Jeff Taylor is Appointed as VP, Secretary & General Counsel while Craig Morford Retires at ExxonMobil

Craig Morford, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Exxon Mobil Corporation, has announced his retirement effective, July 1, 2024. The Board of Directors has elected Jeff Taylor as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary to succeed him.

“Craig has been a valued member of our Corporate Leadership Team during his time as General Counsel, providing his strong legal experience and counsel to advance our strategic priorities,” CEO and Chairman Darren Woods said. “He leaves our company well-positioned for the future, and we thank him for his contributions to ExxonMobil.”

“We also welcome Jeff to ExxonMobil. He brings the right blend of corporate governance and legal expertise, and I look forward to working with him.”

Craig Morford to retire after five years as general counsel at ExxonMobil.

Morford joined ExxonMobil in 2019 as deputy general counsel, after previous roles with the United States Department of Justice and in private industry. For more than 20 years, Morford advanced through the Department of Justice with assignments as U.S. Attorney in Michigan and Tennessee, and first assistant U.S. attorney in Ohio. In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed him as Acting Deputy Attorney General. From 2008 until joining ExxonMobil, Morford was the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for Cardinal Health, a multinational health care services company.

Jeff Taylor, elected new general counsel at ExxonMobil.

Taylor joined ExxonMobil in May 2024 from Fox Corporation, where he was Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Before joining Fox, Taylor was the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for General Motors Co., and General Counsel of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. He worked for more than 15 years in the federal government, including as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2006 to 2009, Counselor to the Attorney General, Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.

Taylor received his bachelor’s degree in history from Stanford University and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School.