Mike Wirth
{{Short description|American businessperson and CEO of Chevron (born 1960)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Michael Wirth
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|10|15}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = University of Colorado, Boulder (BS)
| occupation = CEO, Chevron Corporation
}}
Michael K. Wirth (born October 15, 1960) is an American businessman who has been the chairman and CEO of Chevron Corporation since 2018.{{Cite news|last=Olson|first=Bradley|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/chevron-names-michael-wirth-chairman-ceo-1506607884|title=Chevron Names Michael Wirth Chairman, CEO|date=2017-09-28|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2020-04-02|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}} Previously, he was the vice chairman of the company.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/22/meet-michael-wirth-the-man-who-could-soon-lead-chevron.html|title=Meet Michael Wirth, the man who could soon lead Chevron|last=DiChristopher|first=Tom|date=2017-08-22|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2020-04-02}}
Early life
After graduating from high school, Wirth attended the University of Colorado, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1982.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-22|title=Chevron CEO: Mike Wirth Biography|url=https://brooksysociety.com/2020/01/22/chevron-ceo-mike-wirth-biography/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=Brooksy|language=en-US}} Wirth played football and basketball at school.https://www.ft.com/content/1902a8ef-7078-47e2-8a62-b6f0050ed569
Career
Wirth joined Chevron as a design engineer{{cite web | url=https://www.aspenideas.org/speakers/mike-wirth | title=Chairman and CEO, Chevron Corporation | Aspen Ideas }} in 1982. He worked in multiple sectors including engineering, construction, and operations.In 2001 he became president of marketing for Chevron's Asia, Africa and Middle East region.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chevron.com/about/leadership/michael-wirth|title=Meet Mike Wirth, Chairman of the Board and CEO|website=Chevron Policy, Government and Public Affairs|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-02}}
He has been on the board of directors for Caltex Australia and GS Caltex.{{Cite web|url=https://thewest.com.au/business/boards/michael-wirth-takes-the-reins-from-john-watson-at-chevron-ng-b88614613z|title=Wirth takes the reins at Chevron|date=2017-09-29|website=The West Australian|language=en|access-date=2020-04-02}} In 2018, Wirth was widely speculated and eventually confirmed to succeed John S. Watson as CEO of Chevron.
Wirth is a member of the board of the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group in the oil industry.{{Cite news |last1=Westervelt |first1=Amy |author-link=Amy Westervelt |last2=Wright |first2=Georgia |last3=Olenick |first3=Liat |date=2021-10-27 |title=The dirty dozen: meet America's top climate villains |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/27/climate-crisis-villains-americas-dirty-dozen |access-date=2023-07-26 |issn=0261-3077}}
Climate Change Inaction
Wirth's company, Chevron, is responsible for one of the highest total carbon sequestration of any private company worldwide.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} Despite these practices, Wirth's company has been involved in several greenwashing tactics, and was found by a Federal Trade Commission to be misleading its customers on its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.{{Cite news |date=2021-03-16 |title=Chevron 'Greenwashing' Targeted in Complaint Filed With FTC |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-16/chevron-greenwashing-targeted-in-complaint-filed-with-u-s-ftc |access-date=2022-05-08}} In response to CNBC host Jim Cramer asking if Chevron had considered calls to invest in alternative energy, Wirth responded that Chevron would rather the money “go back to our shareholders and let them plant trees, go invest in a wind and solar developer and have the right to do that with a growing dividend that comes out of our company.”{{Cite web |date=2021-09-15 |title=Chevron CEO explains why the oil giant's lower-carbon investments look past wind and solar energy |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/chevron-ceo-mike-wirth-on-the-oil-giants-lower-carbon-investments.html |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=CNBC |language=en}}
Personal life
Wirth and his wife have four adult children.https://www.ft.com/content/1902a8ef-7078-47e2-8a62-b6f0050ed569
Wirth moved to Houston, Texas in 2024 as part of Chevron's corporate headquarters relocating to avoid high labor costs and other staffing issues in California. https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/chevron-exec-explains-hq-move-from-california-texas-tough-place-do-business.amp
Wirth sleeps less than 7 hours per night, waking at 3.45am to do a 90 minute gym session.https://www.ft.com/content/1902a8ef-7078-47e2-8a62-b6f0050ed569
References
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Category:Directors of Chevron Corporation
Category:Businesspeople from Colorado
Category:University of Colorado alumni
Category:American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies
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