Deals
Activist’s Fight at Exxon Started With Lessons at a Coal Mine
- Engine No. 1 focused on financial performance and energy plans
- Firm hired lawyer who led fight against Apple on child safety
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The activist investor who just scored a major victory at Exxon Mobil Corp. this week says he learned a key lesson he brought to the boardroom battle from a failed coal mine he tried to launch in the mid-2000s.
Chris James aid in an interview Thursday that his experience sowed the seeds of what eventually became Engine No. 1, the newly formed investment firm that won at least two seats on the board of Exxon Wednesday. The firm may take a third seat when the final votes are tallied, the company has conceded.