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Oil firm selects two auto industry executives to top posts

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Continues revamping of management team with outsiders

(Recasts with selection of former auto industry executive to

run its most important business)

HOUSTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) said on

Tuesday that Dan Ammann, former president of General Motors ( GM )

, will take over its largest and most profitable business

early next year.

Ammann, who joined Exxon two years ago to run its clean

energy unit, called Low Carbon Solutions, will replace 34-year

Exxon veteran Liam Mallon as president of Exxon's oil and gas

pumping business, effective Feb. 1, 2025.

The appointments of Ammann and Barry Engle, another former

GM executive, as president of Low Carbon Solutions, reflects the

U.S. oil producer's continued reshaping of its top management

with outsiders.

"It certainly is a new management model for Exxon Mobil ( XOM ),

which really started post-activist Engine 1's board shakeup,"

said energy analyst Paul Sankey of Sankey Research, referring to

an activist investor's 2021 proxy fight that won three Exxon

board seats.

As head of Exxon's Upstream business unit, Ammann will

oversee a business that has contributed more than two-thirds of

Exxon's operating profit this year.

Engle, who joined the company in September as an Ammann

deputy, is a long-time auto industry executive who worked at

General Motors ( GM ) until 2020. The Low Carbon unit was designed to

make a business by helping Exxon and industrial customers reduce

carbon emissions from operations.

"These appointments continue the company's approach of

leveraging the diverse skills and experiences of a very

accomplished executive team to bring fresh perspectives and

approaches to each of our exceptionally talented organizations,"

said Exxon CEO Darren Woods in a statement.

Exxon in 2021 named former Diageo drinks finance executive

Kathryn Mikells as CFO.