ExxonMobil Corporation announced last Friday it will combine its refining and marketing operations into a single company, ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company, in the first quarter of 2018. Bryan Milton, currently president of ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company, has been appointed president of the combined division by ExxonMobil’s board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2018.

By combining activities of the two divisions – ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Company and ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company – the company will achieve further integration to improve decision making and enhance performance in the market, the company said.

ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company, along with ExxonMobil affiliates, will manage crude purchasing and logistics, refining, supply, trading, midstream, marketing and sales of refined products.

Milton, 53, joined Exxon Chemical in 1986 at Fawley in the U.K., where he worked in various plant and developmental engineering roles, including assignments as operations manager and as plant manager. He also spent time in upstream natural gas commercial sales. He previously held various leadership positions within ExxonMobil Chemical Company in Houston and in 2004 was named managing director for ExxonMobil Aviation fuels, based in the U.K.

Milton was appointed manager of the Baton Rouge chemical plant in 2006, and in 2008 he was assigned executive assistant to the chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation. In 2009, he was appointed vice president of Basic Chemicals for ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Before his current role, Milton was president of ExxonMobil Global Services Company.

Milton was appointed to his current position in 2016.

News reports earlier in the week said that ExxonMobil is reorganizing its refining and chemical operations, stating that the restructuring will combine the fuels and lubricants division with the supply and refining divisions. Financial responsibility for the merged operation will rest with country and regional chiefs who report to Exxon's Irving, Texas, headquarters rather than divisional heads.

ExxonMobil spokesperson Charlotte Huffaker told OEM/Lube News "We are further integrating our downstream businesses to improve decision making and enhance performance in the market. The improvements will help us to serve our customers and compete more effectively, while continuing to leverage our global scale and the benefits of being a fully integrated oil, gas and petrochemical company. We are always focused on strengthening our assets and brands, improving our customer offer and providing rewarding career opportunities for our employees as we grow the business."

"We have discussed the changes with employees and feedback has been supportive" said Baker.

Also announced last Friday, ExxonMobil’s board of directors has elected Neil Chapman to the position of senior vice president and member of the corporation’s management committee. As successor to Chapman, the board also appointed John Verity as president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Both assignments are effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Chapman, 55, is currently president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Verity, 59, is senior vice president of polymers, ExxonMobil Chemical Company.

For additional details on the latter news, please click on our link "Neil Chapman Elected ExxonMobil Senior Vice President; John Verity Appointed President of ExxonMobil Chemical Company" under Other Headlines at the bottom of our main page to view the complete press release.