Chevron Corp. on Aug. 12, 1996, announced that Donald L. Paul, 50, has been elected to a new position of Corporate Vice President, Technology, effective Sept. 1.
Paul will be responsible for coordinating the work of Chevron’s research and technology companies and accelerating the development and application of competitive technology throughout the company’s worldwide activities.
In announcing the change, Chevron Chairman Ken Derr said a key corporate strategy is ensuring that technology is applied to achieve the company’s aggressive earnings growth targets.
“Our operating companies have immediate business needs for the most effective technology available”, noted Derr. “With this new position we are creating a strategic focus for technology, one that generates business synergy, leverages competitive advantage, builds partnerships with our operating units and maintains our long-term technical capability.”
The companies reporting to Paul will include Chevron Petroleum Technology Co. in the upstream, Chevron Research and Technology Co. in the downstream, and Chevron Information Technology Co. Paul also will assume responsibility for health, safety and environmental compliance functions.
Derr said Paul brings a “unique combination of abilities” to the new position, with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics, a master’s degree in geology and geophysics, a doctorate in geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and extensive Chevron operating experience. He is currently president of Chevron Canada Resources, the company’s Canadian oil and gas production subsidiary based in Calgary.
Derr added, “Don’s job will be to ensure we incorporate technology into our strategic thinking, increase synergy among the technology companies, and ensure that we recruit, develop and manage the careers of the technical work force who are essential to our long-term success.” In this role, Paul will become a member of the Corporate Planning Committee.
Paul will be located in San Francisco and report to both Derr, who oversees the company’s upstream operations, and Vice Chairman Jim Sullivan, who has responsibility for Chevron’s worldwide downstream business.
Paul joined Chevron in 1975 as a research geophysicist. In 1979 he transferred into exploration operations with Chevron U.S.A. and, in 1982, became Rocky Mountain Division geophysicist in Denver. Paul returned to research in 1985, working in key management positions in Chevron Oil Field Research Co. He was instrumental in the reorganization of the upstream technology function and in 1992 became the president of the resulting company, Chevron Petroleum Technology Co. In 1994 he assumed his present position at Chevron Canada Resources.
