Washington — Business Roundtable today commended the selection of Rex Tillerson, Chairman & CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, as President-elect Donald Trump’s intended nominee for Secretary of State.

“Rex Tillerson’s decades of international leadership, combined with his deep policy knowledge and strong negotiating ability, will provide effective diplomacy for the United States to lead in world events,” said Doug Oberhelman, Chairman & CEO of Caterpillar and Chairman of Business Roundtable. “His voice is well respected around the world, and I’m confident he will bring a common-sense approach to diplomacy in a complex and constantly changing world.”

 

“Rex Tillerson has made remarkable contributions to Business Roundtable — bringing in expert knowledge of global economics and enormous success in international business negotiations,” said Business Roundtable President John Engler. “These traits, bolstered by his experience as an engineer and civic leader, mark him as an excellent choice for Secretary of State.”

Oberhelman and Engler highlighted Tillerson’s long-standing commitment to education. A member of Business Roundtable since January 2010, Tillerson chaired the Roundtable Education and Workforce Committee from 2011 to 2015. As Chair, he championed K-12 education through an emphasis on high-quality standards and pushed for measures to address the “skills gap” in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Tillerson, in addition to his business achievements, participates in many volunteer activities: He served as National President of the Boy Scouts of America, is Vice Chairman of the Ford’s Theatre Society and is a former Director of the United Negro College Fund.

Earlier this year, Business Roundtable released a plan for stronger economic growth and job creation. For more information on our plan to create more momentum for America, see www.BRT.org/growth.