Occidental Names Brad Pollack Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Rhea-AI Summary
Occidental (NYSE: OXY) appointed Brad Pollack as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, effective August 1, 2026, to lead the company’s global legal department. Pollack succeeds Sylvia Kerrigan in a planned transition and currently serves as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.
Kerrigan will remain Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer through the end of 2026 and act as a senior strategic adviser through 2027. According to Occidental, Kerrigan’s team supported strategic moves such as the CrownRock acquisition and OxyChem divestiture, liability reduction, and balance sheet strengthening.
Positive
- Planned legal leadership transition with Pollack effective August 1, 2026 and Kerrigan advising through 2027
- Internal promotion of long‑tenured deputy general counsel with U.S. and international experience
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27 | Earnings scheduling | Neutral | -1.4% | Second-quarter earnings release and conference call were scheduled for August 13 and 14. |
| May 11 | Quarterly earnings | Positive | +21.6% | Project advancement, offtake negotiations, financing preparation, and approximately $319 million cash were reported. |
| Apr 20 | Earnings scheduling | Neutral | -3.0% | First-quarter business update and conference call dates were announced. |
| Apr 13 | Leadership change | Positive | +2.0% | Lee Shuman was appointed CFO to lead financing strategy and project-level financing. |
| Mar 09 | Annual earnings | Positive | -1.6% | Project development, financing milestones, and approximately $379 million cash were reported. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Historical reactions to recent Net Power announcements were mixed, ranging from -2.99% to +21.57% over 24 hours.
Key Terms
divestiture financial
midstream technical
corporate governance regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
HOUSTON, July 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Occidental (NYSE: OXY) announced today that Brad Pollack has been appointed Senior Vice President and General Counsel, effective August 1, 2026, overseeing the company’s global legal department. Pollack will succeed Sylvia Kerrigan as part of a planned transition. Kerrigan will remain Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer through the end of 2026 and serve as a senior strategic adviser through 2027.
Pollack joined Occidental in 2014 and most recently served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, overseeing legal support for the company’s U.S. and international operations and commercial development, including acquisitions, divestitures, commercial transactions, midstream and marketing, major projects and supply chain. During his tenure, he held several leadership roles within the legal department and helped advance strategic initiatives across the organization.
“Brad has played an important role in advancing Occidental’s growth and strategic priorities, while building strong partnerships across the organization,” said Richard Jackson, President and Chief Executive Officer. “His proven leadership, legal expertise, sound judgment and deep understanding of our business make him uniquely qualified to lead our legal function.”
Pollack also serves on the Board of Directors of Net Power Inc. (NYSE: NPWR), an energy technology and project development company focused on low-carbon gas power solutions. Before joining Occidental, he was a corporate and securities lawyer at Dechert LLP, advising public and private companies in a wide range of legal matters.
Kerrigan has served as Occidental’s Chief Legal Officer since 2022, overseeing the company’s global legal and regulatory functions. Under her leadership, her team played a key role in Occidental’s strategic repositioning, including the acquisition of CrownRock and the divestiture of OxyChem, while deepening the department's partnership with business leaders across the enterprise. Her team also helped reduce material liabilities and strengthen the balance sheet, and supported enterprise-wide priorities such as technology adoption, organic portfolio optimization, and geopolitical risk management. Kerrigan has served as a valued advisor to Occidental’s board on matters of corporate governance, drawing on her own experience as a director at publicly listed companies.
“I would like to thank Sylvia for her tremendous contributions over the past four years as our Chief Legal Officer,” said Jackson. “Sylvia has been a trusted advisor and a steady, thoughtful voice. Her leadership helped strengthen our legal and compliance foundation and the partnership between legal and our other business functions. She leaves behind a strong legal team and a lasting impact on our company. We are grateful for her leadership and wish her all the best in her next chapter.”
About Occidental
Occidental is an international energy company that produces, markets and transports oil and natural gas to maximize value and provide resources fundamental to life. The company leverages its global leadership in carbon management to advance lower-carbon technologies and products. Headquartered in Houston, Occidental primarily operates in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa. To learn more, visit oxy.com.
Contacts
| Media | Investors |
| Eric Moses 713-497-2017 eric_moses@oxy.com | Babatunde A. Cole 713-552-8811 investors@oxy.com |
