Phillips 66 Announces Refining Leadership Transition as Rich Harbison Retires
Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) has announced a leadership transition within its Refining organization as Rich Harbison, executive vice president, Refining, prepares to retire at the end of 2026. Harbison will retire effective Dec. 31, 2026, following a distinguished career with the company and years of leadership focused on refining operations, safety, people and business performance.
As part of Phillips 66’s ongoing succession planning, the company also announced that Chris Chandler will rejoin Phillips 66 as strategic advisor to the CEO, effective Oct. 6, 2026. Chandler is scheduled to assume the role of executive vice president, Refining, on Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding Harbison.
The transition is intended to support continuity within one of Phillips 66’s key operating organizations while providing a structured period for Chandler to reconnect with the company, its leadership and its businesses before taking responsibility for the Refining organization.
“Rich has made extraordinary contributions to Phillips 66 throughout his career, and we are deeply grateful for his leadership and service,” said Mark Lashier, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66. “His deep operational expertise, disciplined leadership and commitment to safety and our people have strengthened our company and our Refining organization. We look forward to recognizing Rich and his remarkable career in the months ahead.”
Harbison’s retirement represents a significant leadership change for Phillips 66’s Refining business. During his tenure, his responsibilities have included helping guide the organization through operational priorities while maintaining a strong focus on safety, workforce development and disciplined execution.
The company said the succession process reflects its continued focus on leadership development and long-term organizational planning. By bringing Chandler into the strategic advisor role several months before he takes over Refining, Phillips 66 will provide an opportunity for him to work with senior leaders and teams across the enterprise and develop an updated perspective on the company’s current priorities.
Chandler brings more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry, including more than two decades in leadership positions at Phillips 66. His previous responsibilities with the company included refinery site and operations leadership, midstream commercial and business development, and corporate strategy.
His career has provided him with experience across several areas of the energy value chain. His background includes direct exposure to refinery operations as well as commercial and strategic functions, giving him an understanding of the operational and business considerations involved in managing complex energy assets.
Most recently, Chandler served as chief operating officer of Plains All American. In that position, he held executive responsibility for operations, engineering, health, safety and environmental matters, as well as government affairs across the company’s U.S. and Canadian entities.
His experience at Plains All American further expanded his leadership perspective beyond Phillips 66. The role required oversight of multiple operational and technical functions while also addressing regulatory, environmental and stakeholder considerations across two countries.
Chandler’s professional background therefore spans frontline energy operations, enterprise-level strategy and the management of complex, integrated businesses. He also brings experience in regulatory and stakeholder engagement, organizational transformation and the execution of major commercial and operating priorities.
“Chris is an enterprise leader with deep refining and operational experience,” said Lashier. “His disciplined approach, commitment to safety and people, and valuable perspective will help us continue executing our strategy and advancing our priorities.”
Before formally assuming responsibility for Refining, Chandler will spend his initial months as strategic advisor to the CEO engaging with leaders and teams throughout Phillips 66. The period is expected to allow him to gain a current understanding of the company’s operations, strategic objectives and organizational priorities.
This approach also provides a transition period between Harbison’s leadership and Chandler’s appointment. For an energy company operating a large and complex refining organization, leadership continuity can be important for maintaining operational discipline, safety performance and execution of business priorities.
Chandler said his return to Phillips 66 represents an opportunity to build on his previous experience with the company while bringing lessons and perspectives gained during his time away.
“I am honored to rejoin Phillips 66 and excited about the opportunity to become part of an organization with a strong culture, talented people and a deep commitment to operational excellence,” said Chandler.
“My earlier experience with Phillips 66 gave me a strong appreciation for the company’s businesses and people, and the years since have broadened my perspective as a leader. I look forward to listening, learning and building on the strong foundation Rich and the Refining team have established.”
The leadership transition comes as refining companies continue to manage a range of operational, commercial and regulatory priorities across the energy sector. Refining performance depends on effective operations, safety management, workforce capabilities, asset reliability and disciplined decision-making, making experienced leadership particularly important to large-scale refining organizations.
For Phillips 66, Chandler’s combination of previous company experience and broader energy-sector leadership is expected to support the continued execution of the company’s strategy. His background in refining, operations, midstream business development and corporate strategy provides exposure to multiple parts of the energy industry and the interconnected factors that influence operational and commercial performance.
At the same time, Harbison’s retirement marks the conclusion of a significant period of service to Phillips 66. The company emphasized his operational expertise, leadership discipline and commitment to safety and employees when recognizing his contributions.
Phillips 66 will recognize Harbison’s career and contributions during the months leading up to his Dec. 31 retirement. Chandler will begin his strategic advisor role on Oct. 6, 2026, before officially becoming executive vice president, Refining, on Jan. 1, 2027.
The planned transition gives Phillips 66 a defined succession path for its Refining organization while allowing the incoming executive to reconnect with the company and prepare for his new responsibilities. With Chandler’s extensive industry experience and previous leadership at Phillips 66, the company expects the transition to support continuity while maintaining its focus on safety, operational excellence and strategic execution.
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