SCHEDULE 14A

(Rule 14a-101)

Information Required in Proxy Statement

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.    )

Filed by the Registrant  ☒                             Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

Hess Corporation

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

HESS CORPORATION

April 27, 2018

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend our annual meeting of stockholders, which will be held at Hess Corporation, 1501 McKinney Street, Houston, Texas 77010, on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. local time.

Reflecting on key highlights from 2017, we made substantial progress in executing our strategy to grow our resource base in a capital disciplined manner, to move down the cost curve so we are resilient in a low oil price environment, and to be cash generative at a $50 per barrel Brent oil price post 2020.

We high graded and focused our portfolio to deliver significant long-term value to stockholders by investing in lower-cost growth assets and divesting higher-cost mature assets. Our 2017 asset monetizations resulted in total proceeds of $3.4 billion and the release of $1.3 billion of asset retirement obligations. Proceeds from these asset sales will first be used to prefund our investment opportunity in Guyana, where Hess has a 30 percent interest in the Stabroek Block, home to one of the industry’s largest oil discoveries in a decade, and to support our growth in the Bakken, our largest operated asset where we have more than 500,000 net acres in the core of the play.

Our high graded portfolio – along with a meaningful $150 million annual cost reduction program – is expected to drive down our cash unit production costs significantly by 2020 while delivering capital efficient production growth.

Our board values the feedback and insights gained from ongoing engagement with our stockholders. In 2017, in addition to regular discussions with stockholders regarding our financial results, we proactively engaged with stockholders representing approximately 70 percent of shares outstanding on matters relating to our strategy, corporate governance, executive compensation and sustainability. We participated as independent chairman and CEO along with other members of management and communicated the feedback received during these discussions to the full board.

Sustainability is a strategic priority at Hess. Our company is committed to helping meet the world’s growing energy needs in a safe, environmentally responsible, socially sensitive and profitable way, which is reflected in executive compensation metrics set by our board. We are proud to have been recognized once again in 2017 by a number of third-party organizations for the quality of our environmental, social and governance performance and disclosure.

We are excited about the future and look forward to sharing more about our company at our annual meeting. In addition to the business to be transacted and described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and proxy statement, we will discuss recent developments in our strategy to deliver significant value for our stockholders and respond to your comments and questions.

On behalf of the board of directors, we thank you for your participation and investment in Hess Corporation. We look forward to seeing you on June 6.

Sincerely,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document contains “forward-looking” statements, as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, the words “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “could,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “predict,” “will,” “target,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements related to our operations are based on our current understanding, assessments, estimates and projections of relevant factors and reasonable assumptions about the future. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our current projections or expectations of future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. As and when made, we believe that these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, given these uncertainties, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements since such statements speak only as of the date when made and there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will occur and actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement we make. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Risk factors that could materially impact future actual results are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

HESS CORPORATION

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Wednesday, June 6, 2018, at 9:00 a.m.

To the Stockholders:

The annual meeting of stockholders of Hess Corporation will be held at our offices, 1501 McKinney Street, Houston, Texas 77010, on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., local time, for the following purposes:

All stockholders are cordially invited to attend, although only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 16, 2018, the record date for the annual meeting, will be entitled to vote at the meeting.

By order of the board of directors,

Timothy B. Goodell

Secretary

April 27, 2018

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

PROXY SUMMARY

The following section is only a summary of key elements of the proxy statement. This summary is intended to assist you in reviewing the proxy statement in advance of the annual meeting of stockholders. It does not contain all of the information you should consider, and we encourage you to read this entire proxy statement before submitting your vote.

2018 Annual Meeting Information

Voting Matters

Your vote is important to us. Please exercise your right to vote.

How to Vote

		Over the Internet								By Telephone
		Visit the website listed on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or proxy card or voting instruction form								Call the toll-free telephone number listed on your proxy card or voting instruction form
		By Mail			`					In Person at the Meeting
		Follow the instructions on your proxy card or voting instruction form								Stockholders are invited to attend the annual meeting and vote in person. If you are a beneficial owner of shares you must obtain a legal proxy from the holder of record to vote those shares in person at the meeting. See page 52 for more information.

Corporate Governance Highlights

Proxy Summary

Business and Strategy Overview

Hess Corporation is a global Exploration and Production (E&P) company engaged in the exploration, development, production, transportation, purchase and sale of crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas.

Our strategy is to grow our resource base in a capital disciplined manner, to move down the cost curve so we are resilient in a low oil price environment, and to be cash generative at a $50 per barrel Brent oil price post-2020. To achieve this strategy, we moved aggressively in 2017 to focus our portfolio and divest higher-cost mature assets, resulting in total sales proceeds of $3.4 billion. The proceeds from these asset sales have been earmarked for funding investments in our higher return, lower-cost growth assets in Guyana and the Bakken and returning value to stockholders.

Our balanced portfolio benefits from low-cost, cash generating assets primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and Malaysia that provide a stable base of support to fund our long-term growth investments in Guyana and the Bakken. We will continue to evaluate our portfolio asset mix to deliver on our strategy and create value for our stockholders.

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Proxy Summary

Corporate Performance Highlights

During 2017 we took significant steps to execute our strategy by divesting mature assets, sanctioning the first phase of the Liza development project in Guyana and increasing our resource base while keeping our capital and exploratory spending under budget, and maintaining a strong balance sheet. Our financial results continued to be impacted by lower crude oil and natural gas selling prices and we posted a net loss in 2017, the majority of which was non-cash impairments due to the lower oil price and asset sales. However, we pre-funded our highest return investments and remain committed to deliver on our strategy to be cash generative at a $50 per barrel Brent oil price post-2020.

Stockholder Return. We continue to focus on long-term value creation for our stockholders. The following chart compares the five-year stockholder returns on a $100 investment in our common stock assuming reinvestment of dividends, against the cumulative total returns for the S&P Energy Sector Index and our proxy peer group.

Proxy Summary

Director Nominees

Independent Director Characteristics

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Proxy Summary

Executive Compensation

Compensation Objective

The objective of our executive compensation program is to attract and retain talented executives and motivate them to achieve our business goals through a combination of cash and stock-based compensation, which includes a base salary, annual incentive, and long-term incentives. We are focused on building long-term value in an industry where a significant portion of financial and stock price performance, especially over shorter time periods, is driven by oil price and other macroeconomic factors over which management has limited, if any, control. The board believes that our compensation program should set short-term targets that lead to long-term success and long-term targets based on total shareholder return, which we believe to be the most effective measure of long-term value creation currently available.

Key 2017 Compensation Actions

Compensation Actions in 2018 for the CEO

In early 2018, after a review of market reference pay levels and considering the actions taken to streamline the company through the sale of certain assets and cost reductions, the committee determined to reset our CEO’s target LTI award beginning in 2018, reducing it by 21% to $7.5 million. Based on the board’s assessment of our CEO’s performance versus his key performance initiatives, which met or exceeded expectations, the committee awarded him an LTI award in 2018 at target of $7.5 million.

Compensation Program Key Practices Promote Alignment with Stockholder Interests

Proxy Summary

Pay vs. Performance Alignment - Realizable Compensation

A comparison of realizable pay to target pay, based on the grant date opportunity, and TSR illustrates how performance outcomes have impacted pay over time. The graph below shows that our CEO’s average realizable pay for the last three years has been less than half of the grant-date value and is sensitive to TSR, illustrating meaningful alignment with stockholder interests.

		2018 PROXY STATEMENT		vii

Proxy Summary

Sustainability

Sustainability practices and values are integrated into our company’s strategy and operations. We believe our focus on sustainability creates value for our stockholders and helps position us to continuously improve business performance. Our strategy focuses our efforts on the areas most significant to our business, including health and safety, climate change, community and stakeholder engagement, human rights, and transparency.

Board Oversight of Sustainability Practices

As part of our commitment, the board is actively engaged in overseeing Hess’ sustainability practices and works alongside senior management to ensure focus on these topics. The environmental, health and safety subcommittee of the board’s audit committee provides oversight and makes recommendations to the full board of directors with respect to Hess’ policies, positions and systems for environmental, health, safety and social responsibility, compliance and risk management. Our board is climate change literate, and these and other environmental risks are discussed at the board level and taken into account in strategic decisions. Furthermore, the board’s compensation and management development committee has tied executive compensation to advancing the environmental, health and safety goals of the company.

Disclosure and Transparency

Hess is recognized as a leader in environmental, social and governance transparency and disclosure:

Leadership Status		A top ranking oil & gas company   10 consecutive years		8 consecutive years on North America Index		Only U.S. energy producer		Leading energy company   2 consecutive years

PROXY STATEMENT

The enclosed proxy is solicited by the board of directors of Hess Corporation for use at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., local time, in our office at 1501 McKinney Street, Houston, Texas 77010.

On or about April 27, 2018, we commenced mailing this proxy statement, the notice of annual meeting and the proxy card to stockholders. Holders of record of common stock of the company at the close of business on April 16, 2018 will be entitled to vote at the annual meeting. Each share of common stock will be entitled to one vote. As of April 16, 2018, there were 300,112,892 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the annual meeting. There are no other voting securities of the company outstanding. A majority of the outstanding shares of common stock, present in person or represented by proxy, will constitute a quorum at the annual meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted as shares present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum for the transaction of business.

In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules, we are making our proxy materials available to stockholders over the internet. On or about April 27, 2018, we mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to our stockholders (the “Notice”). The Notice contains instructions on how to access this proxy statement and our annual report and submit a proxy over the internet. If you received a Notice by mail, you will not receive a paper copy of the proxy materials unless you request such materials by following the instructions contained in the Notice.

If at the close of business on April 16, 2018 your shares were held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, dealer, or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and the proxy materials, as applicable, are being forwarded to you by that organization. The organization holding your account is considered the stockholder of record for purposes of voting at the annual meeting. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct that organization on how to vote the shares in your account. If that organization is not given specific direction, shares held in the name of that organization may not be voted and will not be considered as present and entitled to vote on any matter to be considered at the annual meeting, except with respect to the ratification of the company’s independent auditors. Brokers are not permitted to vote your shares with respect to Proposal 1, the election of directors, or Proposal 2, the advisory vote on executive compensation, without your instructions as to how to vote. Please instruct your broker how to vote your shares using the voting instruction form provided by your broker so that your vote can be counted.

If you are a stockholder of record, you can vote by using the internet or calling a toll-free telephone number. Internet and telephone voting information is provided on the proxy card or Notice. A control number, located on the instruction sheet attached to the proxy card or Notice, is designated to verify your identity and allow you to vote your shares and confirm that your voting instructions have been recorded properly. If you vote via the internet or by telephone, there is no need to return a signed proxy card. However, you may still vote by proxy by using the proxy card.

Proxies will be voted at the annual meeting in accordance with the specifications you make on the proxy. If you sign the proxy card or submit a proxy by telephone or over the internet and do not specify how your shares are to be voted, your shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the board of directors. For more information, see “Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and Voting,” beginning on page 51.

		2018 PROXY STATEMENT		1

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Majority Voting Standard

It is intended that proxies will be voted for the nominees set forth herein. The company’s by-laws provide for majority voting in uncontested elections of directors, which is the case for the election of directors at the 2018 annual meeting. Accordingly, to be elected as a director of the company at the 2018 annual meeting, nominees must receive a majority of the votes cast. A majority of votes cast means that the number of shares voted “for” a director’s election exceeds 50% of the number of votes cast with respect to that director’s election. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted as votes cast.

If a director is not elected at the 2018 annual meeting and no successor has been elected at the annual meeting, the director is required to promptly tender his or her resignation to the board. The corporate governance and nominating committee is then required to make a recommendation to the board as to whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The board will act on the tendered resignation and will publicly disclose its decision and rationale within 90 days following certification of the election results. These procedures are described in full in our by-laws, which may be found on the company’s website at www.hess.com.

It is expected that all candidates will be able to serve. However, if before the annual meeting any nominee in this proxy statement is unable to serve, or for good cause will not serve as a director, the proxy holders will vote the proxies for the remaining nominees and for substitute nominees chosen by the board of directors to fill the vacancy unless the board reduces the number of directors to be elected at the annual meeting.

Nominees for Director

The following table presents information as of February 1, 2018 about the nominees for election as directors of the company, including the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led the board to conclude that such person should serve as a director. All of the directors on the board are elected for a one-year term expiring in 2019.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Nominees for Director

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Nominees for Director

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Nominees for Director

		2018 PROXY STATEMENT		5

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Director Nominations

Director Nominations

The corporate governance and nominating committee is responsible for recommending to the board qualified candidates for election as directors. In advance of each annual meeting, the committee meets to recommend nominees for election at the annual meeting. From time to time throughout the year, members of the committee are furnished names of new potential directors and may from time to time meet with the potential candidates.

The corporate governance and nominating committee and the board believe that the board collectively should encompass a broad range of skills, expertise, general industry knowledge and diversity of opinion. New perspectives and ideas are essential to the proper functioning of the board as is the experience and institutional knowledge of longer-tenured directors. The board has undergone significant refreshment over the last several years, replacing 75% of the board since 2013. The corporate governance and nominating committee seeks to ensure that board nominees reflect an appropriate balance of tenure, experience, skills and diversity.

As noted above, among the criteria used to evaluate nominees for the board is diversity of viewpoints, background and experience, including diversity of race, gender, ethnicity, age and cultural background. The board believes that such diversity provides varied perspectives which promote active and constructive dialogue among board members and between the board and management, resulting in more effective oversight. The board believes this diversity is amply demonstrated in the varied backgrounds, experience, qualifications and skills of the current and proposed members of the board. In the board’s executive sessions and in annual performance evaluations conducted by the board and its committees, the board from time to time considers whether the members of the board reflect such diversity and whether such diversity contributes to a constructive and collegial environment.

The corporate governance and nominating committee has retained Russell Reynolds Associates, a director and executive search and recruiting firm, to identify and review potential independent director candidates and assist the committee and the board in assessing the qualifications of candidates. The committee has not paid fees to any other third parties to assist in identifying or evaluating potential nominees. Each of the nominees for election at the 2018 annual meeting were recommended by the non-management directors of the corporate governance and nominating committee, with the input of senior management, the committee’s consultants and advisors.

In addition, the company has adopted a director retirement policy, which provides that no person may be nominated to stand for election or re-election to the board of directors as a non-management director if the election would take place after such person has attained the age of 75, unless otherwise approved by the board. Upon the recommendation of the corporate governance and nominating committee, the board determined to nominate Mr. Chase to stand for re-election at the 2018 annual meeting based on his extensive experience in senior management roles in the oil and gas industry and his significant contributions to the board’s collective knowledge and capabilities.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Board Evaluation

Stockholder Recommendations and Proxy Access

Stockholders may suggest candidates by writing to the corporate governance and nominating committee, in care of the corporate secretary of the company at the address set forth on page 55. Stockholder suggestions should include a summary of the candidate’s qualifications, the information required by SEC rules for director nominees and contact information for the candidate. Stockholder suggestions should be submitted no later than December 1 for consideration as nominees for election at the next annual meeting and otherwise in accordance with the company’s policy and by-laws. The committee follows the same process of identifying and evaluating nominees recommended by stockholders as that for candidates recommended by any other source.

In 2015, our board adopted a proxy access by-law that permits a stockholder, or group of up to 20 stockholders, owning at least 3% of our outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in our proxy materials up to the greater of two directors or 20% of our board of directors. Stockholders and nominees must satisfy the requirements set forth in the by-laws in connection with such nominations. We believe that this by-law provision provides meaningful and effective proxy access rights to our stockholders, and balances those benefits against the risk of misuse by stockholders with interests that are not shared by a significant percentage of our stockholders.

Board Evaluation

Our board is committed to continuous improvement and recognizes the importance of a rigorous evaluation process to enhance board performance and effectiveness. Our corporate governance and nominating committee oversees the annual performance evaluation of the board and ensures that each of the board’s committees conducts an annual self-evaluation. The chair of the corporate governance and nominating committee also oversees the evaluation of our board chairman.

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Board Leadership Structure / Independent Chairman

Board Leadership Structure / Independent Chairman

Our by-laws provide for a non-executive chairman of the board and a separate position of chief executive officer. Mr. Quigley serves as the independent chairman of the board and Mr. Hess serves as chief executive officer and a director of the board.

The board currently believes that separating the roles of chairman and chief executive officer allows for better alignment of corporate governance with stockholder interests and aids in the board’s oversight of management and the board’s ability to carry out its roles and responsibilities on behalf of the stockholders. The board also believes that the separation of the roles of chairman and chief executive officer allows the chief executive officer to focus more of his time and energy on operating and managing the company and leverages the chairman’s leadership and financial, governance and regulatory experience.

The chairman, an independent member of the board who has not previously served as an executive officer of the company, is appointed by the board annually.

Director and Nominee Independence

The board of directors has affirmatively determined that eleven of the twelve current directors on the board and nominees for election at the 2018 meeting, namely, Mr. Chase, Mr. Checki, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Holiday, Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey, Mr. Lipschultz, Mr. McManus, Dr. Meyers, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Reynolds, and Mr. Schrader, are independent within the meaning of the rules and standards of the NYSE. The board determined that these directors and nominees not only met all “bright-line” criteria under these rules, but also that, based on all known relevant facts and circumstances, there did not exist any relationship that would compromise the independence of these directors.

Meeting Attendance

The board of directors met 9 times in 2017. Each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of all board of directors meetings and all meetings of the committees of the board of directors on which he or she served during 2017.

Non-management directors meet without members of management present after each regularly scheduled board meeting. The chairman of the board of directors presides at these meetings.

All of the current directors who were serving as a director at the time of last year’s annual meeting attended that meeting, other than Mr. Lipschultz, who had a prior commitment.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Corporate Governance Guidelines

Corporate Governance Guidelines

The board has approved a set of corporate governance guidelines in accordance with the rules of the NYSE. These guidelines set forth the key policies relating to corporate governance, including director qualification standards, director responsibilities and director compensation. The board has also approved a code of business conduct and ethics in accordance with rules of the NYSE and the SEC applicable to all directors, officers and employees, including the chief executive officer, the principal financial and accounting officer and other senior financial officers. The code is intended to provide guidance to directors and management to assure compliance with law and promote ethical behavior. Copies of the company’s corporate governance guidelines and its code of business conduct and ethics may be found on the company’s website at www.hess.com and are also available without charge upon request to the company’s corporate secretary at the address set forth on page 55.

Stockholder and Interested Party Communications

Any stockholder or interested party who wishes to communicate or request a meeting with members of the board of directors or with only non-management directors or any specified individual director may do so by writing to them in care of the chairman of the board of directors, Hess Corporation, at the address set forth on page 55. Stockholders may also communicate directly to the chairman by e-mail to BoardChairman@hess.com. Communications sent by mail or e-mail will be reviewed by the chairman and will be referred for resolution and response as deemed appropriate by the chairman. If a stockholder requests a meeting, the corporate governance and nominating committee will decide whether the subject matter is a proper one to be addressed by the board and, if so, whether a meeting is warranted. The corporate governance and nominating committee will meet periodically to review all stockholder communications received.

Related Party Transactions

The company expects all directors and executive officers to bring to the company’s attention any related party transactions, including transactions which may be required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC. The company’s policies provide that if any company representative, including a director or officer, considers conducting any transaction that reasonably would be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest between the representative and the company, such representative must disclose such transaction in advance to the company’s legal department for review. In addition, the company annually sends each director and executive officer a questionnaire requiring such person to describe any transaction contemplated under Item 404 or in the case of independent directors, any transaction that might compromise their independence. The company also annually conducts a review of its accounting records to determine whether any such related party transaction occurred in the prior fiscal year. If any proposed or existing related party transaction is identified, the transaction is brought to the general counsel for review. If the general counsel determines the transaction poses a conflict of interest, or would compromise the independence of a non-management director, the general counsel will advise the audit committee of the transaction and the disinterested members of the audit committee will determine whether the transaction serves the best interest of the company and its stockholders and whether if proposed, it may proceed and if existing, it may continue to exist. The general counsel and the disinterested members of the audit committee will determine the appropriate scope of, and process for, the review of any such transaction based on the then existing facts and circumstances of the transaction in view of applicable listing standards of the NYSE.

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Committees of the Board

Committees of the Board

The board has three standing committees: the compensation and management development committee, the corporate governance and nominating committee and the audit committee. Each committee’s written charter is available on our website at www.hess.com and also available without charge upon request to the company’s corporate secretary at the address set forth on page 55. The board receives regular reports from each committee and discusses matters of particular concern or importance.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Committees of the Board

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Report of the Audit Committee

Report of the Audit Committee

The audit committee of the board of directors oversees the company’s financial reporting on behalf of the board. Management is responsible for the system of internal controls and for preparing financial statements. Ernst & Young LLP, the company’s independent registered public accountants, are responsible for expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting and the fair presentation of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. The audit committee operates in accordance with a charter approved by the board of directors, which is available at www.hess.com. The charter sets forth the audit committee’s responsibilities, which are summarized under “Committees of the Board” on page 11. The committee reviews its charter annually and, when appropriate, makes recommendations for changes to the board.

2017 Actions of the Audit Committee

The audit committee met 7 times during 2017 and met in executive session after each of those meetings. Additionally, the audit committee met 4 times to review quarterly financial results.

During 2017, the audit committee met with management, Ernst & Young LLP and internal auditors and among other things:

The audit committee also met separately with Ernst & Young LLP and the internal auditors without management present.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Report of the Audit Committee

Assessment of Independent Registered Public Accountants

The audit committee reviews the scope of and overall plans for the annual audit and negotiates fees and approves the other terms of Ernst & Young LLP’s engagement letter. The audit committee also oversees the periodic required rotation of the lead audit partner, as required by SEC rules, and is directly involved in the selection of such partner.

The audit committee discussed with Ernst & Young LLP their independence from management and the company and considered the compatibility of all non-audit services with the auditors’ independence. The audit committee also assessed the qualifications and performance of Ernst & Young LLP in determining whether to retain them. In conducting this assessment, the audit committee considered, among other things: information relating to audit effectiveness, including the results of PCAOB inspection reports; the depth and expertise of the audit team, including their demonstrated understanding of the company’s businesses, significant accounting practices, and system of internal control over financial reporting; the quality and candor of Ernst & Young LLP’s communications with the audit committee and management; the accessibility, responsiveness, technical competence, and professionalism of the lead audit partner and other members of the audit team assigned to our account; the impact to the company of changing auditors; the appropriateness of Ernst & Young LLP’s fees; and Ernst & Young LLP’s ability to employ professional skepticism, objectivity, integrity, and trustworthiness.

The audit committee reviewed the audited December 31, 2017 financial statements of the company with management and the independent registered public accountants. Management represented to the committee that the financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. In reliance on the reviews and discussions with management and the independent registered public accountants, the audit committee recommended to the board of directors, and the board approved, the inclusion of the audited financial statements in the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC. The audit committee has also selected Ernst & Young LLP as independent registered public accountants for 2018. The board has unanimously proposed that the stockholders ratify this selection at the annual meeting.

Committee Members:

Fredric G. Reynolds, Chair

Rodney F. Chase

Kevin O. Meyers

William G. Schrader

The Report of the Audit Committee does not constitute soliciting material, and shall not be deemed to be filed or incorporated by reference into any other company filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), except to the extent that the company specifically incorporates the Report of the Audit Committee by reference therein.

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Stockholder Engagement

Stockholder Engagement

We engage with our stockholders on a regular basis to ensure we fully understand the factors they consider to be most important when evaluating our company. During 2017, our CEO and other members of senior management, at times accompanied by our independent chairman, conducted a broad outreach effort which included meetings with more than 300 institutional investors representing, in the aggregate, approximately 70% of our outstanding shares.

Risk Oversight

The board of directors has oversight of the company’s risk management policies with an emphasis on understanding the key enterprise risks affecting the company’s business and the ways in which the company attempts to prudently mitigate such risks, to the extent reasonably practicable and consistent with the company’s long-term strategies. Additionally, each of the board’s committees is assigned with overseeing risk management specific to their scope of responsibilities, as illustrated below. Management applies a comprehensive, standardized approach to identifying and managing risks of all types across our operations. Our enterprise risk management (ERM) process is used to develop a holistic risk profile for each asset and major project, drawing input from subject matter experts, performance data, incident investigations, lessons learned and recent internal audits. In these risk assessments, we identify each risk and assess its likelihood and potential impact to people, the environment, our reputation and our business, as well as other risks as appropriate.

Periodically, the chief risk officer presents a comprehensive review of the company’s enterprise levels risks, the status of the enterprise risk program and risk management strategies utilized by the company under its corporate risk policy to the audit committee, which has been delegated primary responsibility for oversight of the company’s risk management practices. The audit committee and the board will also receive updates at meetings during the year on any particular matters relating to specific risks that management believes needs to be brought to the attention of the committee or the board. In addition, the company conducts an annual risk assessment to determine the extent, if any, to which the company’s compensation programs and practices may create incentives for excessive risk-taking. For a discussion of this assessment, see “Compensation and Risk” on page 47.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Risk Oversight

Finally, cyber-security is an integral part of risk management at Hess. The board appreciates the rapidly evolving nature of threats presented by cyber-security incidents and is committed to the prevention, timely detection, and mitigation of the effects of any such incidents on the company. The audit committee receives regular updates from management regarding cyber-security, including the nature of threats, defense and detection capabilities, incident response plans and training activities.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the company’s directors, certain of its officers and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of the company’s common stock to file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership with the SEC. Based solely on the company’s review of copies of such reports, and on written representations from such reporting persons, the company believes that in 2017 all such reporting persons filed the required reports on a timely basis in accordance with Section 16(a).

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Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Ownership of Voting Securities by Certain Beneficial Owners

Ownership of Voting Securities by Certain Beneficial Owners

The following table sets forth, as of March 8, 2018, for Messrs. Hess, Brady, Kean and Goodwillie, and as of December 31, 2017 for the other beneficial owners identified in the table, information as to the ownership of more than 5% of any class of the company’s voting securities by beneficial owners known by the company to hold more than 5% of any such class:

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Ownership of Voting Securities by Certain Beneficial Owners

		2018 PROXY STATEMENT		17

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Ownership of Equity Securities by Management

Ownership of Equity Securities by Management

The table below sets forth as to each director, nominee and named executive officer, and all directors, nominees and executive officers as a group, information regarding their ownership of equity securities of the company on March 8, 2018. The persons listed below have sole voting and investment power as to all shares indicated except as set forth in the footnotes to the table. Where no information appears in the column “Percent of outstanding shares of common stock owned,” the securities held represent less than 1% of the common stock outstanding.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors + Director Compensation

Director Compensation

The following table shows compensation for services rendered by our non-employee directors during 2017.

Each director who was not an employee of the company or any of its subsidiaries receives an annual cash retainer of $110,000 for membership on the board of directors and the independent chairman of the board receives an additional annual cash retainer of $185,000. Directors receive an additional annual cash fee of $25,000 for service on the audit committee and $10,000 for service on each of the other committees of the board of directors on which such director serves. The chairperson of the audit committee receives an annual cash fee of $30,000 and the chairperson of each of the other board committees receives an annual cash fee of $15,000. Directors serving on the EHS subcommittee receive an additional annual cash fee of $5,000 and the chairperson of the EHS subcommittee receives an annual cash fee of $10,000. In addition, each non-employee director receives shares of fully vested common stock constituting approximately $175,000 in value on the date of award. These awards are made from shares purchased by the company in the open market. For 2017, Messrs. Mullin, Coleman and Lipschultz received pro-rated board and committee retainers based on their length of service on the board and committees in 2017.

		2018 PROXY STATEMENT		19

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) explains the key elements of our executive compensation program and 2017 compensation decisions for our named executive officers (“NEOs”). The compensation and management development committee of our board of directors (the “compensation committee” or the “committee”), with input from its independent compensation consultant, oversees these programs and determines compensation for our NEOs.

For fiscal year 2017, our NEOs were:

CD&A Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Our compensation program is focused on building long-term value in an industry where oil and gas reserves are depleted annually and a significant portion of financial and stock price performance, especially over shorter time periods, is driven by oil price and other macroeconomic factors over which management has limited, if any, control. It is critical we maintain and grow our resource base in a capital disciplined manner while ensuring our cost of production is low enough to generate returns for our stockholders in the current oil price environment. The board believes that our compensation program should set short-term targets that lead to long-term success and long-term targets based on shareholder returns, which we believe is the most effective measure of long-term value creation currently available. As a result, our annual incentive plan is designed to maintain an annual focus on management’s day-to-day efforts on outcomes largely within its control, with a strong emphasis on formulaic enterprise results. Our long-term incentive plan focuses on longer term objectives, including stockholder value creation and alignment of management with stockholder interests.

Executive Compensation + Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Compensation Actions in 2017. In light of the commodity price environment, the compensation and management development committee took the following compensation actions:

The committee follows a rigorous target setting process each year to ensure the enterprise performance metrics of our annual incentive plan include challenging, yet attainable, targets for executives. The committee also considers a number of factors when determining appropriate individual AIP target percentages, including the executive’s position within the company, his or her corresponding responsibilities, and the competitive annual incentive opportunity for similar positions in other companies in our industry. The committee will also assess the outcomes of the prior year in making its decision on the targets for the current year.

Compensation Actions in 2018 for the CEO. In early 2018, after a review of market reference pay levels and considering the actions taken to streamline the company through the sale of certain assets and cost reductions, the committee determined to reset our CEO’s target LTI award beginning in 2018, reducing it by 21% to $7.5 million. Based on the board’s assessment of our CEO’s performance versus his key performance initiatives, which met or exceeded expectations, the committee awarded him an LTI award at target of $7.5 million.

Summary of Business and Strategy. Hess Corporation is a global Exploration and Production (E&P) company engaged in the exploration, development, production, transportation, purchase and sale of crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas.

Our strategy is to grow our resource base in a capital disciplined manner, to move down the cost curve so we are resilient in a low oil price environment, and to be cash generative at a $50 per barrel Brent oil price post-2020. To achieve this strategy, we moved aggressively in 2017 to focus our portfolio and divest higher-cost mature assets, resulting in total sales proceeds of $3.4 billion. The proceeds from these asset sales have been earmarked for funding investments in our higher return, lower-cost growth assets in Guyana and the Bakken and returning value to stockholders.

As a result, our balanced portfolio benefits from low-cost, cash generating assets primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and Malaysia that provide a stable base of support to fund our long-term growth investments in Guyana and the Bakken. We will continue to evaluate our portfolio asset mix to deliver on our strategy and create value for our stockholders.

		2018 PROXY STATEMENT		21

Executive Compensation + Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Corporate Performance. During 2017 we took significant steps to execute our strategy by divesting mature assets, sanctioning the first phase of the Liza development project in Guyana and increasing our resource base while keeping our capital and exploratory spending under budget, and maintaining a strong balance sheet. Our financial results continued to be impacted by lower crude oil and natural gas selling prices and we posted a net loss in 2017, the majority of which was non-cash impairments due to the lower oil price and asset sales. However, we pre-funded our highest return investments and remain committed to deliver on our strategy to be cash generative at a $50 per barrel Brent oil price post-2020.

The enterprise performance metrics of our annual incentive program are designed to reward management for progress made against measurable goals that align with our overall company strategy. In 2017, the committee considered the progress made against each of these six metrics in determining executive compensation payouts:

Production

Controllable Operated Cash Costs

Cash Return on Capital Employed

Capital and Exploratory Spend

Exploration Resource Additions

Environment, Health and Safety

Grow our resource base in a  capital disciplined manner

We believe that EHS practices create value for our stockholders and help position us to continuously improve business performance

Move down the cost curve so we are resilient in a low  oil price environment

Be cash generative at a  $50 per barrel Brent oil  price post-2020

Executive Compensation + Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Summary of Hess’ 2017 Executive Compensation Program

Pay Mix. The majority of NEO compensation is variable and performance-based. For our CEO and other NEOs, approximately 90% and 80%, respectively, on average, of 2017 target total direct compensation was variable. Variable pay directly ties each NEO’s pay to company performance outcomes, including financial results, operational results, strategic initiatives, and stock price performance. Beginning in 2016, the committee focused Mr. Hess’ long-term incentive mix on a combination of PSUs and stock options, making 100% of his long-term incentive compensation performance-contingent and further aligning Mr. Hess’ total compensation to the company’s long-term performance.

		2018 PROXY STATEMENT		23

Executive Compensation + Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Pay vs. Performance Alignment - Realizable Compensation. A comparison of realizable pay to target pay, based on the grant date opportunity, and TSR illustrates how performance outcomes have impacted pay over time. The graph below shows the average realizable pay of the CEO for each of the three-year periods ending December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the correlation with the indexed TSR of Hess common stock. As shown below, realizable CEO compensation is sensitive to TSR, thereby illustrating meaningful alignment with stockholder interests.

Executive Compensation + Compensation Discussion and Analysis

2017 Stockholder Engagement and Response to Low Oil Price Environment

At our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, over 96% of votes present and entitled to vote supported Hess’ executive compensation program, in-line with stockholder support for the three prior years. In addition, we regularly engage stockholders to ensure we fully understand the factors they consider to be the most important when evaluating our executive compensation program. During 2017, our CEO and other members of senior management, at times accompanied by our independent chairman, conducted a broad outreach effort which included meetings with more than 300 institutional investors representing, in the aggregate, approximately 70% of our outstanding shares. The purpose of our stockholders engagement is to discuss and solicit stockholder views on our strategy, business plan, corporate governance and other matters of concern, including executive compensation.

Over the last several years, the committee implemented a number of changes to our compensation program based on feedback we received and to align with the low oil price environment and our stockholders’ interests:

Compensation Program Key Practices Promote Alignment with Stockholder Interests

Key executive compensation practices are summarized below. We believe these practices promote close alignment with the interests of our stockholders.