Donald Trump’s pick for US Secretary of State former oil magnate Rex Tillerson is voted in by Senate
The former ExxonMobil boss was given the green light for the role on Wednesday
Rex Tillerson , the former CEO of ExxonMobil, has been confirmed by the Senate as the new US Secretary of State.
His appointment was voted in on Wednesday.
Tillerson was the CEO of ExxonMobil from 2006 to 2016.
The Senate vote was 56 to 43.
There was a lot of concern about his appointment, due to his close relationship with Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
News he was up for the role last week also led to a debacle over whether members of management in the State department walked out 'en masse'.
However, the White House said the staff members had tendered their resignation, as is traditionally expected when there is a transition of power in US government, and they were told there was no need for them to stay on, which is what usually happens.
The White House staff members were all thanked for their services.
The President snubbed rival Mitt Romney to nominate the oil and gas tycoon.
Tillerson, 64, is now the country's top diplomat.
As ExxonMobil's former CEO, he looked after operations in more than 50 countries, including Russia.
While widely respected for his business acumen, Tillerson has never held public office.
The Secretary of State oversees America’s foreign policy and is effectively the superpower’s highest-ranking diplomat.
Tillerson was reportedly recommended for the position by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice – who served under President George W. Bush.
In a statement before the position was made official, Trump said Tillerson was among the "most accomplished business leaders and international dealmakers".
He added: “His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for Secretary of State.
“He will promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States.”
In 2011, Exxon Mobil signed a deal with Rosneft – Russia's largest state-owned oil company – for joint oil exploration and production.
Since then, the companies have formed ten joint ventures for projects in Russia.
In 2013, the Kremlin bestowed the country’s Order of Friendship honour on the oil boss – who went on to argue against sanctions at a shareholders’ meeting the following year.
One of ExxonMobil’s biggest deals in Russia – worth a reported $500billion (£398billion) fell victim to sanctions imposed by the Obama administration after Putin’s 2014 invasion of Crimea.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368