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Exxon Mobil’s top executives swap lavish “God pod” for smaller offices

By Nagasunder in US Business & Employment News, posted May 15, 2023

After more than 25 years occupying the plush "God Pod," Exxon Mobil's top executives are downsizing to more modest quarters.

CEO Darren Woods and his team will be relocating their Dallas-area offices to a new C-suite currently under construction at a campus outside Houston.

This move, scheduled for this summer, reflects both symbolic and practical considerations for the oil company, aiming to align with recent commitments to leaner operations.

The contrast between the two office spaces is stark.

The current headquarters building exudes grandeur, showcasing Exxon's global presence with luxurious features such as Anigre wood paneling, African staircases, a lobby floor made of French limestone, granite columns sourced from Madagascar, and a slate roof quarried in Wales.

Nestled amidst dense vegetation and shimmering ponds, it stands hundreds of miles away from the majority of the company's employees.

In contrast, the new executive wing will be more modest, as part of Exxon's cost-cutting measures aimed at saving billions of dollars.

Investors have urged the company to streamline expenses and enhance efficiency, particularly after the oil-market crash in 2020 due to the pandemic, which resulted in a historic annual loss.

The new executive wing, spanning two floors on a 385-acre corporate campus dominated by glass structures, is designed to have a modern aesthetic with ample open spaces to foster collaboration.

In comparison, the "God Pod" executive wing, as it has been known throughout the industry, occupied approximately 20,000 square feet and housed only a few executives and their assistants.

The Irving, Texas office, which resembles a high-end hotel from the 1990s, even had a private chef who prepared elaborate meals for executives and guests.

It also showcased part of Exxon's extensive collection of paintings, sculptures, photography, and prints inherited from the Mobil merger in 1999.

While the new wing won't feature a dedicated dining room or chef, certain executive perks will be retained, including private elevators, bulletproof windows for enhanced security, and exclusive access to a garage.

Exxon's highest-ranking officials will now share a campus with a significant portion of the company's U.S. employees, marking the first time in a generation that they will work in close proximity.

Exxon sold its Irving property in December to a real estate investment firm based in Austin, Texas.

The company announced plans in 2022 to establish its global headquarters at the Houston-area campus in a suburb called Spring.

Construction is expected to be completed before the management team's move in July.

The God Pod was established in the mid-1990s when Exxon relocated its global headquarters from Manhattan to the Dallas area.

This move positioned the company closer to Texas, the heart of the oil industry, and a more affordable real estate market.

Former CEO Lee Raymond, who oversaw Exxon's acquisition of Mobil, was the first to lead the company from the God Pod.

Access to the executive wing has always been tightly controlled, to the extent that even the top executive of the property's new owner, Capital Commercial Investments, hasn't entered it yet.

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While it remains unclear how much of Exxon's art collection will be relocated to the Houston area, some pieces have been auctioned off, and others, including works by renowned midcentury artists, have been displayed at the Houston-area campus.

Additionally, the campus showcases historical artifacts such as Mobil's distinctive red Pegasus logo and decades-old fuel pumps.