Permian People

Hirings, promotions, and other personnel matters in the nation’s biggest oil patch—or in companies who do business here.

 

Craig Morford, Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for Exxon Mobil Corporation, an oil and energy company, retired on July 1. The Board of Directors elected Jeff Taylor to succeed him. “Craig has been a valued member of our corporate leadership team during his time as General Counsel, providing his strong legal experience and counsel to advance our strategic priorities,” CEO and Chairman Darren Woods said. “He leaves our company well-positioned for the future, and we thank him for his contributions to ExxonMobil. We also welcome Jeff to ExxonMobil. He brings the right blend of corporate governance and legal expertise, and I look forward to working with him.” Taylor joined ExxonMobil in May 2024 from Fox Corporation, where he was Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Before joining Fox, Taylor was the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for General Motors Co., and General Counsel of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. He worked for more than 15 years in the federal government, including a stint as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2006 to 2009, Counselor to the Attorney General, Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California. Taylor received his bachelor’s degree in history from Stanford University and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

 

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Chevron Corporation announced on Aug. 2 the relocation of the company’s headquarters from San Ramon, California, to Houston, Texas, and senior leadership changes. The company’s headquarters is moving from San Ramon, Calif., to Houston, Texas.

Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth and Vice Chairman Mark Nelson will move to Houston before the end of 2024 to co-locate with other senior leaders and enable better collaboration and engagement with executives, employees, and business partners. The company also announced the following leadership changes: Nigel Hearne, executive vice president, Oil, Products, and Gas, will retire from Chevron after 35 years of service to the company. Since 2022, Hearne has led the consolidation of Chevron’s Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream businesses, ensuring a more integrated approach to value chains, asset class excellence, and operational excellence. Mark Nelson, vice chairman, will take responsibility for Oil, Products, and Gas, effective October 1, 2024. Rhonda Morris, vice president and chief HR officer, will retire after 31 years of service to the company. Since 2016, Morris has

been responsible for shaping and driving Chevron’s people and culture strategy, including leadership succession, learning and talent, diversity and inclusion, workforce planning, and total rewards. Michelle Green, vice president, Human Resources, Oil, Products, and Gas, will succeed Morris as vice president and chief HR officer, effective January 1, 2025. Colin Parfitt, vice president, Midstream, will retire after 29 years of service to the company. Since 2019, Parfitt has been responsible for the company’s shipping, pipeline, power and oil and energy management and supply and trading operating units. The company appointed Andy Walz, currently president, America’s Products, to president, Downstream, Midstream, and Chemicals, effective October 1, 2024. In this role, Walz will be responsible for directing the company’s worldwide manufacturing, marketing, lubricants, chemicals, and additives businesses along with Chevron’s shipping, pipeline, power, and trading units.

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The University of Houston, aka The Energy University, has named Debalina Sengupta as the chief operating officer of its Energy Transition Institute. Sengupta is a chemical engineer with more than 18 years of experience working on sustainability and resilience issues. She began her new  July 1. Since its inception in 2022, the ETI has made significant strides in its mission to create a future with reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy for all. Sengupta said the ETI’s mission and location in Houston, home to more than 4,500 energy companies and a pivotal international oil and gas hub, appealed to her. “UH Energy Transition Institute is the first of its kind Institute setup in Texas that focuses solely on the transition of energy,” she said. “A two-way communication between the academic community and various stakeholders is necessary to implement the transition and I saw the UH ETI role enabling me to achieve this critical goal.” As COO, Sengupta will work alongside Joe Powell, founding executive director of the institute, their executive team and the ETI Advisory Board to develop and implement strategic plans, enabling the institute to achieve its many goals and objectives. The position is partially funded by a $500,000 grant from the Houston-based Cullen Foundation. “We are excited to have Dr. Sengupta join us at UH to help drive the Energy Transition Institute to fulfill its mission in educating students, expanding top-tier research, and providing thought leadership in sustainable energy and chemicals for the Houston area and beyond,” Powell said. “Dr. Sengupta brings a strong background and network in collaborating with academic, community, governmental and industry partners to build the coalitions needed for success.” Sengupta joins UH from Texas A&M University where she was the Coastal Resilience Program director for Texas Sea Grant, a federal-state partnership program funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

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The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) welcomed a new member to its leadership team on July 1. The board of directors appointed Philip K. Bell to a three-year term as the Society’s public director—a volunteer board position created in 2015 to gain a corporate perspective from outside the occupational safety and health profession.  ASSP President Pam Walaski, CSP, FASSP, remarked, “Philip’s leadership and business experience will help inform decisions as we implement our new strategic plan. His strong business acumen and unwavering commitment to workplace safety and health closely align with our organizational culture.” Bell is president of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), based in Washington, D.C. He counsels the U.S. government as a member of the Department of Commerce International Trade Advisory Committee on Steel (ITAC 11). He advises the Department of Commerce and Office of the United States Trade Representative on international trade-related matters that benefit U.S. businesses, workers and the economy. “I’m eager to help ASSP achieve its mission of advancing worker safety and health in every industry worldwide,” Bell said. “I respect the Society’s leadership approach of involving different viewpoints, and I look forward to contributing my perspectives to board discussions.”

 

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Bridger Photonics Inc., which specializes in aerial methane imaging and emissions analytics, announced July 30 that it has added key members to its leadership team. The additions underpin Bridger’s growth and guide further scaling of its business. Joel Baller, a software and start-up executive, joined the company as the Chief Revenue Officer. His depth of experience in building and executing go-to-market strategies for rapidly expanding businesses will be leveraged as the company continues to scale operations in the United States and abroad. Meanwhile, Nate Gorence, who recently served as the Chief of Staff and Chief Business Development Officer at Impossible Foods, brings a wealth of experience scaling start-ups focused on developing climate technology solutions. Nate joins Bridger as its Chief Business Officer, focusing on company operations, finance, and corporate strategy. “I’m thrilled to join Bridger at such an exciting time in the company’s growth trajectory. The company’s market expansion, underpinned by the technology they have developed, and fueled by the passion and mission of the team, is inspiring. I look forward to helping make 2024 Bridger’s best year yet, and helping the organization scale for years of continued growth,” stated Gorence.

If you have personnel news you would like to announce—promotions, moves, retirements, etc.—please send your information to jesse@zacpubs.com.