John W. Gibson served as the CEO of ONEOK, Inc. from 2007 until his retirement in 2014. He has a solid background in the energy sector, starting his career in 1974 as a refinery engineer with Exxon USA. Before joining...

John W. Gibson served as the CEO of ONEOK, Inc. from 2007 until his retirement in 2014. He has a solid background in the energy sector, starting his career in 1974 as a refinery engineer with Exxon USA. Before joining ONEOK in 2000, he worked at Phillips Petroleum and Koch Energy. During his time at ONEOK, he grew the company's focus on natural gas and improved operational performance, earning over $8 million in peak compensation during 2010 and 2011. Interestingly, Gibson had a unique perk after retirement—a five-year lease of office space provided for free. He stepped down as CEO to take on the role of non-executive chairman, reflecting his continuous involvement with the company. Notably, he built a significant legacy at ONEOK, ensuring the company was not just profitable but also respected in the industry.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other Oneok CEOs

O

John W. Gibson

Ex-CEO of Oneok

Education

Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma

Field of Expertise

Technology & Engineering - Engineering

Sector of Economy

Energy

Born

May 1, 1948 - 76 years ago

CEO of Oneok for

13 years 7 months (May 2000 - Dec 2013)

Previous Experience

Executive Vice President at Koch Energy, Inc.

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of John W. Gibson

C

Ryan M. Lance

CEO of ConocoPhillips

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.74M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$448.39K

Total Holdings

$13.99M

E

Kelcy L. Warren

Founder and CEO of Energy Transfer

2012 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$425.00K

Bonus

$225.00K

Other

$1.17K

Total Holdings

$5.72B

H

Jeffrey A. Miller

CEO of Halliburton

2023 Compensation

Stock

$27.46M

Salary

$1.60M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$659.12K

Total Holdings

$29.98M

T

Matthew J. Meloy

CEO of Targa Resources

2023 Compensation

Stock

$24.08M

Salary

$970.48K

Bonus

$2.33M

Other

$29.54K

Total Holdings

$134.17M

A

Paul M. Rady

Founder and CEO of Antero Midstream Corporation

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.07M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$14.75K

Total Holdings

$682.48M

Holdings

See how much did John W. Gibson make over time.

John W. Gibson's wealth was significantly tied to his holdings in ONEOK. At his peak as CEO, he had impressive stock compensation, which included performance shares that were based on the company's earnings per share and return on capital. In...

John W. Gibson's wealth was significantly tied to his holdings in ONEOK. At his peak as CEO, he had impressive stock compensation, which included performance shares that were based on the company's earnings per share and return on capital. In 2012, he realized a staggering $28.8 million from vested stock, showcasing a peak in his wealth while tied to company performance. Over the years, Gibson's stock holdings reflected not just his financial success but also his commitment to aligning personal wealth with company success, reinforcing a performance-based approach to executive compensation. After retiring, his remaining holdings continue to show a drop due to fluctuations in stock prices, yet his tenure remains impactful in ONEOK's history.

Mar 18, 2025

B

shares

BOKF @ $102.65

M

shares

MTRX @ $12.86

O

shares

OGS @ $NaN

O

shares

OKE @ $98.01

Charitable Transactions

OKE

211,200 shares

OKE

Recent Charitable Transactions

OKE

$14.91M

OKE at $70.61/share

Sep 3, 2019

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of John W. Gibson.

OKE

$489.59K

OKE at $14.85/share

Mar 18, 2020

Purchase

OKE

$496.74K

OKE at $39.11/share

Mar 9, 2020

Purchase

MTRX

5,290 shares

MTRX

Nov 5, 2019

Received

OKE

$14.91M

OKE at $70.61/share

Sep 3, 2019

Charity

MTRX

4,116 shares

MTRX

Oct 30, 2018

Received

MTRX

6,667 shares

MTRX

Oct 31, 2017

Received

BOKF

$6.53K

BOKF at $87.07/share

Oct 13, 2017

Received

BOKF

$6.22K

BOKF at $82.91/share

Jul 14, 2017

Received

Compensation History

See how much did John W. Gibson make over time.

During his time as CEO of ONEOK, John W. Gibson's compensation was heavily performance-based, focusing on key metrics such as earnings and return on investment. In 2013, his total pay was around $1.5 million, reflecting a drop from his peak in previous years. His pay structure included a salary of $950,000 and performance bonuses that tied directly to how well the company did against set financial goals. This kind of compensation plan was designed to motivate him to drive the company’s success. One unique aspect of Gibson's compensation was that in 2007, his bonuses were minimal as he was just starting in his role, marking a journey of growth linked closely to company performance over the years.

Year

2013

Total Compensation

$1.52M

Salary

$950.00K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy focuses on aligning executive compensation with company performance, peer benchmarking, and retention strategies, ensuring that a significant portion of compensation is performance-based and at risk.

Bonus

$447.00K

Board Justification

Annual short-term cash incentive award based on company performance against established financial and operational goals, resulting in a payout of 47 percent of target for 2013.

Other

$120.73K

Board Justification

Includes contributions to 401(k) and profit-sharing plans, and other compensation such as matching contributions and service awards.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 N/A)

Board Justification

No stock grants were vested in 2013; only stock awards that vested are included in the total compensation.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics included diluted earnings per share (EPS), return on invested capital (ROIC), and safety criteria, with a maximum corporate payout percentage set at 200 percent of target.

Other Oneok CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Oneok

Terry K. Spencer

Ex-CEO of Oneok

June 2021 - September 2021