Agenda

Chet Thompson became president and CEO of AFPM in May 2015. He leads a staff that advocates for petroleum refiners and petrochemical manufacturers before Congress and the Executive Branch on a broad range of public policy issues. Under his leadership, AFPM works to emphasize the importance of petroleum refiners and petrochemical manufacturers and the essential products they produce that improve our lives, enable human progress and stimulate the U.S. economy.

Before coming to AFPM, Thompson had a successful legal career in Washington, D.C. for over two decades. Most recently he was a partner at Crowell & Moring LLP, where he was Chairman of the Environment & Natural Resources Group, one of the country’s premier environmental practices. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the George W. Bush Administration where he provided legal advice to the agency’s Administrator, General Counsel and program offices. Before joining the EPA in 2004, he spent 10 years at Collier Shannon Scott PLLC.

Since joining AFPM, Thompson has been named to the U.S. Chamber’s Association Committee of 100, which is committed to advancing jobs, growth, and opportunity that help our nation prosper; and The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., which serves to promote a greater sense of community among the region’s top business and government leaders, and the diplomatic community.

In December 2018, The Hill named Thompson as one of Washington’s Top Lobbyists. He has also been recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the United States by Chambers & Partners, and was awarded a Certificate of Accommodation by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006. Thompson holds a B.A. in political science from Boston College and a J.D. from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law.

John was previously the team leader for TM&C’s market outlook publications and assignments and provided senior leadership to TM&C’s analyses of the worldwide refining industry and leads industry studies for the firm’s clients. He has specific expertise in the areas of refining economics and planning, LP modeling, downstream asset valuation, crude oil valuation and capital investment/strategic planning. John joined the firm in 1987 after a career with Exxon Corp., where he held various positions at its Baytown, Texas refinery. He holds a BS (1980) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska and an MBA (1984) from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He is a licensed professional engineer in Texas and Nebraska and is also a member of TSPE and AIChE.

Chet Thompson became president and CEO of AFPM in May 2015. He leads a staff that advocates for petroleum refiners and petrochemical manufacturers before Congress and the Executive Branch on a broad range of public policy issues. Under his leadership, AFPM works to emphasize the importance of petroleum refiners and petrochemical manufacturers and the essential products they produce that improve our lives, enable human progress and stimulate the U.S. economy.

Before coming to AFPM, Thompson had a successful legal career in Washington, D.C. for over two decades. Most recently he was a partner at Crowell & Moring LLP, where he was Chairman of the Environment & Natural Resources Group, one of the country’s premier environmental practices. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the George W. Bush Administration where he provided legal advice to the agency’s Administrator, General Counsel and program offices. Before joining the EPA in 2004, he spent 10 years at Collier Shannon Scott PLLC.

Since joining AFPM, Thompson has been named to the U.S. Chamber’s Association Committee of 100, which is committed to advancing jobs, growth, and opportunity that help our nation prosper; and The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., which serves to promote a greater sense of community among the region’s top business and government leaders, and the diplomatic community.

In December 2018, The Hill named Thompson as one of Washington’s Top Lobbyists. He has also been recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the United States by Chambers & Partners, and was awarded a Certificate of Accommodation by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006. Thompson holds a B.A. in political science from Boston College and a J.D. from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law.

Michelle Poler is a creative and passionate social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, fear facer, branding strategist and author of Hello, Fears: Crush Your Comfort Zone and Become Who You’re Meant to Be.

She is the Founder of Hello Fears, a social movement empowering millions to step outside of the comfort zone and tap into their full potential. She has spoken at TEDx, Google, P&G, Facebook, ESPN, Netflix, Microsoft, Toyota, and many more.

Michelle is also the creator of the project 100 Days Without Fear. Her work has been featured on CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, NBC and Daily Mail among many others.

Early on in her career she worked as an Art Director at Young & Rubicam for brands such as Hershey’s, Wendy’s, AT&T and Revlon. Michelle is originally from Venezuela and she holds a Masters in Branding from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Andy Woods is the Plant Manager at Chevron Phillips Port Arthur plant. He has extensive manufacturing experience in both Operations and Maintenance mainly in Polymers and Ethylene processes. He has been a member of AFPM’s Reliability & Maintenance Conference committee for eight years. Andy holds a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland and has 32 years of experience in the chemical industry.

Billy has more than 9 years of in-plant work experience in the oil & gas industry, with an emphasis on Reliability, Maintenance, and Turnarounds. After joining Delek US from one of the oil majors in 2016, Billy helped form the corporate support structure within Refining in those focus areas and has held positions in 3 Major Turnarounds in Delek since joining the team. Today, Billy enjoys using his previous work experience to drive Delek’s Business Transformation to a downstream company with a technology-supported culture of and standardized governance and real-time decision-making. Billy recently joined the Mobideo design and deliver process for Delek in the areas of Turnaround/Shutdown readiness and streamlined execution support.

Daniel is a turnaround expert, having held a series of roles in turnarounds over the last 10 years and managed large teams of engineers located in different facilities. As Director of Customer Success in Mobideo, he shares his turnaround knowledge, insights, expertise and understanding with customers, enabling them to appreciate how digitalization and automation can fundamentally change STO management and contribute to standardization of the STO market.

Since 2021 Mark has been focused on bringing sustainable solutions to Honeywell UOP’s customers in the more traditional Refining, Petrochemical and Gas Processing spaces.

Mark holds a BS Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Mark holds three US patents in the areas of FCC, propylene separation membranes and other solids-fluids separation equipment. With Honeywell UOP, Mark has held positions in Field Service, Engineering, Offering Management, Optimization Services, Sales and Country Management before becoming the Senior Business Leader (SBL) for FCC, Alkylation & Treating followed by a similar role overseeing UOP’s Gas Processing portfolio. Prior to his current role, Mark was the Director for Technology Sales where he focused on driving the UOP Six Efficiencies (E6) to ensure that UOP offerings are the most Bankable solutions for our customers.

Chevron Phillips for 18 years, in various organizations: Information Technology (software development, project management), Commercial Lines (analyst and sales and operations planning), Supply Chain (managing warehousing, packaging, drayage), and Analytics (business intelligence and data science). Currently forming the Data Science team at CPChem.

Chemical Engineer that has worked as a process engineer and a process control engineer in the chemicals, refining, upstream, and midstream businesses. Have served in roles as a Supervisor, Senior Management, Executive at a Technology Corporation, and a Principal Engineer. My interests are in the application of models, statistical and first principles, to dynamically control processes for safe, reliable, and economic objectives. This can include APC, Dynamic Optimization, and automated control schemes. I’m also interested in the interactions between humans and machines to achieve effective results and how the two entities compliment the other. This typically involves Alarm Management and Operating limits, Transition Management, and State Based Control. I’m published in Process Control Engineering and Fuel Cell Research, with patents in APC and Control Loop Identification.

Mark has over 30 years of domestic and international experience in the Process Controls industry helping customers improve their process automation through innovative solutions using digital integration technologies. Marks’s deep understanding of process controls and product management skills are a welcomed addition to Yokogawa’s OPA Development team.

David DeBari is an Innovator and a Process Control Engineer for the ExxonMobil Engineering and Technology Company. He has many years of automation experience in both continuous and batch processes and has built, migrated, or replaced a variety of automation systems on numerous projects. David is the ExxonMobil Open Process Automation Program Technical Team Leader and one of the original members of ExxonMobil’s Program Team. He has provided technical leadership for the proof of concept and pilot unit prototype projects, and leads the current Test Bed and Field Trial activities for the ExxonMobil Program.

Herb is Manager Maintenance and Reliability for CVR Energy at the Coffeyville Kansas Refinery. Herb earned his engineering degree from Auburn University and has over 30 years of professional experience in Maintenance, Reliability and Turnarounds for the refining and petrochemical industry most recently with LyondellBasell Industries, BP, Shell/Motiva and CVR Energy.

Mark Hutton is a Direct Services Category Manager with Contracts and Procurement in Houston. Mark has 13 years of experience in Contracts and Procurement managing service contracts with three owner companies in both Chemicals and Refining. Marks experience includes Strategic Sourcing, Contracting, Contract Negotiations and Supplier Relationship Management.

Herb is Manager Maintenance and Reliability for CVR Energy at the Coffeyville Kansas Refinery. Herb earned his engineering degree from Auburn University and has over 30 years of professional experience in Maintenance, Reliability and Turnarounds for the refining and petrochemical industry most recently with LyondellBasell Industries, BP, Shell/Motiva and CVR Energy.

Mark Hutton is a Direct Services Category Manager with Contracts and Procurement in Houston. Mark has 13 years of experience in Contracts and Procurement managing service contracts with three owner companies in both Chemicals and Refining. Marks experience includes Strategic Sourcing, Contracting, Contract Negotiations and Supplier Relationship Management.

Kenneth Bloch is a Process Safety Supervisor with Marathon Petroleum Company. He has over 30 years of experience in managing reliability, PSM, technical, and operations responsibilities. He regularly shares information at AFPM, API, and AIChE process safety symposiums to prevent process safety failures throughout the manufacturing industry. In 2016 Ken published Rethinking Bhopal, which uses an independent investigation approach to explain the sequence of events behind history’s worst industrial disaster. Ken graduated with honors from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas with an Environmental Science Degree in 1988.

Tyler Veenstra is Marathon Petroleum Company’s Refining Training and Development Manager. Tyler began his career with Marathon as a Process Technician in Robinson, IL over 24 years ago. While handling various responsibilities through his 10 years as a Process Operator, Tyler discovered a passion for sharing his knowledge, skills, and abilities. This led him to holding several different training positions across Refining and has been the Refining Training and Development Manager for the past six years.

Tracy leads the Process Design and Project Engineering group and also sponsors the She Leads women’s employee resource group at Monroe Energy. Prior to joining Monroe, Tracy held several positions at Sunoco, Inc. and Philadelphia Energy Solutions, both in Philadelphia, PA. During her tenure with the two companies, she gained extensive experience in finance, process engineering, business development, and economics and planning. Tracy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Business Administration, from Drexel University.

Alex Kalafatis is a Sr. Director of Product Management responsible for the roadmap of AspenTech APC solutions. He has over 20 years of application experience in the area of Advanced Process Control and Optimization. He is a co-author of a US Patent for Nonlinear Control Technology. Alex Kalafatis holds a Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Eric Legare is a Chemical Engineer from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has over 25 years in industry with a background in Operations and Technical Services. He is currently a Senior Advising Process Engineer at the Phillips 66 Refinery in Rodeo, California.

Priyesh Thakker is Principal Hydroprocessing Engineer at Haldor Topsoe in Houston, TX. He is responsible for process design and providing technical support for various hydroprocessing technologies with a focus on Renewable Diesel and Renewable Jet operations. He has experience both in execution of Major Capital Projects as well as in Operations, troubleshooting and Startups in Renewable Diesel, Naphtha Hydrotreating, FCC PT and Hydrocracking technologies. Over the years, he has provided engineering and Operations support on revamps and Newbuild construction in these areas.

Priyesh holds a MSChE from Carnegie Mellon University and has 15+ years of experience in the refining industry.

Hardy Kemp started his career with PetroSA as a mechanical engineer at their Gas-to-Liquids Refinery in Mossel Bay, South Africa. He entered the construction industry with CBI Constructors, a worldwide EPC contractor, where he executed a variety of small & large capital projects, maintenance as well as turnarounds with roles in Project Engineering, Construction Management, Business Development & Turnaround Execution in Africa, Middle East & USA. Hardy joined Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries in 2008 as Turnaround Manager. He was promoted Operations Manager in 2011, responsible for Gasoil, Naphtha & Diesel Hydrotreating, Crude distillation, Hydrogen Reforming, Hydrocracking & Sulfur recovery units. Currently, Hardy is the Director of Projects & Turnarounds at the Pine Bend Refinery and sits on the Refinery Leadership Team at the Rosemount refinery with responsibility for all Projects, Engineering & Turnarounds. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.

Dawn Wurst is the Senior Vice President of Health & Safety at Georgia Pacific. Dawn has 28 years of EH&S experience including both environmental and safety roles. Dawn spent the majority of her career in the energy industry and came to the paper industry 4-1/2 years ago. Dawn earned her B.S. in engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dawn is responsible for the safety capability within GP to support their 35,000 employees, including leadership of their Human & Organizational Performance integration effort.

Arnold Austin is a Lead Engineer with Emerson Control and Operator Performance. He has 18 years experience designing and implementing advanced process, regulatory, and state-based controls across multiple platforms. The most recent 6 years have been mostly focused on providing advanced/dynamic alarm solutions.

Patrick has 12 years of refining industry experience in the areas of automation, optimization, and leadership. Specific experience includes:

• Process Controls Engineer
• LP & Modeling Engineer, Planning & Economics
• Process Controls & Modeling Team Lead
• Digital Business Lead
• Operations Business Team Lead of Oil Movements

Patrick holds a Chemical Engineering degree by training with a focus on dynamic modeling and control (Lehigh University PhD, New Jersey Institute of Technology BS)

Gordon is Senior Director, Technical Programs, for AFPM, He has been with AFPM for 11 years. Previous, Gordon spent 12.5 years at API and 7 years at Xerox Corp. Gordon holds a BA from VA Tech and have an MBA from Averett University.

Josh has 17 years of experience in the refining industry, with special emphasis on crude and vacuum operations. Over 10 years of his career has been spent in process design roles. He has completed several major projects at Marathon Petroleum Company's Catlettsburg, KY refinery. Successfully completed projects include a new Condensate Fractionation unit to process local distressed tight oil feedstocks, as well as, major revamps on crude/vacuum units, sat gas plants, and solvent deasphalting units.

Sim is a heavy oils subject matter expert with over 40 years experience as a Chemical Engineer.

Sim’s expertise is in Delayed Coking, Fluid/Flexicoking and general heavy oils.
His expertise includes simulating delayed coker operations, test run execution and analysis, delayed coker yields and furnace model development, unit optimization and reliability management, unit troubleshooting, unit start-up, and general delayed coker operations. Additionally, Sim has expertise in other heavy oil operations – vacuum units, visbreakers, ROSE and solvent deasphalting units.

Sim also has expertise in Python data analytics and machine learning and has applied this to delayed coker yields and KPIs, coker heater fouling and coke drum crack/maintenance and monitoring.

Jeffrey Sexton is the Refining Technology Director for Marathon Petroleum Company located in Findlay, Ohio. He directs the efforts of 40 subject matter experts to provide technical and operational expertise and support to Marathon’s downstream organization while working closely with the refining Technical Services departments. Jeff also has responsibility for Virent. This is a technology company based in Madison, Wisconsin that produces transportation fuels from corn sugar. Jeff previously worked for UOP in a variety of assignments and has worked in over 64 different refineries around the world. Jeff was previously the FCC & Alky subject matter expert for Marathon responsible for unit technical and operating performance and Operations & Training Director. He has authored over 30 technical papers, holds 8 patents and made several presentations at the AFPM and other industry forums. Jeff has been chairman of the U.S. EPA Consent Decree FCC Technical Team, PSRI Technical Advisory Committee and is an AFPM Summit Steering Committee member. Jeff holds a BS in chemical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Alan is VP Refining, Chemicals and Oil Markets, responsible for formulating our research outlook and integrated cross-sector perspectives on the global downstream sector.

Alan joined the business as part of our Downstream Consulting Team in 2005 and later went on to lead the division. He has managed consulting assignments all over the world, focusing on major transactions (projects and M&A) and their alignment with key success factors for industry players and third parties. He then transitioned into research upon his return to London from Houston in 2011.

Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Alan spent 10 years as an industry consultant after working for ExxonMobil in a variety of project planning and technical process design roles.

Steve Gim is currently the Regional Technical Service Manager for BASF Corporation. Steve has over 25 years of experience in the refining industry, with roles encompassing catalyst selection, FCC process design & start-ups, modeling, and refinery planning. Prior to joining BASF, he was the principal technologist for Technip Stone & Webster. He also spent 5 years as a market and trading analyst for Enron and Reliant.

Steve holds Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas and an MBA from Rice University. He is also a CFA® charter holder.

Gordon is Senior Director, Technical Programs, for AFPM, He has been with AFPM for 11 years. Previous, Gordon spent 12.5 years at API and 7 years at Xerox Corp. Gordon holds a BA from VA Tech and have an MBA from Averett University.

Josh has 17 years of experience in the refining industry, with special emphasis on crude and vacuum operations. Over 10 years of his career has been spent in process design roles. He has completed several major projects at Marathon Petroleum Company's Catlettsburg, KY refinery. Successfully completed projects include a new Condensate Fractionation unit to process local distressed tight oil feedstocks, as well as, major revamps on crude/vacuum units, sat gas plants, and solvent deasphalting units.

Sim is a heavy oils subject matter expert with over 40 years experience as a Chemical Engineer.

Sim’s expertise is in Delayed Coking, Fluid/Flexicoking and general heavy oils.
His expertise includes simulating delayed coker operations, test run execution and analysis, delayed coker yields and furnace model development, unit optimization and reliability management, unit troubleshooting, unit start-up, and general delayed coker operations. Additionally, Sim has expertise in other heavy oil operations – vacuum units, visbreakers, ROSE and solvent deasphalting units.

Sim also has expertise in Python data analytics and machine learning and has applied this to delayed coker yields and KPIs, coker heater fouling and coke drum crack/maintenance and monitoring.

Eric Legare is a Chemical Engineer from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has over 25 years in industry with a background in Operations and Technical Services. He is currently a Senior Advising Process Engineer at the Phillips 66 Refinery in Rodeo, California.

Dr. David C. Dayton is a RTI Senior Fellow (Chemistry) and the Director of the Biofuels Program at RTI International with over 25 years of project management and research experience in biomass thermochemical conversion R&D projects involving biomass combustion, gasification, and pyrolysis. He has been awarded over $26MM in federal funding to support his current research activities on alternative fuels research, particularly catalytic biomass pyrolysis technology development, biocrude separations and upgrading, synthesis gas conversion, cleanup, and conditioning, and experimental programs relating to biomass thermochemical conversion for biofuels and bioproducts. These R&D activities are focused on expanding integrated biorefinery technology development activities for advanced biofuel production. Dr. Dayton came to RTI in July 2007 following 14 years at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where he managed biomass thermochemical conversion projects for the U.S. Department of Energy. He was a postdoctoral research associate at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD from 1991-1993. He received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC in 1990 and a B.S. in Chemistry from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA in 1985.

Dr. Dayton has published over 70 technical papers, book chapters, and government reports. He recently co-authored a book entitled “Analytical Methods for Biomass Characterization and Conversion” and has adjunct faculty positions in the Energy and Environmental Systems Department at North Carolina A&T State University and in the Forest Biomaterials Department, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University.

Steve Gim is currently the Regional Technical Service Manager for BASF Corporation. Steve has over 25 years of experience in the refining industry, with roles encompassing catalyst selection, FCC process design & start-ups, modeling, and refinery planning. Prior to joining BASF, he was the principal technologist for Technip Stone & Webster. He also spent 5 years as a market and trading analyst for Enron and Reliant.

Steve holds Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas and an MBA from Rice University. He is also a CFA® charter holder.

Hardy Kemp started his career with PetroSA as a mechanical engineer at their Gas-to-Liquids Refinery in Mossel Bay, South Africa. He entered the construction industry with CBI Constructors, a worldwide EPC contractor, where he executed a variety of small & large capital projects, maintenance as well as turnarounds with roles in Project Engineering, Construction Management, Business Development & Turnaround Execution in Africa, Middle East & USA. Hardy joined Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries in 2008 as Turnaround Manager. He was promoted Operations Manager in 2011, responsible for Gasoil, Naphtha & Diesel Hydrotreating, Crude distillation, Hydrogen Reforming, Hydrocracking & Sulfur recovery units. Currently, Hardy is the Director of Projects & Turnarounds at the Pine Bend Refinery and sits on the Refinery Leadership Team at the Rosemount refinery with responsibility for all Projects, Engineering & Turnarounds. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.

Dawn Wurst is the Senior Vice President of Health & Safety at Georgia Pacific. Dawn has 28 years of EH&S experience including both environmental and safety roles. Dawn spent the majority of her career in the energy industry and came to the paper industry 4-1/2 years ago. Dawn earned her B.S. in engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dawn is responsible for the safety capability within GP to support their 35,000 employees, including leadership of their Human & Organizational Performance integration effort.

Darwin Logerot, P.E. is a Principal Operator Performance Consultant and Manager at Emerson Automation Solutions. Since joining in 2006, he has become one of the company’s leaders in alarm management. He has completed a number of major alarm management projects. He is currently a voting member and work group leader on the ISA 18 (Alarm Management) committee.

Patrick has 12 years of refining industry experience in the areas of automation, optimization, and leadership. Specific experience includes:

• Process Controls Engineer
• LP & Modeling Engineer, Planning & Economics
• Process Controls & Modeling Team Lead
• Digital Business Lead
• Operations Business Team Lead of Oil Movements

Patrick holds a Chemical Engineering degree by training with a focus on dynamic modeling and control (Lehigh University PhD, New Jersey Institute of Technology BS)

Sim is a heavy oils subject matter expert with over 40 years experience as a Chemical Engineer.

Sim’s expertise is in Delayed Coking, Fluid/Flexicoking and general heavy oils.
His expertise includes simulating delayed coker operations, test run execution and analysis, delayed coker yields and furnace model development, unit optimization and reliability management, unit troubleshooting, unit start-up, and general delayed coker operations. Additionally, Sim has expertise in other heavy oil operations – vacuum units, visbreakers, ROSE and solvent deasphalting units.

Sim also has expertise in Python data analytics and machine learning and has applied this to delayed coker yields and KPIs, coker heater fouling and coke drum crack/maintenance and monitoring.

Jeffrey Sexton is the Refining Technology Director for Marathon Petroleum Company located in Findlay, Ohio. He directs the efforts of 40 subject matter experts to provide technical and operational expertise and support to Marathon’s downstream organization while working closely with the refining Technical Services departments. Jeff also has responsibility for Virent. This is a technology company based in Madison, Wisconsin that produces transportation fuels from corn sugar. Jeff previously worked for UOP in a variety of assignments and has worked in over 64 different refineries around the world. Jeff was previously the FCC & Alky subject matter expert for Marathon responsible for unit technical and operating performance and Operations & Training Director. He has authored over 30 technical papers, holds 8 patents and made several presentations at the AFPM and other industry forums. Jeff has been chairman of the U.S. EPA Consent Decree FCC Technical Team, PSRI Technical Advisory Committee and is an AFPM Summit Steering Committee member. Jeff holds a BS in chemical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Bob Riley is the Director of Energy Transition & Sustainability for Grace’s FCC catalyst business. In this role, Bob is responsible for business strategy, evolution, and execution around the energy transition, both within the FCC business and across other projects/programs at Grace. Bob also holds responsibility for Grace’s FCC digitalization programs, and other areas of business development. Bob has been with Grace for 23 years, with 20 dedicated to multiple aspects of the FCC catalyst business, including technical service, sales, marketing, process quality and assurance, and Six Sigma. In addition, Bob led commercial efforts for Grace’s Renewable Fuels and Chemicals business, and is a lecturer at the Johns Hopkins University.

Bob holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and is a certified Six Sigma black belt."

Leif Forer, MBA brings nearly two decades of hands-on experience in building and scaling manufacturing operations and production processes to his work as a sustainability consultant. At the start of his career Leif cofounded Piedmont Biofuels, an early leader in the production of biodiesel from waste feedstocks. He later led the scaleup from lab to commercial production as Chief Operating Officer for bioMASON, a pioneer in leveraging microorganisms for carbon-neutral manufacturing of building materials. Leif has also worked in finance and management consulting specializing in renewable energy, chemical, biotechnology, food, and consumer product manufacturing. His knowledge of sustainability solutions is informed by his experience as a greenhouse gas (GHG) verifier and accredited lead auditor for Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) across many Tier 1 and 2 fuel and feedstock pathways, International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), International Organization for Standardization 9001 (ISO), and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Leif earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in applied design from Hampshire College.

Matthew Wojtowicz is a Sr. Technology Services Manager overseeing the FCC, Treating, and Alkylation Technology Services group at UOP LLC. Matthew is responsible for servicing numerous FCC, Treating, and Alkylation units globally. Prior to joining the technology services group Matthew was a technical adviser in FOS for 5 years primarily working on FCCs. He assisted with the commissioning and startup of 4 new FCC complexes. Matthew also spent 1 year in R&D working in the pilot plants. Matthew obtained his BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Mr. Moreaux holds a B.S in Chemical Engineering from Lamar University and has been with LyondellBasell for over 20 years in various roles of increasing responsibility in the manufacturing organization. Through multiple assignments in Channelview, Corpus Christi, Bayport and Chocolate Bayou, Lawrence has gained broad knowledge and experience in Olefins, Intermediates and Derivates and Polymers. He is also a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Council and chair of the American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers Walk the Line group. Mr. Moreaux is now the Associate Director of Digital Technology Integrations and Partnerships for LyondellBasell.

Abi Mukund is the Head of Product Marketing and Strategy at Imubit. In this role, he works in product management and leads the business front to help define product vision and growth, while educating customers about Imubit’s novel approach. Prior to product marketing and strategy, Abi was the Implementation Engineering Manager, managing technical execution and delivery of Imubit’s solution to customers. Before joining Imubit, Abi worked at LyondellBasell in refining and olefins, mainly within process engineering teams with experience in controls and planning and optimization. Abi has an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and received his B.Sc in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech.

Matthew Wojtowicz is a Sr. Technology Services Manager overseeing the FCC, Treating, and Alkylation Technology Services group at UOP LLC. Matthew is responsible for servicing numerous FCC, Treating, and Alkylation units globally. Prior to joining the technology services group Matthew was a technical adviser in FOS for 5 years primarily working on FCCs. He assisted with the commissioning and startup of 4 new FCC complexes. Matthew also spent 1 year in R&D working in the pilot plants. Matthew obtained his BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Herb is Manager Maintenance and Reliability for CVR Energy at the Coffeyville Kansas Refinery. Herb earned his engineering degree from Auburn University and has over 30 years of professional experience in Maintenance, Reliability and Turnarounds for the refining and petrochemical industry most recently with LyondellBasell Industries, BP, Shell/Motiva and CVR Energy.

Abi Mukund is the Head of Product Marketing and Strategy at Imubit. In this role, he works in product management and leads the business front to help define product vision and growth, while educating customers about Imubit’s novel approach. Prior to product marketing and strategy, Abi was the Implementation Engineering Manager, managing technical execution and delivery of Imubit’s solution to customers. Before joining Imubit, Abi worked at LyondellBasell in refining and olefins, mainly within process engineering teams with experience in controls and planning and optimization. Abi has an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and received his B.Sc in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech.

Mark Knight is a Technical Specialist for GE Water & Process Technologies. With over 10 years of experience in the refining industry, he is responsible for improving the economic & environmental performance of industrial clients by providing insights to understanding opportunities & risks, developing short term strategies and implementing long term solutions. Mark is a member of Water Environment Federation’s (WEF) Industrial Wastewater Committee and the Chair of the Refining Subcommittee. He has also published and presented on topics including the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, The Value of Water, and Refining Wastewater Treatment. Mark has a Master’s degree in Environmental Applied Science & Management and is a Professional Engineer.

Chemical Engineer and MBA. Refining experience with 23 years at XOM (Argentina and USA) working in process and operation of Crude and Vacuum Distillation, Delayed Coker, Solvent Hydrogenation Units, Energy & Oil Loss Coordinator, Project development (Low Sulfur Fuels), Business Analysis and SHE management. Joined Nalco Champion as Industry Technical Consultant for Refinery Process in Latin America, supporting business, troubleshooting and implementing new projects for 6 years, moving to USA on 2018 to take over a position as Marketing Director for NA.

Wade has worked 40+ years in Process Control and Information Technology with major companies, such as Shell, Basell, Oxy, Union Carbide, Amoco, and now with Emerson. He has held various positions related to Information Technology and Process Control Automation in addition to leading services organizations within these companies.

Wade delivers, extends, and manages the Industrial Intranet of Things with intelligent, industrial application platforms. These Solutions include multiple industrial applications that address all of your critical safety, security, compliance, and performance needs for Communications, Condition Monitoring, Location Awareness, Video, and Workforce Mobility.

Formal training includes Naval Tactical Defense System from the US Navy, a BS in Electrical Engineering and he has attended many courses with the leading process control and informational technology vendors.

Eric Legare is a Chemical Engineer from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has over 25 years in industry with a background in Operations and Technical Services. He is currently a Senior Advising Process Engineer at the Phillips 66 Refinery in Rodeo, California.

Jonathan Arana is a Lead Hydroprocessing Technology Specialist at Honeywell UOP in Des Plaines, IL. He is responsible for process technical support of refinery operations in Hydroprocessing and Renewable Fuels. He has experience in Grassroots Commissioning, Revamps, Operations, and Troubleshooting of units all over the world as he traveled 100% for 3+ years in UOP Field Service. Prior to going on the road, he was an R&D engineer in Renewable Fuels/Hydroprocessing working on catalyst development and flow scheme development.

Jonathan holds a BSChE from the University of Illinois Chicago and has 9 years of experience in the refining industry.

Ziad Jawad is the Senior FCC Engineer at Phillips 66 in Houston TX where he supports Fluidized Catalytic Cracking operations as a Subject Matter Expert to deliver competitive advantage. He is responsible for setting the Technical Strategy, driving improvement opportunities, implementation of best-practices, supporting plant operations, improving process-safety and assuring regulatory compliance. Prior to joining P66 Ziad was Director Catalytic Cracking Technology at Technip Stone & Webster Process Technology and Vice President / General Manager Houston at Emtrol LLC. Ziad holds a BSChE from the Virginia Tech University and has over 25 years of experience in the refining industry.

Wade has worked 40+ years in Process Control and Information Technology with major companies, such as Shell, Basell, Oxy, Union Carbide, Amoco, and now with Emerson. He has held various positions related to Information Technology and Process Control Automation in addition to leading services organizations within these companies.

Wade delivers, extends, and manages the Industrial Intranet of Things with intelligent, industrial application platforms. These Solutions include multiple industrial applications that address all of your critical safety, security, compliance, and performance needs for Communications, Condition Monitoring, Location Awareness, Video, and Workforce Mobility.

Formal training includes Naval Tactical Defense System from the US Navy, a BS in Electrical Engineering and he has attended many courses with the leading process control and informational technology vendors.

Wendy Wildenberg is the Flint Hills Hydroprocessing Lead and has worked primarily in Hydroprocessing in areas of process safety, damage mechanism understanding, design, and operating envelope improvements, catalyst selection, reaction kinetics understanding improvement, and other large capital improvements. Wendy holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked in various process and operational roles for FHR since 1992.

Clifford Avery is the Global FCC Process Advisor for Albemarle Corporation, Houston, Texas. In this role, he leads the global FCC effort in training, troubleshooting and performing unit health checks for Albemarle’s FCC customers and sales teams. Previously he has held positions in Business, Technical Services (FCC) and Sales (Hydroprocessing and FCC). He has experience in working with FCC units globally, especially in the North American and Asia Pacific regions.

Cliff received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach and has over 36 years of experience in the FCC/hydrocarbon processing industry.

Nikolas Larsen is FCC & Alkylation Technology Manager and a Cat Cracking subject matter expert for Marathon Petroleum Company located in Findlay, Ohio. As a corporate technologist he provides technical/operational expertise and support for Marathon’s thirteen FCC units. Nik has also held a variety of other technical and supervisory positions within Marathon at different refinery locations. Nik holds a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and has nearly 20 years of experience in the refining industry.

Over 25 yr supporting the refining industry with a focus on FCC catalysts, zeolites and chemical catalysts. Half my industry career was focused on new product development/ manufacturing and the second half has been focused on commercial market topics. A BS Chemical Engineer from Purdue with a MBA from University of Florida.

Kerry Siggins is the CEO of StoneAge, Inc. a fast growing manufacturing and technology company based in Colorado. Under Kerry’s leadership, StoneAge has experienced double digit growth, year over year. In 2015, she successfully transitioned the company’s ownership structure to an ESOP, ensuring that all employees share in the success of the company through employee ownership. Kerry is a helpful and impactful board member and business advisor due to her success and experience in scaling companies and building world-class cultures.

Kerry is a dynamic, sought-after speaker who presents worldwide at corporations, universities, seminars, and conferences. She hosts several podcasts, including the wildly popular podcast Reflect Forward. She is an author, blogger, and contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur, Authority Magazine, and BIC Magazine, and her blog is visited by thousands of readers each month.

Chemical Engineer and MBA. Refining experience with 23 years at XOM (Argentina and USA) working in process and operation of Crude and Vacuum Distillation, Delayed Coker, Solvent Hydrogenation Units, Energy & Oil Loss Coordinator, Project development (Low Sulfur Fuels), Business Analysis and SHE management. Joined Nalco Champion as Industry Technical Consultant for Refinery Process in Latin America, supporting business, troubleshooting and implementing new projects for 6 years, moving to USA on 2018 to take over a position as Marketing Director for NA.

Hardy Kemp started his career with PetroSA as a mechanical engineer at their Gas-to-Liquids Refinery in Mossel Bay, South Africa. He entered the construction industry with CBI Constructors, a worldwide EPC contractor, where he executed a variety of small & large capital projects, maintenance as well as turnarounds with roles in Project Engineering, Construction Management, Business Development & Turnaround Execution in Africa, Middle East & USA. Hardy joined Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries in 2008 as Turnaround Manager. He was promoted Operations Manager in 2011, responsible for Gasoil, Naphtha & Diesel Hydrotreating, Crude distillation, Hydrogen Reforming, Hydrocracking & Sulfur recovery units. Currently, Hardy is the Director of Projects & Turnarounds at the Pine Bend Refinery and sits on the Refinery Leadership Team at the Rosemount refinery with responsibility for all Projects, Engineering & Turnarounds. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.

Hardy Kemp started his career with PetroSA as a mechanical engineer at their Gas-to-Liquids Refinery in Mossel Bay, South Africa. He entered the construction industry with CBI Constructors, a worldwide EPC contractor, where he executed a variety of small & large capital projects, maintenance as well as turnarounds with roles in Project Engineering, Construction Management, Business Development & Turnaround Execution in Africa, Middle East & USA. Hardy joined Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries in 2008 as Turnaround Manager. He was promoted Operations Manager in 2011, responsible for Gasoil, Naphtha & Diesel Hydrotreating, Crude distillation, Hydrogen Reforming, Hydrocracking & Sulfur recovery units. Currently, Hardy is the Director of Projects & Turnarounds at the Pine Bend Refinery and sits on the Refinery Leadership Team at the Rosemount refinery with responsibility for all Projects, Engineering & Turnarounds. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.