Board of Directors
J. Steven Whisler
Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Phelps Dodge Corporation
Elected in 2007
Finance Committee
Mr. Whisler is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Phelps Dodge Corporation, a mining and manufacturing company acquired by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. in 2007. Mr. Whisler originally joined Phelps Dodge in 1976, holding a number of positions before being named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in May 2000. He previously had served as Phelps Dodge’s President and Chief Operating Officer and as a Senior Vice President. He also serves on the boards of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, International Paper Company, U.S. Airways Group Inc., and Aleris International, Inc.
Mr. Whisler holds a B.S. degree in business from the University of Colorado, a J.D. degree from the University of Denver College of Law, and an M.S. degree in mineral economics and an honorary D.Sc. degree in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. Mr. Whisler also attended the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He has been awarded the Colorado School of Mines' Distinguished Achievement Medal for career accomplishments, and is a member of the American Mining Hall of Fame.
