Janet Matsushita, P.Eng.
Exxon Mobil Corporation
For authentic communication and leadership that breaks organizational barriers; for ensuring safe, reliable global operations; and for promoting career development opportunities, balance, and flexibility in the workplace.
Janet J. Matsushita, P.Eng., is senior vice president of global operations for ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company. In this role, she manages safe and reliable operations of more than 5 million barrels per day distillation capacity encompassing 21 refineries, global midstream, and lubricants, and more than 30,000 employees and contractors around the world.
A pioneer among women in refining, Matsushita progressed through leadership assignments that took her from Canada to the United States, Singapore, and Belgium, and then expanded across multiple countries and facilities in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Her nontraditional style promotes a unique mindset: beginning with end results in mind, valuing people, and “being your genuine self” to deliver results and develop people in challenging, globally diverse cultures.
Breaking barriers as one of the first women refinery managers at the company’s Dartmouth Refinery in Canada, Matsushita took the facility to one of the best performers in the circuit for safety by applying behavioral-based safety programs to her site. From 2009-2013, as refinery manager of the Nanticoke Refinery in Canada followed by Chalmette Refinery LLC in Louisiana USA, she successfully led optimization of every aspect of the facility in a challenging business environment.
Matsushita took on the challenge of how to develop and promote women into leadership roles and maintain a pipeline of future leaders. She determined that the best way to do it was through data, understanding biases, and transparently engaging senior leadership. Due to her efforts, a deep-dive analysis was performed, and a program to develop a healthy pipeline of future women leaders was started in Canada.
In each role she has taken, Matsushita’s approach to developing, encouraging, and empowering her teams has led to both safety and profitability. Recognized for outstanding results and inclusive leadership, she was promoted to refining manufacturing manager of ExxonMobil’s operations in EMEAP (Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific), and later to EMEAP regional director.
As a sponsor of the ExxonMobil Women’s Leadership Team in Europe, Matsushita promotes work/life balance and actively mentors future leaders. She encourages flexible work programs and is proud that a part-time work option is now available at every site in her portfolio.
Matsushita is an active member of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society and serves as advocate and champion for the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society. In 2019, she received the National Association of Manufacturers’ Science, Technology, Engineering and Production (STEP) Award. She routinely spends time at local schools, promoting career opportunities for young girls in STEM.
She earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Dalhousie University. Matsushita is a proud mother of two children and is married to an entrepreneur.
