John Kenneth Jamieson

From 1975: "Canadian-born John Kenneth Jamieson, Exxon's chairman since 1969, who started out in the oil business in the 1930s as a laborer in a small refinery in Calgary, Alberta. Last week's announcement that Jamieson, now 64, will retire on Aug. 1 signals a subtle change in style at the colossus of the major oil companies. More than any of their predecessors, Exxon's incoming management team are men who won their spurs not so much as oilmen as organization men.

"Ken Jamieson's successor as chair man and chief executive officer will be Exxon's current president, Clifton Garvin, 53, a forceful if taciturn Virginia-born engineer who rose through the corporate ranks via the company's burgeoning chemical operations."

• Former Director, Chase Manhattan Bank