Rex W. Tillerson

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Rex Tillerson, 2017.

U.S. Department of State

Rex W. Tillersonis an American business executive who served as secretary of state (2017–18) in the administration of U.S. Pres. Donald Trump. He previously was chairman and CEO (2006–16) of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Tillerson grew up in Oklahoma and Texas—two of the country’s leading producers of petroleum and natural gas—and graduated with a degree in engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975. He immediately joined the Exxon Corporation as a production engineer, and by the mid-1980s he was a business development manager in the firm’s natural gas department. He later served as the general manager (1989–92) for Exxon’s oil and gas production in a region that spanned Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Tillerson took his first overseas assignment as president of Exxon Yemen, Inc., and next oversaw (1995–99) company operations in Thailand’s Khorat Plateau, the Caspian Sea, and Russia’s Sakhalin Island. After Exxon merged with Mobil Corp. in 1999 to form Exxon Mobil, he held a number of senior executive positions. Chairman and CEO Lee Raymond personally chose Tillerson as his successor, and Tillerson assumed command of the combined firm in 2006. During his years of leadership, Exxon Mobil ranked near the top among the world’s most profitable firms.

Tillerson’s successes stemmed from a broad working knowledge of Exxon Mobil’s many oil and natural gas operations. His experience managing technologically and geologically challenging upstream operations (exploration and drilling) prepared him for the difficult conditions that became the norm for the oil industry in the 21st century, especially as the world’s supply of easy-to-reach crude oil diminished. Geopolitics posed another challenge, particularly in Venezuela’s nationalization of oil fields (2007), which stripped Exxon Mobil of its oil concessions in two Venezuelan projects. Despite such challenges, Tillerson asserted that fossil fuels represented the only resource capable of meeting growing global energy demands and remained committed to petroleum production. In 2008 Exxon Mobil revealed its plan to exit the low-profit-margin retail gasoline business, and within just a few weeks Tillerson announced that the company had broken its own income record. In 2011 he helped broker a deal that allowed Exxon Mobil to explore for oil in the section of the Arctic Ocean that was controlled by Russia. However, the agreement was placed on hold in 2014 when the United States placed sanctions on Russia following the latter’s annexation of Crimea.

Although Tillerson had no experience in the public sector, in December 2016 he was selected by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as secretary of state. Later that month he resigned from Exxon. In January 2017 his Senate confirmation hearings began, and they proved highly contentious, with some senators questioning his links to Russia. However, Tillerson ultimately was confirmed, 56–43, and he took office in February.

Acting on a promise to implement major cutbacks, Tillerson began reorganizing the Department of State. Numerous dismissals, resignations, and early retirements ensued, and a hiring freeze was enacted. The staff reductions proved controversial, and some diplomats claimed that the department was rendered ineffective. On policy issues, Tillerson often found himself at odds with Trump. Notably, while Tillerson sought a diplomatic solution with North Korea concerning that country’s development of nuclear weapons, Trump stated that he was “wasting his time.” Amid a growing rift between the two men—Tillerson reportedly called Trump a “moron”—his future as secretary of state drew widespread speculation, and on March 13, 2018, Trump publicly announced—via Twitter—that he was replacing Tillerson. In order “to ensure an orderly and smooth transition,” Tillerson remained in office until March 31, though he delegated his duties to the deputy secretary of state.