Rex Tillerson
Rex Wayne Tillerson (born 1952) is an American energy executive and former diplomat who served as the 69th U.S. secretary of state from 2017 to 2018 in the first administration of Donald Trump. From 2006 to 2016 he was chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, a career he began as a civil engineer with Exxon in 1975.
Biography
Rex Tillerson was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1952 and grew up in Texas and Oklahoma, where his father worked for the Boy Scouts; he became an Eagle Scout. He earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin and joined Exxon as an engineer in 1975.
He spent his whole business career with the company. He became general manager of Exxon USA's central production division by 1989, headed Exxon Yemen and another overseas affiliate from 1995, and from 1998 ran Exxon's Russian ventures as president of Exxon Neftegas. He became president of Exxon Mobil in 2004 and was chairman and chief executive from 2006 until he retired at the start of 2017. He was also national president of the Boy Scouts of America from 2010 to 2012.
Donald Trump chose him as secretary of state, and he took office on 1 February 2017. His tenure brought deep cuts and a hiring freeze at the State Department and the departure of many senior diplomats; after his relationship with Trump deteriorated, Trump dismissed him in March 2018, replacing him with Mike Pompeo.
Offices held
Thomas A. Shannon Jr. Succeeded by
John J. Sullivan
Affiliations
Party membership
Education
- University of Texas at Austin B.S. in civil engineering, University of Texas at Austin