Managing Change At Exxon

Oil companies have the same high regard in the eyes of the public as those firms in Wall Street. To belabor the point, they’re not really well liked.  Yet ironically the same people who basically hate them have to sooner or later fill up their gas tanks. Unless of course if they’re using some sort of alternative fuel.

Since 2006 Rex W. Tillerson has been the Chairman and CEO of Exxon, one of the largest oil companies or any type of companies in the world. The position carries with it immense influence, wealth, and of course the accompanying scorn.  There is greed associated with oil companies and the “we don’t agree” with the findings of environmentalist about climate change.

Unlike his predecessor, Tillerson has acknowledged the existence of climate change. This is a very huge step in the right direction; whether it’s just maneuvering to assuage public opinion, that’s up for debate. Nevertheless even with Exxon’s size, investing $600 million (in 2009) for producing liquid transportation fuels from algae is serious money. It’s an amount that can go a long way to look for alternative fuel solutions.

Tillerson is an Exxon company man having joined the firm after graduating with a civil engineering degree from the University of Texas.  He rose through the ranks reaching the highest company position. Tillerson leads the company through a challenging time of lessening oil supply and climate change.