John Whelan
Senior vice-president, upstream
Business & management
Imperial Oil (Esso)
Canada
Biography
John Whelan was appointed as senior vice-president, upstream, effective March 1, 2017. A professional engineer, Mr. Whelan started his career with Mobil Oil Canada in 1988 as a subsurface engineer in Drayton Valley, Alberta. In 1991, he moved to Stavanger, Norway and held a variety of roles related to the development of major offshore oil and gas projects. Mr. Whelan returned to Canada in 1999 and progressed through various managerial assignments related to ExxonMobil Canada's east coast producing operations. In 2004, Mr. Whelan assumed a role at ExxonMobil Production Company's headquarters in Houston, Texas as a planning and business analyst. The following year, he coordinated ExxonMobil Production Company's global business plan and in 2006 he became operations technical manager with ExxonMobil's US production affiliate. Two years later, Mr. Whelan moved to Stavanger, Norway to become operations manager for ExxonMobil's Norwegian affiliate. Following that assignment, Mr. Whelan returned to Houston to assume ExxonMobil Production Company's planning and commercial manager role until joining Imperial in 2013. A native of St. John's, Newfoundland, Mr. Whelan earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Research Interest
John Whelan was appointed as senior vice-president, upstream, effective March 1, 2017. A professional engineer, Mr. Whelan started his career with Mobil Oil Canada in 1988 as a subsurface engineer in Drayton Valley, Alberta. In 1991, he moved to Stavanger, Norway and held a variety of roles related to the development of major offshore oil and gas projects. Mr. Whelan returned to Canada in 1999 and progressed through various managerial assignments related to ExxonMobil Canada's east coast producing operations. In 2004, Mr. Whelan assumed a role at ExxonMobil Production Company's headquarters in Houston, Texas as a planning and business analyst. The following year, he coordinated ExxonMobil Production Company's global business plan and in 2006 he became operations technical manager with ExxonMobil's US production affiliate. Two years later, Mr. Whelan moved to Stavanger, Norway to become operations manager for ExxonMobil's Norwegian affiliate. Following that assignment, Mr. Whelan returned to Houston to assume ExxonMobil Production Company's planning and commercial manager role until joining Imperial in 2013. A native of St. John's, Newfoundland, Mr. Whelan earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland.