Rex Tillerson

Rex Tillerson
Born	Rex Wayne Tillerson 23 3, 1952
Birthplace	Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Energy executive, former diplomat
Known for	69th United States Secretary of State; Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil
Education	University of Texas at Austin (BS)
Children	3
Awards	Eagle Scout (1965), Order of Friendship (2013), Dewhurst Award (2017)

Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American energy executive and former diplomat who served as the 69th United States Secretary of State from February 2017 to March 2018 under President Donald Trump. Before entering public service, Tillerson spent more than four decades at ExxonMobil and its predecessor companies, rising from a production engineer hired in 1975 to become chairman and chief executive officer of what was then one of the world's largest companies by revenue. His career at ExxonMobil took him across the globe, with significant assignments in Yemen, Russia, and Southeast Asia, and his close business relationships with foreign leaders — particularly in Russia — made him an unconventional but notable selection for the nation's top diplomatic post. Tillerson's tenure at the State Department was marked by significant internal restructuring, reduced staffing, and a strained relationship with President Trump that culminated in his dismissal in March 2018. Outside of his corporate and government careers, Tillerson has been a prominent volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, serving as the organization's national president from 2010 to 2012, and has made substantial philanthropic contributions to his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin.

Early Life

Rex Wayne Tillerson was born on March 23, 1952, in Wichita Falls, Texas. He grew up in Texas and Oklahoma, where his father, Bobby Joe Tillerson, worked as a bread baker and later for the Boy Scouts of America as a professional scout executive. The family's frequent moves during his childhood — a consequence of his father's scouting career — exposed Tillerson to different communities across the American South and Southwest.

Tillerson became deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America at a young age, following in his father's footsteps. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1965 at the age of thirteen, an accomplishment that would remain a point of personal pride throughout his life. His involvement with the Scouts instilled values of leadership and service that he later cited as foundational to his professional development.

Tillerson was raised in a Christian household. He has been associated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, a Protestant denomination.

Education

Tillerson enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied civil engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1975. He was a member of the Longhorn Band during his time at the university, an experience that remained meaningful to him in later decades.

Tillerson maintained a close relationship with his alma mater throughout his career. In 2014, the Tillerson family committed $5 million to the Cockrell School of Engineering to support engineering education programs. In September 2025, Tillerson pledged an additional $16 million to the University of Texas at Austin, with funds directed toward the School of Civic Leadership, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Longhorn Band.

Career

Early Career at Exxon

Upon graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975, Tillerson joined Exxon as a production engineer. He spent his early years with the company working in operations and production roles, gaining technical experience in the oil and gas industry. Over the course of the late 1970s and 1980s, he advanced through a series of progressively responsible positions within Exxon's domestic operations.

By 1989, Tillerson had risen to the position of general manager of the Exxon USA central production division, overseeing significant domestic oil and gas production activities. His technical background as a civil engineer and his operational experience positioned him for leadership roles in the company's expanding international operations.

International Operations

In 1995, Tillerson was named president of Exxon Yemen Inc. and Esso Exploration and Production Khorat Inc., marking a transition to the company's international portfolio. These assignments gave him experience managing complex operations in politically sensitive regions, skills that would prove central to his later career.

In 1998, Tillerson took on responsibility for Exxon's operations in Russia and the Caspian Sea region, becoming vice president of Exxon Ventures (CIS) and president of Exxon Neftegas Limited. Exxon Neftegas was a joint United States-Russia oil venture, and in this capacity Tillerson developed relationships with Russian government officials and business leaders. These connections would later become a significant point of public discussion during his nomination as Secretary of State.

Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil

Following the 1999 merger of Exxon and Mobil to form ExxonMobil, Tillerson continued to rise within the combined entity. In 2004, he was named president of ExxonMobil Corporation. On January 1, 2006, Tillerson succeeded Lee Raymond as chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest publicly traded companies by revenue.

As CEO, Tillerson managed a global enterprise with operations spanning dozens of countries and tens of thousands of employees. Under his leadership, ExxonMobil pursued major exploration and production projects around the world, including continued investments in Russia. In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Tillerson the Order of Friendship, one of Russia's highest honors for foreign citizens, in recognition of his contributions to developing the energy sector and the Russian-American partnership.

Tillerson's relationship with Russia became a subject of public scrutiny. In 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, the United States and European Union imposed economic sanctions on Russia. Tillerson publicly opposed these sanctions, which directly affected ExxonMobil's business interests in the country, including a significant joint venture with the Russian state oil company Rosneft.

Tillerson retired from ExxonMobil effective January 1, 2017, with Darren Woods succeeding him as chairman and CEO.

Steve Coll, writing in The New Yorker in December 2016, described ExxonMobil under Tillerson as operating with a degree of autonomy comparable to a sovereign entity, noting the company's independent foreign policy relationships and its ability to negotiate directly with national governments around the world.

United States Secretary of State

Nomination and Confirmation

In December 2016, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Tillerson to serve as the 69th United States Secretary of State. The selection was considered unconventional, as Tillerson had no prior government or diplomatic experience; his nomination rested primarily on his extensive international business experience at ExxonMobil. Tillerson was a longtime contributor to Republican campaigns, though he had not donated to Trump's presidential campaign.

His ties to Russia, and particularly his receipt of the Order of Friendship from Putin, drew significant attention during his confirmation hearings. Tillerson was confirmed by the United States Senate and was sworn in as Secretary of State on February 1, 2017, succeeding John Kerry.

Tenure

Tillerson's tenure at the State Department was characterized by a lower public profile than many of his predecessors in what has traditionally been one of the most visible positions in the U.S. government. He pursued a significant restructuring of the State Department, a process that generated substantial internal controversy.

During Tillerson's time as Secretary, the State Department experienced notable staffing reductions and departures. New applications to join the Foreign Service fell by approximately 50 percent. Four of the six career ambassadors — the highest rank in the Foreign Service — departed during his tenure, along with 14 of the 33 career ministers, positions equivalent to military four-star and three-star generals, respectively.

Tillerson's chief of staff, Margaret Peterlin, played a significant role in managing access to the Secretary and overseeing the department's operations during this period, though her approach drew both praise and criticism.

John Sullivan served as Tillerson's deputy throughout his tenure.

Dismissal

Tillerson's relationship with President Trump deteriorated over the course of 2017 and into 2018, with reported disagreements on a range of policy matters. On March 13, 2018, Trump dismissed Tillerson as Secretary of State, announcing the decision via Twitter. Tillerson was replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who was formally sworn in on April 26, 2018. Tillerson's last day in office was March 31, 2018.

In May 2018, Tillerson delivered a commencement address at the Virginia Military Institute in which he spoke about ethics, integrity, and the importance of truth in public life. In his remarks, he warned of the dangers posed by what he described as a growing "crisis of ethics and integrity" in the United States.

Personal Life

Tillerson has three children. After his nomination as Secretary of State, he purchased a home in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C., for $5.6 million, joining a neighborhood that was also home to former President Barack Obama and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Prior to his government service, Tillerson maintained a residence in Bartonville, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex's horse country area.

Tillerson is a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. He has been a financial supporter of the denomination's congregations.

As of 2016, Forbes estimated Tillerson's personal wealth at approximately $300 million, accumulated largely through his decades-long career at ExxonMobil.

Boy Scouts of America

Tillerson's involvement with the Boy Scouts of America spanned his entire life, beginning in his youth and continuing through his years as a corporate executive. Having earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1965, he remained an active volunteer with the organization as an adult.

From 2010 to 2012, Tillerson served as the national president of the Boy Scouts of America, the organization's highest non-executive volunteer position. He succeeded John Gottschalk and was succeeded by Wayne Perry. In this role, Tillerson helped guide the organization during a period of evolving public debate about its membership policies.

Recognition

Tillerson received several notable honors and awards over the course of his career. In 2013, he was awarded the Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin, recognizing his role in fostering energy cooperation between the United States and Russia through his work at ExxonMobil.

In 2017, he received the Dewhurst Award.

His 2018 commencement address at the Virginia Military Institute, in which he spoke extensively about ethics and the importance of truth in public discourse, received significant media attention and was interpreted by many observers as an indirect commentary on his experiences in the Trump administration.

Philanthropy

Tillerson has directed significant philanthropic contributions toward educational institutions, particularly the University of Texas at Austin. In 2014, the Tillerson family committed $5 million to the Cockrell School of Engineering.

In September 2025, Tillerson announced a $16 million donation to the University of Texas at Austin. The funds were designated to support three areas: the School of Civic Leadership, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Longhorn Band, in which Tillerson had participated as an undergraduate student. The university described the gifts as aimed at preparing future leaders in civic engagement and engineering.

Legacy

Tillerson's career is defined by two distinct chapters: his four-decade rise through the ranks of one of the world's largest corporations, and his brief but consequential tenure as the United States' chief diplomat. As ExxonMobil's chairman and CEO, he led a company with global reach and significant geopolitical influence, forging business relationships with governments across the world, from the Middle East to Russia and Southeast Asia.

His time as Secretary of State, lasting just over thirteen months, remains a subject of debate among analysts of American foreign policy. The significant departures of senior Foreign Service officers and the decline in new applicants to the diplomatic corps during his tenure represented a measurable shift in the State Department's workforce. His relationship with President Trump — and particularly the manner of his dismissal — drew sustained public and media attention.

In the years following his departure from government, Tillerson has largely maintained a low public profile, focusing on philanthropic activities centered on education and civic leadership, particularly through his ongoing relationship with the University of Texas at Austin.