inspiring change: the enduring impact of ken derr

On July 12, 2024, the Chevron family said farewell to a legend. Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth “Ken” Tindall Derr passed away at his home in Orinda, California. He was 87 years old. Derr is survived by a loving family, including his wife of 50 years, Donna, and three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Derr’s leadership shaped Chevron’s culture, competitive performance and community relationships. His work and legacy continue to inspire the company to provide energy that enables human progress.

In 1989, when Derr was elected to be Chevron’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer, he shared his vision of making Chevron “better than the best.” Realizing that vision came down to putting people first.

“The whole idea of management is to generate the best ideas from as wide a variety of people as you can,” he said. “If you’re a manager, your job is to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable about suggesting ideas. That’s the only way new things happen.”

Among Derr’s noteworthy accomplishments was the successful integration of Gulf Oil and Standard Oil Co. of California (Socal) after Chevron’s acquisition of Gulf Oil in 1984. He led a program that involved multiple teams of employees, which the Wall Street Journal hailed as a “textbook example of the integration of operations.”

That collaboration, combined with a robust focus on investors and streamlined global operations, propelled Chevron toward becoming a leading international company.

Derr also:

• Established Chevron as a significant presence in Kazakhstan’s massive Tengiz Field.
• Made Chevron a prominent business partner in Africa.
• Oversaw Chevron’s re-entry into Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
• Expanded Chevron’s reach into new markets like Argentina, Azerbaijan, China and Thailand.

Building on the principles initially established in 1923 with The Standard Oil Spirit, Derr was deeply involved in advancing Chevron’s workplace culture. He established diversity and inclusion as business imperatives, and he championed diversity councils that grew to become today’s Chevron employee networks.

Derr became convinced that what got done—not just what was said—was the truest measure of a commitment to fostering a more inclusive work environment.

• 1991: Derr recruited Condoleezza Rice to join Chevron’s board of directors. She was Chevron’s first Black director and second woman director. Her appointment was an important step toward a more diverse board, which is now 50% women.
• 1995: Derr oversaw the introduction of The Chevron Way, and this shared set of values has defined Chevron’s culture for decades.
• 1999: Chevron was among the first signatories of The Global Sullivan Principles, a corporate code of conduct meant to promote human rights and social responsibility.