The cabinet-level position is a new one.
Prior to the appointment, Hendrix led Apache's Alaska operations since 2011, helping to establish the company's Cook Inlet operating base.
The company announced in March it was closing its Alaska office as it scaled back amid depressed oil prices.
An Alaska native, Hendrix has a long work history in the state. He began his career at Schlumberger's North Slope Operations, and later joined BP, where he worked for 18 years.
