Standards of business conduct
A letter from Chairman and CEO, Darren W. Woods
The high quality of the directors, officers and employees of Exxon Mobil Corporation is the Corporation's greatest strength. The resourcefulness, professionalism and dedication of those directors, officers and employees make the Corporation competitive in the short term and well positioned for ongoing success in the long term.
The Corporation's directors, officers and employees are responsible for developing, approving and implementing plans and actions designed to achieve corporate objectives. The methods we employ to attain results are as important as the results themselves. The Corporation's directors, officers and employees are expected to observe the highest standards of integrity in the conduct of the Corporation's business.
The Board of Directors of the Corporation has adopted and oversees the administration of the Corporation's Standards of Business Conduct. The policies in the Standards of Business Conduct are the foundation policies of the Corporation. Wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries of Exxon Mobil Corporation generally adopt policies similar to the Corporation's foundation policies. Thus the Corporation's foundation policies collectively express the Corporation's expectations and define the basis for the worldwide conduct of the businesses of the Corporation and its majority-owned subsidiaries.
The directors, officers and employees of Exxon Mobil Corporation are expected to review these foundation policies periodically and apply them to all of their work. The Corporation publishes from time to time guidelines with respect to selected policies. Those guidelines are interpretive and administrative and are not part of the Standards of Business Conduct. Any employee who has questions concerning any aspect of these policies should not hesitate to seek answers from management or the other sources indicated in another section, 'Procedures and Open Door Communication.'
No one in the ExxonMobil organization has the authority to make exceptions or grant waivers with respect to the foundation policies. Regardless of how much difficulty we encounter or pressure we face in performing our jobs, no situation can justify the willful violation of these policies. Our reputation as a corporate citizen depends on our understanding of and compliance with these policies.
Darren W. Woods
Chairman, January 2017