The Passing of a Company and More

ChevronTexaco will now be known simply as Chevron.

The name change simply acknowledges what has been obvious since Chevron bought Texaco and closed the deal in 2001. Texaco ceased to exist except as a brand name for stations actually owned by Shell and through Chevron's right to increasingly use the brand.

It never really was ChevronTexaco. About 90% of Texaco's 16,000 employees lost their jobs in the merger. Most of those are no longer in the oil industry -- part of over one million workers who have left the industry during recent decades. I'm one of them.

I think Dave O'Reilly, the chairman and CEO of Chevron, really meant for it to be the merger of equals he espoused when it all happened. In fact, some folks got into serious trouble during transition team meetings for saying out loud, "Chevron bought Texaco." But bringing the two cultures together to create something new didn't happen. All were quickly introduced to "The Chevron Way," a set of principles governing how business was to be done. Rebranding them to "The ChevronTexaco Way" didn't hold much meaning. It quickly became obvious that they were simply "The Chevron Way" because Chevron did buy Texaco.

Everyone thought the merger would be easy because in so many ways the companies were very alike. It became obvious, however, that there were some major cultural differences. For example, in the Chevron culture, there was an attempt to avoid conflict by avoiding talking about it. Even when the elephant was in the room, it wasn't okay to acknowledge it -- thus you couldn't say "Chevron bought Texaco" and Chevron holds all the cards. In the Texaco culture, people would not only talk about the elephant, but were proud of talking about it.

It's not that any company that passes hasn't done things to deserve their fate. One of our leaders once said, "I'll drink all the oil found in Alaska!"

So, the Texas Company is no more, not even in the merger name. With all its flaws, I miss it, especially the community. A long time friend has passed, and as I still grieve the loss, I choose to remember the good in our friendship. And to see the name change simply as Chevron choosing to take back her maiden name after the death of her marriage partner.