So far, Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks have mostly been either multimillionaire and billionaire executives or retired generals.
.. In that context, it’s probably less of a surprise that Trump may be close to selecting ExxonMobil chief executive Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, elevating a dark-horse prospect who may surge past seasoned political actors like Mitt Romney and Sen. Bob Corker in the stretch.
.. Tillerson has no experience in the public sector, a first in modern history for a potential secretary of state.
.. Two years before receiving the award, ExxonMobil won a contract to explore for oil in a Russia-controlled portion of the Arctic Ocean, which was made more economically viable for drilling in part thanks to the sea ice decline that’s followed global warming.
.. Once Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the United States instituted sanctions against Russia which froze ExxonMobil’s Arctic agreement. Were those sanctions to be lifted, the deal would likely move forward — making Tillerson’s shares of ExxonMobil stock much more valuable.
.. Tillerson is a lifelong Boy Scout. Tillerson was an Eagle Scout in his youth and eventually became president of the national organization. It was under his leadership — and through his advocacy — that the organization embraced the membership of young men who identified as gay.
Exxon Mobil Chief Rises as Trump’s Choice for Secretary of State
As Exxon’s top official, Mr. Tillerson has extensive experience working with foreign leaders. Some of his foreign relationships, especially those with Russia, could come under particular scrutiny during a Senate confirmation hearing.
.. Mr. Tillerson has worked to strengthen Exxon Mobil’s ties with Russia. The company has various joint ventures with the oil giant Rosneft around Russia,
.. In 2012, the Russian government awarded Mr. Tillerson the country’s Order of Friendship decoration.
.. Western sanctions against Russia prohibiting the nation from certain energy development activities have slowed Exxon Mobil’s investments
.. In addition, Exxon Mobil has close connections with the Qatari national oil company
.. Mr. Tillerson assumed the role of chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil on Jan. 1, 2006. During his tenure, the company has acknowledged the science underlying climate change and said it supports a carbon tax. It has also expressed support for the Paris climate agreement.
.. while Exxon Mobil and its representatives had been careful to say they supported the Paris agreement, under which nearly every nation has agreed to reduce emissions, “a read of their public energy assessments make it clear they have no intention of helping the world meet that target or adjust their business plans in that direction.”
Exxon CEO Now a Contender for Donald Trump’s Secretary of State
President-elect widens circle of candidates for top diplomatic job and will interview more prospects
Though Mr. Trump’s transition team said last week that the search had narrowed to four finalists, new candidates have emerged, including Rex Tillerson, chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp., one transition adviser said.
.. He’s very fortunate to have interest among serious men and women who, all of whom need to understand that their first responsibility as secretary of state would be to implement and adhere to the president-elect’s America First foreign policy, if you will, his view of the world.”
.. So far he has chosen to largely freestyle his engagement with foreign leaders, rather than rely on the State Department’s guidance for such conversations.
.. Choosing a secretary of state with scant foreign policy background, such as Exxon’s Mr. Tillerson, could further unnerve government officials serving in an institution that functions on strict protocols.
.. As Exxon’s chief executive, he has spoken against sanctions on Russia, where the company in 2012 signed a $3.2 billion deal that Mr. Putin said could eventually reach $500 billion in investments.
.. Mr. Tillerson has some of the closest CEO ties to Mr. Putin and Russia, with his work there dating back to when Mr. Putin rose to power after Boris Yeltsin’s resignation. The 2012 deal gave Exxon access to prized arctic resources. Later that year, the Kremlin bestowed the country’s Order of Friendship on the American businessman.