Exxon Mobil appoints Larry Kellner and John Harris to its Board of Directors

Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM) said last Friday that Lawrence “Larry” Kellner and John Harris had been appointed to its Board of Directors.

Currently, Kellner serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Boeing Company. He is also President of Emerald Creek Group LLC, a Texas-based private equity company.

From December 2004 to December 2009, Kellner served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines Inc. He joined the air carrier in 1995 as Chief Financial Officer and was appointed as Chief Operating Officer in 2003.

“During Larry’s tenure as chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines, he led a major turnaround following the industry’s downturn after 9/11 and helped make Continental a leader among major carriers. His experience in the airline industry comes with a focus on safety and will provide useful customer insights into many areas of strategic interest, including the role ExxonMobil can play in providing lower-emission fuel options for commercial transportation,” Darren Woods, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Exxon Mobil Corp, said in a press release.

John Harris, at present, has a seat on the public boards of Kyndryl Holdings, Cisco Systems and Flex. He started his career in 1983 with Raytheon Co and was in various roles of increasing responsibility, including several vice president positions overseeing operations, contracts, supply chain, electronic systems as well as intelligence, information and technical services.

In 2013, Harris was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company. He held this role until his retirement in 2020.

“Over his 35-year career with Raytheon, John served in a variety of complex, cross-functional roles. He led significant business transformation to unlock value and new markets on an international scale and brings a rare understanding of the role of technology and government policy,” Exxon Mobil’s CEO said.

With the new appointments, Exxon Mobil’s board has been expanded to 13 directors, with 12 of them being independent.