Chevron Appoints Siva Barnwell Adams as Corporate Secretary and Chief Governance Officer
Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) has appointed Siva Barnwell Adams as its new corporate secretary and chief governance officer, effective January 1, 2027. The leadership appointment strengthens the company’s legal and corporate governance structure as it continues to oversee its global operations, strategic priorities and relationships with shareholders and other stakeholders.
In her new position, Barnwell Adams will provide guidance to Chevron’s board of directors and senior management on a range of corporate governance matters. She will also lead the company’s Corporate Governance Department and become a member of the Law Function Executive Committee. Her responsibilities will include supporting the board’s oversight activities, advising senior executives on governance-related issues and helping maintain the company’s established standards for corporate accountability and regulatory compliance.
Barnwell Adams will succeed Mary A. Francis, who is scheduled to retire from Chevron in May 2027 after 25 years of service with the company. The transition reflects Chevron’s approach to maintaining continuity in important leadership positions while recognizing the contributions of executives who have helped shape its governance and legal functions.
Chevron Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth welcomed Barnwell Adams to the position, highlighting her professional experience and long-standing understanding of the company’s business operations and organizational culture.
Wirth said Barnwell Adams brings extensive expertise in corporate governance, securities matters and board-related responsibilities. He also emphasized that her knowledge of Chevron’s business and internal operations positions her well to take on the expanded leadership role. The company expects her appointment to support its established approach to governance and reinforce the standards that guide its corporate decision-making processes.
Barnwell Adams currently serves as Chevron’s deputy corporate secretary, a position in which she supports the board of directors and works closely with senior leadership on corporate governance and related matters. Her existing responsibilities have provided her with direct experience in board operations, executive-level decision-making and the legal considerations associated with managing a major international energy company.
Through this position, she has developed a detailed understanding of the governance processes that support Chevron’s operations. Her work with directors and senior executives has also given her experience in addressing corporate matters that require coordination between the company’s legal, management and governance functions.
Before becoming deputy corporate secretary, Barnwell Adams served as senior managing counsel for Chevron’s Major Transactions Law Group. In that role, she led a legal team responsible for advising the company’s senior management on significant business transactions and strategic portfolio decisions.
Her responsibilities included providing legal guidance on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other major corporate transactions. These activities form an important part of Chevron’s business strategy, particularly as the company evaluates investment opportunities, manages its asset portfolio and makes decisions involving partnerships and long-term commercial interests.
As senior managing counsel, Barnwell Adams worked on complex transactions requiring coordination across different business units and legal teams. Her experience in these areas strengthened her understanding of the legal, financial and governance considerations involved in major corporate decisions.
Barnwell Adams has spent more than 26 years working within Chevron and its predecessor organization, Texaco. Her long career with the company has provided her with experience across several important areas of its legal operations and corporate structure.
She began her academic education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1991. She subsequently attended the University of Texas School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctor degree in 1994.
Following law school, Barnwell Adams spent nearly six years practicing civil and commercial litigation at law firms. This experience provided her with a foundation in legal proceedings, commercial disputes and the interpretation of business-related legal matters.
In 2000, she joined Texaco, where she continued developing her legal career within the energy industry. Texaco subsequently merged with Chevron in 2001, bringing the two organizations together and establishing the corporate environment in which Barnwell Adams would continue her professional development.
Her more than two decades of experience following the merger have included responsibilities involving major transactions, corporate governance and board support. This combination of legal and internal business experience is expected to support her transition into the corporate secretary and chief governance officer position.
The appointment also includes a transition arrangement for Francis, who will take on a senior advisory role supporting incoming Chief Legal Officer Scott A. Keller. Francis will assume this advisory position effective January 1, 2027, allowing her to continue providing leadership guidance during the transition period before her planned retirement in May.
Francis joined Chevron in 2002 and has played an important role in the company’s legal and governance functions throughout her career. She was appointed corporate secretary and chief governance officer in 2015, a position she has held while supporting the board of directors and advising company leadership on governance matters.
During her tenure, Francis contributed to the development and oversight of Chevron’s corporate governance practices. Her responsibilities included supporting board activities, advising on governance policies and helping the company navigate significant organizational and business developments.
Wirth recognized Francis for her leadership, professional judgment and contributions to Chevron over more than two decades. He described her as an exceptional leader, trusted advisor and steward of the company’s governance practices.
According to Wirth, Francis helped guide Chevron through important periods of growth and transformation while maintaining strong standards of integrity and corporate governance. He also acknowledged her influence beyond the company, noting her contribution to raising awareness and strengthening practices across the wider corporate governance community.
Chevron’s board of directors and senior leadership team expressed appreciation for Francis’s dedicated service and the role she has played in supporting the company’s governance framework. Her planned retirement will mark the conclusion of a 25-year career with the organization.
The leadership changes establish a structured transition within Chevron’s legal and governance organization. Barnwell Adams will assume responsibility for the corporate secretary and chief governance officer position at the beginning of 2027, while Francis will provide advisory support to the incoming chief legal officer before retiring later in the year.
With extensive experience in corporate governance, major transactions, securities matters and board-related responsibilities, Barnwell Adams is expected to bring continuity and institutional knowledge to the position. Her appointment also reflects Chevron’s emphasis on experienced internal leadership and maintaining established governance standards as the company manages its business and strategic priorities.
Source Link: https://www.businesswire.com/
