Executive Spotlight: Mark Northcutt

Mark Northcutt has traveled the world throughout his career with ExxonMobil, and the West Texas native says he looks forward to his second stop in Baton Rouge. He returns to the United States after serving as a refinery manager for five years in Thailand, where he was the only expat at the plant. Northcutt, who located to Baton Rouge in February to take over as plant manager, says his family will join him at the end of the school year. He particularly seeks a smooth transition for his three sons, noting that returning to the U.S. can sometimes involve a larger adjustment than going overseas. Northcutt first worked in Baton Rouge from 2000 to 2004. You can check out his complete Q&A from the new issue of Business Report here. The following is a sample:
What was your first job?
“My very first job was hoeing weeds in cotton fields. I remember getting paid $1 an hour. It was hard work and it was hot, but as a kid, it was nice to get some money in my pocket. On the professional side, I worked each summer during college for Mobil Oil out in the West Texas oil fields. When I graduated, I went to work for Exxon at its refinery outside of Houston. It was a bit ironic, of course, when Exxon and Mobil later merged.”