Secretary Abraham became Independent Vice Chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corporation’s Board of Directors in May 2013. Secretary Abraham is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Abraham Group LLC, an international strategic consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. He is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Abraham & Roetzel LLC, a bipartisan government affairs and issue management firm. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate prior to President George W. Bush selecting him as the tenth Secretary of Energy in U.S. history. During his tenure at the Energy Department from 2001 through January 2005, he developed policies and regulations to ensure the nation's energy security, was responsible for the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, oversaw domestic oil and gas development policy and developed relationships with international governments, including members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Secretary Abraham serves as a Director of PBF Energy Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc. and as Chairman of the Advisory Boards of Lynx Global Realty Asset Fund Onshore LLC and Uranium Energy Corp. He was previously a Director of GenOn Energy, Inc. and a Director and a member of the Nominating and Governance and Compensation Committees of ICx Technologies. He also serves on the boards or advisory committees of Sindicatum Sustainable Resources and C3. Secretary Abraham is a trustee of the Churchill Center. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and is the author of, “Lights Out!: Ten Myths About (and Real Solutions to) America’s Energy Crisis”.

 

Qualifications: Secretary Abraham's nearly two decades at the highest levels of domestic and international policy and politics shaped the insights he brings to Occidental's Board of Directors. As a former U.S. Senator and former U.S. Secretary of Energy who directed all aspects of the country’s energy strategy, Secretary Abraham provides the Board unique insight into public policy and energy-related issues. In addition, Secretary Abraham is a Harvard-educated attorney who, while directing the Energy Department, oversaw a budget of nearly $24 billion (FY 2005) and was responsible for the management of senior department personnel. Secretary Abraham’s legal training, and his government service managing complex policy, personnel and strategic issues provide Occidental with exceptional knowledge and perspective in the areas of health, environment and safety, strategy and policy, personnel management and community relations.