Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison are two of the best-known American executives of their generation. Garland spent a decade as chairman and CEO of Phillips 66 and now sits on the boards of ExxonMobil and Amgen. Ellison is chairman, president, and CEO of Lowe’s. This guide covers their backgrounds, career timelines, current roles, and what their paths show about executive leadership. It also clears up a common question: whether the two are connected.
Quick Facts: Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison at a Glance
| Category | Greg Garland | Marvin Ellison |
| Industry | Energy and chemicals | Retail and home improvement |
| Best-known role | Chairman and CEO, Phillips 66 (2012–2022) | Chairman, president, and CEO, Lowe’s |
| Education | B.S. chemical engineering, Texas A&M (1980) | Business degree, University of Memphis; Executive MBA, Emory (2005) |
| Past companies | Phillips Petroleum, Chevron Phillips Chemical, ConocoPhillips | Target, The Home Depot, JCPenney |
| Current status | Independent director, ExxonMobil and Amgen | Active CEO and chairman of Lowe’s |
Who Is Greg Garland?
Education and Engineering Foundation
Greg C. Garland earned a chemical engineering degree from Texas A&M University in 1980. That technical grounding shaped a career in chemicals, petroleum, and corporate management.
Early Career at Phillips Petroleum
Garland joined Phillips Petroleum in 1980 as a project engineer at its Plastics Technical Center. He moved through sales engineering, business development, and chemicals management. He ran the K-Resin business unit from 1992 to 1994, served as general manager of natural gas liquids from 1995 to 1997, and then became general manager for Qatar and the Middle East. By then he had combined technical skill, commercial experience, and international exposure.
Leadership at Chevron Phillips Chemical and ConocoPhillips
Garland was president and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company from 2008 to 2010. He then became senior vice president of Exploration and Production, Americas, at ConocoPhillips, a role he held until 2012. Moving from chemical manufacturing to upstream oil and gas gave him a view of several parts of the energy business.
A Decade as Chairman and CEO of Phillips 66
Garland was chair and CEO of Phillips 66 from 2012 to 2022. The company became independent in 2012 after separating from ConocoPhillips, with operations across refining, midstream, chemicals, and marketing. In its 2022 succession announcement, Phillips 66 said it had returned about $29 billion to shareholders during his tenure. That is a company-reported figure, so treat it as the company’s own assessment. Mark Lashier succeeded him as CEO on July 1, 2022.
Retirement and Current Board Positions
Garland was executive chair from 2022 to 2024, which is why some sources list different “retirement” dates. He stepped down as CEO in 2022 and left the executive chair role in 2024. Anyone describing him as the current Phillips 66 CEO is working from outdated information.
His board work continues. ExxonMobil announced that Garland was elected to its board of directors effective November 3, 2025. He serves on the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee, and received an initial grant of 8,000 restricted shares, the same as other non-employee directors. He has also served on the board of Amgen, a biotechnology company, since 2013.
Community and Civic Involvement
Garland is vice chair of the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation, a director of the Memorial Hermann Foundation, and a member of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s President’s Advisory Council.
Who Is Marvin Ellison?
Childhood and Family Background
Ellison grew up in Brownsville, Tennessee, in a family of seven children. An Emory University profile describes parents who stressed education and hard work, and a family that performed gospel music, with Ellison on bass guitar.
Education and Professional Development
He earned his undergraduate business degree at the University of Memphis and completed an Executive MBA at Emory’s Goizueta Business School in 2005, while advancing at Home Depot.
Career at Target and The Home Depot
Ellison worked at Target from 1987 to 2002 in operational roles. He then spent about 12 years at The Home Depot, working in loss prevention, logistics, and divisional operations, and eventually becoming executive vice president of U.S. stores. That role meant overseeing a vast store network serving homeowners and professional contractors.
Leadership at JCPenney
Ellison joined JCPenney in 2014 as president, became CEO in 2015, and added the chairman role in 2016. He left in 2018 for Lowe’s. The job meant steering a traditional department store through a changing retail market.
Becoming Chairman, President, and CEO of Lowe’s
Ellison became Lowe’s president and CEO on July 2, 2018, succeeding Robert Niblock, and became chairman in 2021. Lowe’s describes itself as a Fortune 100 home improvement company with fiscal 2025 sales of more than $86 billion, about 300,000 associates, and over 1,750 home improvement stores.
Lowe’s Total Home Strategy
Ellison’s approach centers on the Total Home strategy. Updated in December 2024, it focuses on five priorities: growing Pro business, accelerating online sales, expanding home services, building customer loyalty, and making store space more productive. In practice, a homeowner might need advice and installation while a contractor needs reliable availability and fulfillment, and the strategy tries to serve both.
Community and Board Involvement
Lowe’s lists Ellison as a member of the University of Memphis board of trustees.
Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison Career Timeline
| Year | Greg Garland | Marvin Ellison |
| 1980 | Graduates from Texas A&M; joins Phillips Petroleum | |
| 1987 | Joins Target | |
| 2002 | Joins The Home Depot | |
| 2005 | Completes Executive MBA at Emory | |
| 2008–2010 | President and CEO, Chevron Phillips Chemical | |
| 2010–2012 | SVP, Exploration and Production (Americas), ConocoPhillips | |
| 2012 | Becomes chairman and CEO of Phillips 66 | |
| 2013 | Joins Amgen board | |
| 2014–2018 | JCPenney president, then CEO (2015) and chairman (2016) | |
| 2018 | Becomes Lowe’s president and CEO (July 2) | |
| 2021 | Becomes Lowe’s chairman | |
| 2022 | Lashier succeeds him as CEO; he becomes executive chair | |
| 2024 | Leaves executive chair role | |
| 2025 | Joins ExxonMobil board (November 3) |
Are Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison Connected?
What Public Records Show
Searches for the two together often reflect a hoped-for business link. The public record shows two separate careers at separate companies in separate industries. Nothing in their published biographies establishes a partnership, a family relationship, or a joint venture.
How to Verify a Business Connection
To confirm a connection between any two executives, check for:
- Shared board memberships in proxy statements
- Joint corporate announcements or transactions
- Co-appearances at verified public events
- SEC filings naming both individuals
Similar levels of success are not evidence of a relationship.
Greg Garland vs. Marvin Ellison: Key Differences
Industry and Business Environment
Garland worked in capital-intensive energy and chemicals, where commodity prices, regulation, and long-term infrastructure investment dominate. Ellison works in consumer retail, where customer demand, housing activity, inventory, and store execution drive results.
Education and Technical Foundation
Garland entered through chemical engineering. Ellison came up through business education and retail operations.
Leadership Path and Responsibilities
Garland moved from engineering into commercial, international, and executive roles. Ellison rose through logistics, loss prevention, and store operations before running whole companies.
Current Professional Status
Garland now provides board oversight at ExxonMobil and Amgen. Ellison runs daily operations at Lowe’s.
What Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison Have in Common
Operational Excellence
Both built credibility through operating experience. In energy, that means plant reliability, safety, and cost control. In retail, it means store performance, supply chains, and service.
Strategic Decision-Making
Garland’s career reflects long-horizon planning for assets that take years to build. Ellison’s reflects balancing discipline with fast-changing customer behavior.
Managing Large Organizations
Neither can personally manage every decision. Both set priorities, build leadership teams, allocate resources, and track results across large workforces.
Where Are They Now? Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison in 2026
Greg Garland: Board Leadership After Phillips 66
Directors oversee management and major corporate decisions rather than running daily operations. Garland’s industry and governance experience now informs two very different public companies: a global energy major and a biotech leader.
Marvin Ellison: Leading Lowe’s Through a Mixed Market
Lowe’s second quarter of 2026 (ended July 31) shows the pressures Ellison is managing:
- Total sales were $26.0 billion, compared with $24.0 billion in the prior-year quarter.
- Comparable sales rose 0.2%, driven by Pro and home services strength and a 15.7% jump in online sales, partly offset by DIY pressure.
- The company operated 1,761 stores with 196.0 million square feet of selling space.
- Full-year 2026 sales guidance is now $92.0 billion, previously $92.0 to $94.0 billion, with flat comparable sales expected.
- The quarter included $96 million in pre-tax expenses tied to the Foundation Building Materials and Artisan Design Group acquisitions.
Much of the sales growth reflects those acquisitions, which expand Lowe’s reach with professional contractors, rather than growth in existing stores alone.
Business Lessons From Their Careers
Build expertise before seeking senior roles. Garland spent years in technical and commercial roles. Ellison spent more than two decades in retail operations.
Understand your customer and industry. An energy major and a home improvement chain face different pressures, and good leaders learn the specifics before making big calls.
Balance long-term strategy with daily execution. Strategy only works with reliable processes and accountable teams.
Adapt to changing conditions. Lowe’s pivot toward Pro, online, and services shows how strategy evolves as demand shifts.
Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison Net Worth: What Is Actually Known
No verified, comprehensive net worth exists for either executive. Public filings show compensation and reported shareholdings, but not private assets, debts, taxes, or investments. Annual pay is not accumulated wealth, and the reported value of a stock award can differ from what is eventually realized. One concrete, documented example: Garland received an initial grant of 8,000 restricted ExxonMobil shares on joining the board. Be cautious of websites quoting precise net worth figures without a clear methodology. For reliable data, consult proxy statements (DEF 14A) and Forms 4 on the SEC’s EDGAR database.
Conclusion
Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison took different roads to senior leadership. Garland rose from engineering to lead Phillips 66 and now serves on the boards of ExxonMobil and Amgen. Ellison rose through retail operations to run Lowe’s, where he is steering a Total Home strategy in a soft DIY market. Their biographies show no direct business connection, but side by side they show that leadership is built on industry knowledge, operating discipline, and adaptability. Always check the date behind a title, because executive roles change.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Greg Garland still the CEO of Phillips 66?
No. Mark Lashier succeeded him on July 1, 2022. Garland stayed on as executive chair until 2024.
Who is the CEO of Lowe’s?
Marvin Ellison, who has been CEO since July 2018 and chairman since 2021.
What companies has Greg Garland worked for?
Phillips Petroleum, Chevron Phillips Chemical, ConocoPhillips, and Phillips 66.
Which companies did Marvin Ellison work for before Lowe’s?
Target, The Home Depot, and JCPenney.
What board positions does Greg Garland hold?
He is a director of ExxonMobil (since November 2025) and Amgen (since 2013).
Are Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison business partners?
Public records do not show any partnership.
Do they work in the same industry?
No. Garland’s career is in energy and chemicals; Ellison’s is in retail.
What are Greg Garland and Marvin Ellison worth?
No verified figure exists. See the net worth section above.
Why are they notable business leaders?
Both have led major American public companies and illustrate two distinct routes to the top: engineering and retail operations.
