Trump likely to choose Tillerson as secretary of state: Reports

ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is likely to be named by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as secretary of state, sources have said.

Tillerson emerged as the prominent candidate for the post through lengthy public interview and selection process that included better-known faces like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney and Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee.

Tillerson has close relationships with many world leaders and has been described by Trump as a "world-class player".

CNN quotes sources, as saying that former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and James Baker and former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates Tillerson recommended Tillerson for the job.

Sources said Trump found a level of comfort in Tillerson which he hadn't found with anyone else and both of them have similar deal making business backgrounds.

Negotiating a deal with Russian oil giant Rosneft to provide access to lucrative oil resources in the Arctic, Tillerson developed his close ties with Putin.

Tillerson was awarded prestigious Order of Friendship in 2013 for his efforts by Putin.

Tillerson who joined the Exxon Company in 1975 as a production engineer became its chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) in 2006 following the retirement of Lee Raymond.