Ambassador Djerejian became Independent Chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corporation’s Board of Directors in May 2013. Ambassador Djerejian served in the U.S. Foreign Service for eight presidents, from John F. Kennedy to William J. Clinton (1962-1994). Prior to his nomination by President Clinton as U.S. ambassador to Israel (1993-1994), he was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs in both the George H.W. Bush and the Clinton administrations (1991-1993). He was the U.S. ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic (1988-1991). He also served as special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and deputy press secretary for foreign affairs in the White House (1985-1986). After his retirement from government service in 1994, he became, and currently serves as, the founding director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. His book “Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey Through the Middle East” was published by Simon & Schuster Threshold Editions in September 2008. He has been awarded the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the Department of State’s Distinguished Honor Award and numerous other honors, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Anti-Defamation League’s Moral Statesman Award. He is also a recipient of the Association of Rice Alumni’s Gold Medal, the group’s most prestigious award, for his service to Rice University. In 2011, Ambassador Djerejian was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Ambassador Djerejian previously served as a director of Global Industries, Ltd., where he was Chairman of the Governance Committee.

 

Qualifications: Ambassador Djerejian is a leading expert on the complex political, security, economic, religious and ethnic issues of the Middle East. His experience brings valuable insight that enhances the Board's ability to assess operations and business opportunities in the company’s important Middle East/North Africa region. Throughout his distinguished career, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of a broad range of public policy issues, and expertise in foreign policy, geopolitics of energy and corporate governance. He also has experience serving on several public, private and nonprofit boards.