Darren Woods

Darren Wayne Woods (born 16 December 1965) is an American business executive serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil and gas company, since January 2017. Born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised near U.S. military bases worldwide due to his father's military supply work, Woods earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University (1987) and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. He joined Exxon in 1992 and spent 24 years rising through the refining and chemicals divisions—the profit-generating heart of the business—before succeeding Rex Tillerson as CEO when Tillerson became U.S. Secretary of State. Unlike his exploration-focused predecessor, Woods is a refining specialist who led the divisions that delivered most of ExxonMobil's $7.8 billion 2016 net income. His tenure has focused on capital discipline, shareholder returns, and navigating energy transition challenges including climate change criticism, renewable energy investment debates, and activist investor pressure. Married to Kathryn (Kathy) Woods since meeting at university, with three children and living in Texas, Woods received $44.1 million compensation in 2024 (231-to-1 pay ratio) with an estimated net worth of $90 million. His leadership of ExxonMobil through volatile energy markets, the COVID-19 demand collapse, and increasing climate activism makes him one of the most scrutinized CEOs in the fossil fuel industry.

Key facts: ExxonMobil CEO since 2017 | Refining/chemicals specialist not exploration | Texas A&M electrical engineering | 32 years at Exxon Personal: Wife Kathryn Woods (met at university), 3 children, lives Texas | Born Wichita Kansas 1965 Compensation: $44.1M (2024), $31M (2023) | Net worth: ~$90 million Challenges: Energy transition, climate activism, renewable investment debates, activist investors