet internal documents revealed efforts to downplay these impacts.
His tenure ended in December 2016 when he left to become U.S. Secretary of State.
DARREN WOODS
Darren Woods has been the oil giant’s CEO since 2017.
After initial setbacks, including a 41% stock drop in 2020 and pushback from climate activists who successfully placed directors on Exxon’s board—Woods led the company toward record profits via targeted initiatives.
He maintained ExxonMobil’s core focus on oil and gas while making measured moves into carbon capture and lithium extraction, deliberately avoiding major investments in wind and solar.
His $9 billion restructuring program cut costs, and recent acquisitions like Pioneer Natural Resources strengthened the company’s market position.
Woods has demonstrated a more open leadership approach than his predecessors while earning $31 million in 2023.
