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Reflecting on a 42-year career with EM

“January 1979 feels a long time ago,” says Mark. “Looking back, I was a like a sponge in those days - absorbing anything and everything. I contrast that with 2020, when the sponge was being wrung out as we battled the COVID-19 pandemic,” he reveals.
“My career was operationally focused right from the start. I began in shipping, back in the days when ExxonMobil had its own fleet of oil tankers,” he says. “I was probably one of the last people to come through the cadet system with Esso. “
“My early recollections include sea survival training - rowing a lifeboat around Tyne Dock in the North East and live firefighting in a ship’s simulator tank! I really enjoyed the sea-going experiences and was looking forward to more until ExxonMobil exited from owning VLCC’s (very large crude carriers),” recalls Mark.
“I then moved on to work in Pipelines, just as the first plans were being formulated for the South East pipeline to Gatwick and Purfleet. This was followed by customer service and planning roles within LPG Bitumen and Fuels, a supervisory job in Ipswich BP and then a move to Retail in 1990.”
It was 1993 when Mark’s interest in incident management began. “I worked at Purfleet and everyday was a new adventure,” he remembers. “As a manufacturing site that has been used since 1888, there were relics lying dormant that sprung back to life when least expected. I also recall some odd challenges, such as the time a whale washed up on the foreshore right by our jetty. The emergency manual doesn’t have a section ‘W for whale’ in it!”
Mark then moved to roles in Fuels before joining EP&R (Emergency Preparedness and Response) in 2011. He believes his past experiences were all good preparation for what was to follow (including the COVID-19 crisis!).
The UK, being a multi-faceted business, became a focal area as the virus impact unfolded. “2020 really was ‘showtime’ for EP&R,” says Mark. “Given the global impact of the pandemic, the need to support multiple emergency support groups (ESG’s) became a stretch for all. I was really pleased to be part of the UK leadership team that steered the Corporation in the UK through choppy waters. The art was trying to find the sweet spot with our UK operations, that had many things to deal with on a daily basis, without over-reaching.”
It is this - Mark’s most recent role as EP&R Adviser/ RRT Co-ordinator - that he considers his finest. He says: “I really enjoyed the freedom to operate and do the right thing whilst staying aligned to the needs of the businesses. It is really rewarding to be both strategic in your thinking and roll up your sleeves and get involved. After all, it is the tasks that make things happen, so you have to be prepared to participate.”
So, what would Mark’s ‘message in a bottle’ be to those now at the beginning of their careers with ExxonMobil? He says: “Take all the experiences that you can. Not everything goes as planned and some roles will be better than others. But in my experience, the good ones overshadow the rest.”
It’s clear that for Mark, it’s the sense of working together to solve a problem, that drove his career success. His wise counsel will certainly be missed in the months ahead and we wish him well as he retires to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle, spending time with his collection of cars old and new.
Also in this issue

Long service awards
ExxonMobil has renewed its corporate membership of the Royal Academy of Arts following a review of its sponsorship programme. This means ExxonMobil employees and their families can look forward to another year of creative inspiration and cultural experiences.
AES Supports Rough Sleeper Intervention Team
The ExxonMobil AES team at Newport has made the lives of the town’s rough sleeper community a little easier thanks to a donation of £1,350. The money has been used to buy two new sofas, mobile phones and supplies for the drop-in centre operated by The Wallich’s Newport Rough Sleeper Intervention Team.
Our contribution helps Citizens Advice New Forest reach out at Food Larder
Citizens Advice New Forest has thanked ExxonMobil Fawley for its contribution towards a new pilot scheme aimed at helping people to access its vital services. The charity has received £1,500 from the site to help fund an outreach service to sit alongside the Food Larder project, a community partnership that helps those on low incomes to make their money go further by reducing food shopping bills.
FEP investment in safe hands
Earlier this month (April) Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) temporarily shut down to begin a £140 million investment project. The man in charge of the project, Maarten ten Doesschate, has already overseen numerous such projects for ExxonMobil around the globe.
Newport launches four-year apprenticeships
Our Newport elastomers plant has launched a maintenance engineering apprenticeship scheme for the first time in its history. Response to the new initiative has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than 275 young people applying for the two roles.