Page 33 - Forbes - USA (February 2018)

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STRATEGIES TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURS LIFE

ENERGY
Over a Barrel

In an exclusive interview,
ExxonMobil’s new CEO lays out
his plan to supply a growing
world with energy—without
destroying it in the process.
BY CHRISTOPHER HELMAN

arren Woods strides
down the long lino-
leum halls of Exxon-
DMobil’s research cen-
ter in Clinton, New Jersey. Named
Exxon’s CEO in January 2017, the
tall 53-year-old electrical engineer
is comfortable here in this nerds’
paradise, nestled safely on 750 bu-
colic acres, behind gates, armed
guards and X-ray scanners. Ex xon’s
legions of scientists, including the
300 based in New Jersey, are spend-
ing $1 billion a year trying to solve
one of the greatest challenges of
our time: how to reduce emissions
while supplying ever more energy
to a world Exxon expects to grow
to 9 billion people by mid-centu-
ry. Woods agreed to meet Forbes

Exxon CEO Darren Woods with
a helium-ion microscope.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMEL TOPPIN FOR FORBES

FEBRUARY 28, 2018 FORBES | 31