The Secretary of State is one of the most important cabinet positions in the American government because they serve as the principal advisor to the president on international affairs and help to craft and enact foreign policy. Tillerson will require approval from the US Congress to officially become American’s top diplomat (equivalent to Foreign Minister). If he passes what is expected to be a challenging confirmation process, Tillerson would become a key actor in the Trump administration and oversee America’s international relations, which are expected to change from the status quo.

Tillerson is 64 years old and hails from a small town in Texas where he grew up as a boy scout and once held a job as a university janitor. Tillerson has a degree in Civil Engineering and for the last four decades has worked for ExxonMobile, the largest private company in the world, where he worked his way up to CEO. As the head of the multinational energy giant Tillerson’s salary is among the highest paid executives worldwide and has an estimated net worth reportedly in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The successful Texas businessman has no experience at any level of government, unlike previous US Secretaries of State, and is the type of government outsider Trump vowed to bring to Washington during his campaign.

Confirmation process

To win the nomination for America’s top diplomatic post Tillerson overcame bids from experienced politicians. Roadblocks remain however as the US Congress confirmation process is expected to be grueling with lawmakers probing potential conflicts of interest surrounding Tillerson. One reported conflict of interest is that his personal holding of ExxonMobil shares could influence his decision-making on foreign policy. US media is especially focused on his dealings in Russia, where Vladimir Putin once personally awarded the Russian Order of Friendship to Tillerson after a major business deal. Republicans are currently in control of the US Senate by a small margin and if just a few of them vote against Tillerson’s upcoming confirmation for any reason it could derail his bid.

With Rex Tillerson in charge of America’s foreign affairs, environmental policy as well as international relations could shift. Tillerson has not flat out denied climate change, but referred to it as an “engineering problem” to which humankind will have to adapt. He has also expressed skepticism about climate change models used by scientists. As the lead player in US international climate negotiations, Tillerman would bring a much different worldview to the table than the US State Dept. of the outgoing Obama administration.

Some experts have expressed concern that Tillerman might prioritize global economic interests and trade relations above the promotion of core American values such as freedom of speech due to process of law, right to conduct fair and free elections and much more. Would Tillerman stand up to repressive governments around the world who propose mutual profits from joint projects but silence the legitimate voices of opposition in their countries by any means necessary? Would Tillerman view sanctions imposed on nations that violate US and international law as bad for business?

If the same skills and strategies that made Rex Tillerson so successful in the corporate world can be applied to international statecraft then America and its allies will have found a new leading voice for democracy on the world stage. For now though, it remains to be seen how the big business executive will represent the interests of the US government and people on the international scene.