Executive profile
A winning attitude The Lamp profiled Darren Woods when he became senior vice president in 2015. In his earlier interview, he described his upbringing and his experience in the Downstream and Chemical organizations. Now that Woods has been named chairman and CEO, we wanted to check back in and ask what challenges and opportunities he sees in his new role.
Congratulations on your election! How’s it going?
our Dallas headquarters. I’ve worked for great managers, who challenged me every step of the way. There’s no better preparation for a role like this than a career at ExxonMobil. You often speak of the importance of “winning.” What exactly do you mean by that? It starts with deciding what we’re trying to do. Do we want to be among the best – or the best? Do we race to finish – or to win? Frankly, given the strength of our organization, the quality and capability of our people, and the competitive advantages we’ve built over decades, I’d be disappointed with anything other than a win. This means creating greater shareholder and stakeholder value than any of our competitors. This requires more than just continuous improvement. It requires greater improvement, competitors. It requires us to grow competitive advantage and fully leverage it in the areas that create the most value. It requires a clear strategy, owned by every level of the organization, for each sector in which we choose to compete. That is what we’re focused on. delivered faster, than any of the advances made by our
It’s been an extraordinary first year so far. I’m fortunate to be part of a very talented and capable team. I feel we’re off to a strong start. We’re building on a legacy of leadership from the many talented people who have made our company great over the past 135 years. It’s a real honor to follow in their footsteps. We’re very focused on the future, working to grow our competitive advantage, becoming more efficient, running our business even more effectively and creating greater shareholder value. What experiences do you think prepared you for the top job? One of ExxonMobil’s many strengths is the way we develop our people. We offer them a diversity of career experiences that span the globe. We challenge them with big jobs and significant responsibilities early in their careers. We help people realize that they are capable of more than they think. During my 25 years with the company, I’ve really benefited from that approach. I had the chance to work in a variety of roles across the Downstream companies, in Chemical, and at
Chairman and CEO Darren W. Woods
6 Profile by Matt Gobush
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