On the Move – Neste US, Greenlane Renewables, NREL, Petrobras, and more

You may know Chris Cooper as VP Americas of Neste Renewable Aviation, but he is now the President of Neste US. Canada-based RNG and biogas company Greenlane Renewables has a new CFO. Petrobras in Brazil has a new CEO. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) named Jennifer Logan as chief financial officer. And those are just a few of the recent major moves in the bioeconomy.

If you have an “On the Move” for us to cover, please contact Helena Kennedy at hkennedy@biofuelsdigest.com.

Neste appoints Chris Cooper President of Neste US

In Texas, Chris Cooper has been appointed President of Neste US as of 1 July 2022. In his role, he is responsible for supporting and aligning regional business strategies to deliver the strategic growth targets, and he acts as Neste’s primary representative for the external community in the US. At the moment, Chris is holding the position of Vice President Americas of Neste Renewable Aviation.

“I am excited about Neste’s purpose of creating a healthier planet for our children. Neste has high ambition to provide its customers sustainable solutions for decarbonizing transportation and for replacing the crude oil based fossil feedstock with renewable solutions,” says Chris Cooper, President of Neste US, as of 1 July, 2022.

Neste’s regional headquarters in North America is in Houston, Texas, and the company employs more than 500 people across the US. Neste’s renewable waste and residue sourcing platform in the US includes fully owned Mahoney Environmental, a leading collector and recycler of used cooking oil and Agri Trading, one of the largest independent renewable waste and residue fat and oil traders in the US.

Greenlane Renewables Announces New Chief Financial Officer

In Canada, Greenlane Renewables Inc. hired Monty R. Balderston to be Chief Financial Officer, effective July 18, 2022. Mr. Balderston joins Greenlane with over 25 years of experience in progressively senior financial leadership positions, including the role of Chief Financial Officer, in both public and private companies spanning mechanical equipment provisioning and installation, civil construction, industrial supply, maintenance services, and diversified energy services. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta. Mr. Balderston began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and for the last five years was the Chief Financial Officer with Mosaic Capital Corporation where he oversaw all financial reporting processes and strategic planning, including budgeting, forecasting and acquisitions. 

Petrobras approves election of CEO

In Brazil, Petrobras, informs that its Board of Directors, by majority vote, nominated Mr. Caio Mário Paes de Andrade as Petrobras’ Director until the next General Shareholders’ Meeting and elected him as the company’s CEO, the latter to hold office until April 13, 2023.

Caio Mário Paes de Andrade is an entrepreneur with proven successes in information technology, real estate, and agribusiness, he founded and/or led the construction of several emblematic companies in the Brazilian Information Technology market. In this trajectory he has conducted more than 20 M&A processes, including company consolidations, strategic acquisitions, minority acquisitions, funding from institutional investors, divestitures, spin-offs and sale of control processes.

NREL Names Jennifer Logan to Leadership Team as Chief Financial Officer

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) named Jennifer Logan as chief financial officer. Logan started with NREL on June 27, 2022.

Logan joins NREL from the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in Newport News, Virginia, where she has served as chief financial officer and business/finance director. Prior to joining Jefferson Lab, Logan served for 18 years in various federal contracting and acquisition roles within the U.S. Department of Defense in Virginia. Logan is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, beginning her career as an officer in the Air Force stationed in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Change in Stora Enso’s Group Leadership Team

In Finland, Kati ter Horst, Executive Vice President, Paper Division and a member of the Group Leadership Team, decided to leave Stora Enso as of 1 July 2022. After more than 25 years with the Company, she will now pursue career opportunities outside of Stora Enso.

In addition to his other duties, Seppo Parvi, CFO, will assume acting responsibility for the Paper division.

Stora Enso announced in March this year that it was initiating a sales process for possible divestment of four of its five paper production sites. The process is ongoing. Stora Enso has started a feasibility study at its paper production site in Langerbrugge, Belgium, for the conversion of one of the two paper lines into a high-volume recycled containerboard line. The feasibility study is expected to be finalised in the first half of 2023.