Francisco Leon

Chief Executive Officer, President & Director, California Resources

Search every verified Francisco Leon interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Francisco Leon, President and CEO of California Resources Corporation (CRC), participated in a Leadership Insight session hosted by HOPE on July 24, 2026. During the event, Leon discussed his background as an immigrant from Tijuana, Mexico, and his role as the only CEO of a U.S. oil and gas company born and raised in Mexico. He emphasized CRC's mission to "do energy better" by lowering the carbon footprint and cost of energy, and noted that nearly 40% of the company's workforce identifies as Latino. Leon stated that "we're going to need many forms of energy for a very long time" and that while an energy transition will eventually occur, "between now and then, we need to work on what we have and make it better." Leon also addressed representation, describing the current period as "a moment of first and only's" for Latino leadership, citing examples such as the first Latina pro tem in California. He argued that "first and only's are not enough" and that the goal should be ensuring "the next generation doesn't have to be first. They just get to be." Leon serves on several boards and leadership councils, including the National Petroleum Council and the Western States Petroleum Association Board of Directors.