Vicki Hollub

Vicki Hollub

File:Vicki Hollub.jpg

Hollub at Occidental Petroleum, 2023

Personal details
Born	Vicki A. Hollub 1960/1/1 (age 66) 🇺🇸 Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Nationality	🇺🇸 American
Citizenship	🇺🇸 United States
Residence	🇺🇸 Houston, Texas, United States
Languages	🇺🇸 English
Education	University of Alabama (BS, Mineral Engineering, 1981)
Spouse	Information private
Children	Information private
Parents	Information private
Career details
Occupation	Business Executive, Petroleum Engineer
Years active	1981–present
Employer	Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Title	President and Chief Executive Officer
Term	April 2016 – present
Predecessor	Stephen Chazen
Compensation	US$18.2 million (2023)
Net worth	Template:Increase US$50 million (estimate, December 2024)
Board member of	Occidental Petroleum Corporation Lockheed Martin Corporation American Petroleum Institute
Awards	• National Academy of Engineering (2024) • WPC Dewhurst Award (2025) • Fortune Most Powerful Women • University of Alabama Distinguished Engineering Fellow
Website	oxy.com/about-oxy/leadership

Vicki A. Hollub (born 1960) is an American businesswoman and mineral engineer who serves as president and chief executive officer of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, one of the largest oil and gas producers in the United States. When she was named CEO in 2016, she became the first woman to lead a major American oil company, a distinction she continues to hold.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Hollub started her career working on oil rigs in Mississippi after graduating from the University of Alabama with a mineral engineering degree in 1981. She has spent her entire career at Occidental and its predecessor company Cities Service, rising through technical and management positions across the United States, Russia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. In 2019, she orchestrated Occidental's $57 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum, personally securing financing from Warren Buffett to complete the deal.

Early life and education

Background

Vicki A. Hollub was born in 1960 in Birmingham, Alabama. She grew up in Alabama and graduated from McAdory High School in 1977.

Education

University of Alabama (1977–1981): Hollub attended the University of Alabama, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mineral Engineering with a concentration in fuels and mineral resources in 1981.

In 2016, she was honored as a Distinguished Engineering Fellow by the University of Alabama College of Engineering.

Career

Cities Service / Early Occidental (1981–2012)

Starting on oil rigs (1981): Hollub began her career in 1981 working on oil rigs in Mississippi for Cities Service, at the time a fully integrated oil and gas company. This hands-on experience gave her practical understanding of drilling operations from the ground level.

Cities Service acquisition (1982): In 1982, Occidental Petroleum acquired Cities Service, and Hollub continued her career with the combined company.

International assignments: Over the following decades, Hollub held technical and management positions across Occidental's global operations:

• United States: Various domestic operations
• Russia: Operations in the former Soviet Union
• Venezuela: Latin American operations
• Ecuador: South American operations

Executive roles (2012–2016)

Executive Vice President, California Operations (2012–2013): From 2012 to 2013, Hollub was Executive Vice President of Occidental's California operations.

VP and EVP, U.S. Operations (2013–2014): In October 2013, she was named both Vice President of Occidental Petroleum and Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations for Oxy Oil and Gas.

President, Occidental Oil & Gas Americas (2014–2015): From 2014 to May 2015, she served as Executive Vice President of Occidental Petroleum and President of Occidental Oil & Gas Corp in the Americas, with oversight of Latin American operations and worldwide exploration.

CEO (April 2016–present)

In May 2015, Occidental's board of directors selected Hollub to succeed retiring CEO Stephen Chazen. She assumed the role of President and CEO in April 2016, becoming the first woman to lead a major American oil company.

Industry downturn response: Hollub became CEO during a severe downturn in the oil industry. Her approach included:

• Cutting production costs
• Avoiding layoffs despite industry pressures
• Focusing on core operations in the Middle East, United States, and Colombia
• Selling low-yield fields in Iraq, Libya, Yemen, North Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma

Anadarko acquisition (2019): In 2019, Hollub orchestrated Occidental's $57 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum, assuming its debt. She personally enlisted financing from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway to outbid Chevron and complete the transformational deal.

Carbon management leadership: Hollub has positioned Occidental as a leader in carbon capture and management, investing in direct air capture technology and positioning the company for the energy transition.

Board memberships and industry leadership

Corporate boards:

• Occidental Petroleum Corporation – Board of Directors
• Lockheed Martin Corporation – Board of Directors

Industry organizations:

• American Petroleum Institute – Board of Directors
• U.S. Secretary of Energy Advisory Board – Chair
• U.S.-Colombia Business Council – U.S. Chair
• World Economic Forum Oil and Gas Community – Chair
• Oil and Gas Climate Initiative – Member
• Khalifa University for Science and Technology (Abu Dhabi) – Board Member

Recognition and honors

• National Academy of Engineering – Elected 2024, for leadership in energy company management and advocating for carbon management solutions
• WPC Dewhurst Award (2025) – For leadership and contributions to the energy industry
• Fortune Most Powerful Women – Annual recognition
• University of Alabama Distinguished Engineering Fellow (2016)

See also

• Occidental Petroleum
• Anadarko Petroleum
• Oil industry
• Carbon capture and storage

External links

• Official Occidental Biography
• Bloomberg Profile