(Retired) Vice President - Engineering, ExxonMobil Corp.
B.S. ASE 1972, The University of Texas at Austin
K.C. Williams, who earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at The University of Texas at Austin in 1972, returned to Austin after a 34 year career in the oil industry spanning 40 countries on six continents. He and his wife Theresa remain engaged with the university through the Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee, Engineering Advisory Board, Oschner Lifelong Learning, and support for young engineers, where they also became the initial sponsors of the Longhorn Rocketry Association.
After working five terms as an engineering co-op at General Dynamics on the F-111 supersonic aircraft, Williams embarked on a career with Humble Oil and Refining as a drilling engineer. He held positions of increasing engineering and management responsibility in Texas and Louisiana before being assigned to Exxon Corporation in New York. Williams returned to Louisiana as Offshore Division Manager, and then to Texas as U.S. Operations Manager, Production.
Williams was appointed Vice-President, Production for Exxon Company International in 1992 with responsibilities including worldwide floating drilling and new business initiatives in Russia, Africa, Indonesia, China and the Middle East.
In 1999, he was elected Director and Senior Vice-President of Imperial Oil Limited, and President and CEO of Imperial Oil Resources. He led an unprecedented collaboration between industry and Aboriginal communities in the Northwest Territories resulting in a historic agreement marking the first time in Canadian history that Aboriginal groups had the opportunity to participate as owners in a multi-billion dollar industrial project.
In 2004, Williams was appointed Vice-President, Engineering, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, where he was an advocate for high impact research programs with focus on liquefied natural gas, deepwater, and tight gas.
Family and community service have always been a priority for Williams who has two children and four grandchildren. He served in the Texas Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Reserve, and on boards for the United Way.
