Edwin J. Hess

Last updated
Edwin J. Hess
Hessimg2.jpg
Born(1933-11-09)November 9, 1933
Newark, New Jersey
DiedMarch 25, 2023(2023-03-25) (aged 89)
Houston, Texas
Alma mater Stevens Institute of Technology
Harvard Business School
Occupation(s)Former Senior Vice President, Management Committee, Exxon
Years active1957–1998
Employer Exxon Corporation
Notable workCreated ExxonMobil's Operations Integrity Management System and headed Exxon’s environmental and safety initiatives
Political party Republican
Board member ofMember committee Edwin A. Stevens Society; trustee Stevens Institute of Technology, Committee for Economic Development, The Science Place, Dallas; chairman board directors National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering; board of directors Junior Achievement Dallas, Inc.; trustee, member executive committee U.S. Council for International Business, Harvard Business School Executive Council member
SpouseBarbara Hess
ChildrenSusan, Cheryl, Nancy, Cynthia, and Edwin Jr.

Edwin J. Hess (born November 9, 1933) is an American businessman, Senior Vice President, and Management Committee Member at Exxon from 1993 to 1998. He had previously been the Vice President of Environment and Safety since 1990 and joined the company in 1957. [1]

Contents

While at Exxon, the board appointed Hess, a veteran executive, as the first corporate vice president for environment and safety, the first time it elevated environmental concerns to the senior executive level. The new position, created in the wake of Exxon's oil spill in the Arthur Kill off Staten Island, allowed Hess to supervise environmental and safety activities all across the corporation. Until Hess's appointment, environmental and safety issues had been dealt with at lower levels. Hess reported directly to Exxon's president, Lee R. Raymond. [2]

Early life and education

Edwin Hess was born in Newark, New Jersey on November 9, 1933. Hess received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1955 where he was class president and top of his class. Hess went on to earn his master's degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1957. He was awarded the Alumni Achievement award from Stevens Institute of technology in 1980, Stevens Honor Award for 1993, and the Stevens Renaissance Engineering and Science Award for 1996. [3]

Career

Hess began working for Exxon in 1957. Upon his Harvard graduation, Hess joined the Exxon-predecessor's policy-level management development system placing him on the corporate fast-track system. [1] Hess joined Exxon Company, USA in 1957, at the companies Bayway Refinery in Linden, New Jersey. Hess moved to Houston in 1961 in various capacities in the marketing, refining, supply and production areas of the oil business. In 1974, he became deputy manager of the corporation's public affairs department in New York City. He returned to Houston in 1978, as vice president of marketing for Exxon Company, USA and in 1981, he was named as senior vice president. [1] [4] Ed Hess was appointed executive vice president of the corporation's worldwide supply in transportation organization in 1985. He was the leader named senior vice president of marketing, refining and planning for Exxon Company, International, which coordinates the corporations oil and gas operations outside of the United States. In January 1990, Hess became Vice President of Environment and Safety for Exxon Corporation and was responsible for developing, reviewing and coordinating corporations worldwide environmental and safety plans. [2] He was the first to hold his newly created position. [5] In 1993, Ed Hess went on to occupy the position of Senior Vice President while serving on Exxon's Management Committee placing him as the second in command for the Exxon Corporation. [6] The board elected Hess as senior V.P. of Exxon corporate, and a member of its five-person management committee comprising the CEO/board chairman and four senior V.P.s. [7] That committee acting as a team, convened several times each week orchestrating at policy level the people, resources, processes, and performance of the world-wide $438 billion business. Hess was appointed the responsibility of leading the move and construction of Exxon's New York headquarters to Irving, Texas.

Hess in his office, inside Exxon's executive wing, also known as the "God Pod" Edwinhessexxon.png
Hess in his office, inside Exxon's executive wing, also known as the "God Pod"

Hess says his proudest accomplishment at Exxon was while serving as Vice President of Environment and Safety, developing Exxon's Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS), which is still criticality used at ExxonMobil today. [1]

Ed Hess at an Exxon shareholders conference Hessimg3.jpg
Ed Hess at an Exxon shareholders conference

Ed Hess was chairman of the board of directors of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), served on the Harvard Business School's Executive Council, a member of the American Petroleum Institute, the board of trustees of Stevens Institute of Technology, the Stevens Institute Edwin A. Stevens Society Committee, the board of trustees of The Science Place, the board of trustees and executive committee of the United States Counsel for International Business, and the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Dallas, Inc. [9]

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian Institute of Technology</span> University north of Bangkok, Thailand

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), founded in 1959, is an international organization for higher education situated 40km north of Bangkok, Thailand. It specializes in engineering, advanced technologies, sustainable development, and management and planning. It aims to promote technological change and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, through higher education, research, and outreach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Wright (businessman)</span> American businessman

Joseph "Joe" Wright is an American businessman. From 1988 to 1989, he worked in the United States government as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for president Ronald Reagan.

William Beverly Murphy was an American food businessman. He was the president and CEO of Campbell Soup Company between 1953 and 1972. From 1942 to 1945 he was on leave from Campbell's Soup to the War Production Board. Prior to joining Campbell's Soup he was at the A.C. Nielsen Company (1928–1938) where he is credited with conceiving the idea for the Nielsen Food Index and Nielsen Drug Index Services. Murphy was also a life member emeritus of the MIT Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Ramo</span> American engineer, businessman, and author

Simon "Si" Ramo was an American engineer, businessman, and author. He led development of microwave and missile technology and is sometimes known as the father of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). He also developed General Electric's electron microscope. He played prominent roles in the formation of two Fortune 500 companies, Ramo-Wooldridge and Bunker Ramo Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William R. Rhodes</span> American banker

William Reginald "Bill" Rhodes is an American banker and philanthropist. Rhodes is president and CEO of William R. Rhodes Global Advisors, LLC which he founded in 2010. Having stepped back from full-time responsibilities with Citi after more than 53 years with the institution. He most recently served as senior advisor, senior vice chairman and senior international officer of Citigroup and chairman, president & CEO of Citibank, N.A. He held various senior executive positions at Citi from 1957 until his retirement from Citigroup on April 30, 2010. Subsequent to his retirement, he continued to serve as a senior advisor to Citi from 2010 through 2017.

Robert J. Stevens, is a retired executive chairman of Lockheed Martin. He was the chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Lockheed Martin from 2004 until 2013, when Marillyn Hewson became CEO and president.

Eugene (Gene) R. McGrath in Yonkers, New York is an American businessman with extensive experience in engineering, operations, and executive management in the utility industry. McGrath was the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., a regulated utility providing electric, gas, and steam service in New York City and Westchester County, New York. The company is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., the largest utility in one of the largest urban metropolitan areas in the world. A native New Yorker, McGrath spent his entire professional career with Con Edison. He has been listed as one of America's Most Powerful People in Forbes magazine.

Bill George (businessman) American businessman and academic (born 1951)

William W. George is an American businessman and academic. He is a professor of management practice, and a Henry B. Arthur Fellow of Ethics at Harvard Business School. He previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristina M. Johnson</span> American former government official, academic, engineer, and business executive

Kristina M. Johnson is an American business executive and academic administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology</span> White House advisory board

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is a council, chartered in each administration with a broad mandate to advise the president of the United States on science and technology. The current PCAST was established by Executive Order 13226 on September 30, 2001, by George W. Bush, was re-chartered by Barack Obama's April 21, 2010, Executive Order 13539, by Donald Trump's October 22, 2019, Executive Order 13895, and by Joe Biden's February 1, 2021, Executive Order 14007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Lawrence Haider</span> American petroleum engineer and business executive

Michael Lawrence Haider was an American petroleum engineer, business executive, and a founder of the National Academy of Engineering. He was chairman of Exxon Corporation from 1965 to 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domenico Grasso</span>

Domenico Grasso is an American engineer, professor and the sixth chancellor of the University of Michigan–Dearborn. He has previously served as provost of the University of Delaware, vice president for research and dean of two different colleges at the University of Vermont. Grasso is Smith College's Picker Engineering Program's founding director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajkumar Chellaraj</span>

Rajkumar Chellaraj is the CFO and administrative dean at the Stanford Business School, Stanford University. Concurrently, he was also the chief operating officer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business Stanford Seed program with primary focus in Africa and India from 2015 to 2017. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Administration at the US State Department from 2006 to 2009 under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Currently, he serves as chairman of the board of Wellbore Integrity Solutions, a global oilfield services provider, a portfolio company of private equity firm Rhône Group. He also serves on the Board of Wahoo Fitness, a fitness technology company. In addition, he was an advisor and consultant to United Nations leadership in operations and management. Previously, he served on the board of GardaWorld from 2017 to 2019, a Canadian private security firm. From 2015 to 2018, he also served as chairman of the board of RhythmOne, a publicly traded digital advertising company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanda Austin</span> American CEO

Wanda M. Austin is a former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation. She was both the first woman, and the first African-American, to hold this position. Austin also served as interim president for the University of Southern California, following the resignation of C. L. Max Nikias. She was both the first woman, and the first African-American, to hold this position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Avery</span> American atmospheric physicist

Susan K. Avery is an American atmospheric physicist and President Emerita of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, where she led the marine science and engineering research organization from 2008–2015. She was the ninth president and director and the first woman to hold the leadership role at WHOI. She is Professor Emerita at the University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB), where she served on the faculty from 1982–2008. While at UCB she also served in various administrative positions, including director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), a 550-member collaborative institute between UCB and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (1994-2004); and interim positions (2004-2007) as vice chancellor for research and dean of the graduate school, and provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. Currently she is a senior fellow at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munirathna Anandakrishnan</span> Indian educationist and civil engineer (1928–2021)

Munirathna Anandakrishnan was an Indian civil engineer, educationist, a chairman of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and a vice-chancellor of Anna University. He was also an Advisor to the Government of Tamil Nadu on Information Technology and e-Governance. A winner of the National Order of Scientific Merit (Brazil), he was honored by the Government of India, in 2002, with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin Liu</span>

Edwin Liu is the current president of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). He was previously the senior vice president of Smart Grid & Grid Management at Nexant, Inc. He also held various technical and management positions at Quanta Technology, Bechtel, PG&E, Siemens, and Control Data Corporation (CDC). Edwin Liu is an IEEE Fellow and once served as chairman of its Computer and Analytical Methods Subcommittee.

William M. "Bill" Brown is an American business executive. He will become the CEO of 3M on May 1, 2024. Mr. Brown is also the former chairman of L3Harris Technologies, a large defense contracting company. Previously, he was the president, CEO and chairman of Harris Corporation, the company that merged with L3 Technologies to create L3Harris Technologies in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joachim J. Buono</span> US Merchant Marine officer (born c. 1956)

Joachim J. "Jack" Buono retired as Vice Admiral in the United States Maritime Service who last served as the thirteenth superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). He took command of the Academy on November 9, 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pratt, Joseph; Hale, William (June 1, 2013). Exxon: Transforming Energy, 1973–2005. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin. pp. 291–294. ISBN   978-0976669784.
  2. 1 2 "Exxon Names Executive on the Environment". The New York Times. January 11, 1990.
  3. 1 2 Spady, Dr. Jim (2017). "THE MAGAZINE OF THE STEVENS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION" (PDF). The Stevens Indicator.
  4. ↑ Parisi, Anthony (May 22, 1978). "Sales Trend For Gasoline Takes Shift". The New York Times.
  5. ↑ "Exxon Corp. named Edwin J. Hess to..." Chicago Tribune. January 11, 1990.
  6. ↑ "SEC Exxon Corp. Proxy Statement". SEC.
  7. ↑ "EXECUTIVE CHANGES". The New York Times. February 9, 1981.
  8. ↑ Jones, Benji (January 29, 2021). "Inside Exxon Mobil's 'God Pod'". Business Insider.
  9. 1 2 3 Who's Who in America - 1999, 53rd Edition. Marquis Who's Who. 1998.
  10. ↑ "Harold R. Fee 1920 Alumni Achievement Award Recipients". Stevens Institute of Technology. 16 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.