Chevron Corporate Responsibility Report 2009

Executive Interview
Communities and Business Succeeding Together
George L. Kirkland
Vice Chairman
Chevron Corporation
Left: Chevron’s partnership with the Pediatric Hospital in Luanda, Angola, dates
back to 1989. Since then, Chevron subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Co. Ltd. and its Block 0
and Block 2 partners have invested more than $2.6 million to address critical needs.
In 2009, Chevron Corporation donated $500,000 to build a new surgery unit.
On a visit with other company executives, George Kirkland met with hospital director
Dr. Luis Bernardino (center) and Dr. Margarida Correia, head of the emergency unit.
In the background is translator Helder Paulo.
George Kirkland assumed the position of vice
chairman in January 2010. He joined Chevron
in 1974 and has been responsible for global
exploration, production and gas since 2005.
What experiences in your career
have shown you the importance
of community engagement
Everyone is shaped by his or her experiences.
The more places you are, the more
you see, and you gain a greater understanding
of how the world works. My first
experience working outside the United
States was when I went to Indonesia
when I was 28 years old. In my time there,
I saw the need for building partnerships,
cooperation and trust between host communities
and our operations — so it was a
great experience for me.
I also went to Nigeria for about seven
years. We’ve been in Nigeria for a long
time, and our operations are integrally
tied to the communities. Through my
experiences living in Indonesia, in Nigeria,
throughout North America, and in each
of the countries where we operate, I saw
firsthand the needs of governments and
communities. And I have an appreciation
of the value that we, as a company, bring.
I’ve learned throughout my career that for
us to be successful in meeting the world’s
demand for energy, we have to form partnerships
aimed both at developing energy
resources and at building capacity in our
host countries.
How do you respond to the
expectations of governments
and communities
We work closely with both communities
and governments where we operate to
create an environment where our presence
is mutually beneficial. While we cannot,
and should not, replace the government,
our involvement is a delicate balancing
act, and we want our host communities to
benefit from our presence.
The key to being welcome and effective is
to be engaged with communities and government
leaders. Engagement is core to
how we operate and develop relationships
and, from my perspective, is one of our key
strengths as a company.
How has your interaction
with the communities in Nigeria
and Indonesia changed your
perspective on our role as an
energy company
For me, this interaction reinforced that
we are deeply involved in and closely
linked to our host communities. You learn
that very quickly when you’re in an international
setting.
Because of the scale of our operations,
we are able to create opportunities for
governments and communities in education,
health, development, employment
and alternate income streams. So, our
engagement activities help create an
essential connection between our business
and the communities. And, in turn, healthy
communities — economically, medically,
educationally — are very good places in
which to do business.
I think it is also important to say that
our employees exemplify our commitment
to the communities. This is certainly
true in Indonesia and Nigeria, and I’ve
witnessed it in all our areas of operation.
Our employees understand the value of,
and are personally involved in, being a
positive presence. This is where they live,
where their children go to school — they,
too, want their communities, as well as
their employer, to be successful.
Please explain the link
between community success
and business success.
In our business, as I mentioned, building
and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships
with governments and communities
are essential for success. Any time we are
well engaged with our local host communities
and governments, we all realize
the benefits.
In many instances, our operations are a
catalyst for progressing community development.
To create a network of suppliers
for our operations, for example, we work
with governments and communities to
develop local businesses, create jobs and
develop a skilled workforce.
A constant goal is to create an environment
for mutual success. The end result
is sustainable community growth for our
neighbors and a positive operating environment
for our company.
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