Develop future leaders

  • More than 1,700 leaders trained in leadership learning programs in support of We are ExxonMobil.
  • Development through stretch assignments, supplemented with on-demand training.
  • One-third of leaders moved into new roles in 2025, demonstrating a strong talent pipeline and reinforcing a culture where growth and advancement are both possible and expected.

Navigate to:

Developing the Company’s future leaders is vital given the complex and long-term nature of our business. The decisions our leaders make and the risks they manage play out over time horizons that are often decades in length.

Leadership development ensures we have the necessary skills and capabilities to deliver on our business strategies and facilitates development of the next generation of leaders. Given the size and scale of ExxonMobil, developing these leaders requires a thoughtful and consistent approach.

"For well over a century, ExxonMobil has been grounded in the power and promise of technology, operating with high standards and a relentless aspiration to be the best. Leadership capability is essential to leveraging competitive advantages and enabling a talented workforce to thrive and deliver industry-leading results. Real change begins with bold questions, drive, and ambition—qualities that define leadership at ExxonMobil.

Identification of future leaders begins early in employment. We seek individuals with the capability and willingness to contribute at senior levels throughout a long career. Development is personalized, focusing on individualized plans, targeted skills, and critical experiences that prepare employees for executive-level roles. These plans evolve as performance and leadership potential are demonstrated."

Neil Chapman
Senior Vice President

Each year, our senior leadership team conducts a thorough review of plans, assessing the overall health of our leadership pipeline and succession plans. This also includes a review of key indicators to ensure rate and pace of development progresses as intended.

Our Board of Directors plays an important role in senior leadership development and continuity. Our CEO leads an annual Board review on talent systems and succession plans for key leadership positions, including our investment in developing globally diverse talent ready to take on the leadership roles of the future.

Building leadership capability

Effective leadership is essential to our ability to leverage the full strength of our competitive advantages and enable our talented workforce to thrive and deliver their best.

Through our leadership learning programs, supervisors and managers learn from executive leaders and peers as they deepen their understanding of how the We are ExxonMobil framework connects to the Company’s strategic priorities. More than 1,700 leaders attended these training programs in 2025 offered at locations around the world. These programs supplement on-the-job experiences, to build in-depth critical skills tied to our leadership expectations. Our program also offers an opportunity for participants to engage with senior leader role models, including the Management Committee.

Global, diverse leadership talent

We source talent from nearly all countries in which we operate and have over 34 nationalities represented in our executive population. We focus on identifying leadership talent early and developing them throughout their careers to reach their highest potential.

This starts with attracting the right talent, then developing our people over a career, building depth and breadth in leadership and core capabilities. To develop future leaders, we identify leadership talent early, create individual development plans prioritizing key experiences, and supplement growth through leadership learning programs.

We review our global workforce and periodically assess how our talent programs are affecting our talent pipeline and ensure they are delivering unbiased outcomes from entry-level to the most senior positions. Examples include:

  • Across our global footprint1, we develop employees to take on the leadership positions in country and for some, leadership roles in the U.S. and other countries outside their own. As of year-end 2025, 27% of executives are from outside the U.S. and 61% of the professional workforce2 are international.
  • As of year-end 2025, 28% of executives are women and 34% of our professional workforce are women.
  • As of year-end 2025, 23% of executives across the corporation are U.S. minorities and 31% of our professional workforce are U.S. minorities.
  • Around the world, we review the progression of our national talent into leadership positions, ensuring our development processes are working as intended. For example, in Papua New Guinea, almost 40% of our supervisors and managers are national employees, and at our Kuala Lumpur Technical Center in Malaysia over 90% of our leaders are national employees.

"The opportunities at ExxonMobil are truly limitless. Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the chance to work across three different organizations, each experience broadening my perspective and deepening my understanding of how our work impacts others.

Today, within Global Trading, the fast‑paced environment, constant exposure to market dynamics, and partnership with teams across regions continue to push me to grow as a leader."

Pedro Mac Mullen
Global Trading – US&CA Pricing Supervisor, Argentina

My career has taken me through a variety of engineering and leadership roles, preparing me for my current position as Reliability Leader. Today I collaborate with a truly global team—spanning Europe, Asia, and the U.S.—to secure the reliable performance of our Rotterdam Manufacturing Cluster. Together we take on complex challenges and learn from one another every day.

Nicolette Steffens
Reliability Leader, Rotterdam Refinery, Netherlands

Nicolette Steffens

Investing in people

FOOTNOTES:

  1. Global workforce is defined as all active, regular EMPT and wage employees, who work full-time or part-time for ExxonMobil, and are covered by ExxonMobil’s benefit plans and programs.
  2. Professional employees and hires are defined as executive, management, professional, technical (EMPT).