Management
Experienced Leadership to Move Forward
The Management Team and Board Members of Green Plains Renewable Energy have over 120-years of diversified business experience. Each member is dedicated to becoming a competitive force within the ethanol industry.
WAYNE B. HOOVESTOL - Chief Executive Officer/Chief Operations Officer & Director.
WAYNE HOOVESTOL was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in October 2008. He has served as Chief Executive Officer since February 2007. Hoovestol was initially elected to the Green Plains’ Board in March, 2006. Hoovestol has been involved in the ethanol industry for more than 10 years, having served on the boards of two other ethanol companies. Before joining Green Plains, Hoovestol led two national trucking companies. He attended North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota.
TODD BECKER - President & Chief Operating Officer
TODD BECKER serves as Green Plains’ President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Green Plains, Becker was Chief Executive Officer of VBV LLC. Becker previously served as Executive Vice-President of Sales and Trading for Global Ethanol. Prior to that, he spent 10 years with ConAgra Foods in various management positions including Vice President of International Marketing for ConAgra Trade Group and President of ConAgra Grain Canada. He has over 20 years of related experience in various commodity processing businesses, risk management and supply chain management. In addition, he has extensive international trading experience in agricultural markets. Becker has a Masters of Science in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
JERRY PETERS - Chief Financial Officer & Secretary
JERRY PETERS joined Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. as Chief Financial Officer in June 2007. Oeters was appointed Secretary in October 2008. Prior to joining Green Plains, Peters served as Senior Vice President - Chief Accounting Officer for ONEOK Partners, L.P., a publicly-traded partnership engaged in gathering, processing, storage, and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids from May 2006 to April 2007. Peters served as ONEOK Partners' Chief Financial Officer from July 1994 to May 2006, and in various senior management roles prior to that. Prior to joining ONEOK Partners in 1985, Peters was employed by KPMG LLP as a certified public accountant. Peters holds a Bachelors degree in accounting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an MBA in finance from Creighton University.
RON GILLIS - Executive Vice-President – Finance & Treasurer
RON GILLIS serves as Green Plains’ Executive Vice-President – Finance and Treasurer. Prior to joining Green Plains, Gillis was Chief Financial Officer for VBV. Gillis has over 30 years of experience in accounting for commodity and trading businesses (both international and domestic). Prior to joining VBV in August of 2007, Gillis was Chief Financial Officer for the third largest ethanol marketing company in the United States. Gillis has substantial expertise in mergers, acquisitions, capital projects, finance and audit. Gillis is a CMA and graduate of University of Manitoba.
EDGAR SEWARD - Executive Vice-President – Plant Operations
EDGAR SEWARD serves as Green Plains’ Executive Vice-President – Plant Operations. Prior to joining Green Plains, Seward was General Manager for Indiana-Bio-Energy LLC. Seward’s career reflects over 17 years in direct ethanol plant operation management, as well as business development within ethanol and related industries, in the US and UK. Seward received a MBA from the University of Illinois.
STEVE BLEYL - Executive Vice President – Ethanol Marketing
STEVE BLEYL serves as Green Plains’ Executive Vice-President – Ethanol Marketing. Prior to joining Green Plains, Bleyl was Executive Vice-President for Marketing for VBV LLC (“VBV”). Bleyl’s experience includes a stint as the Chief Executive Officer of a producer-owned ethanol and bio-diesel marketing company that represented over 20 ethanol plants. He also has worked in retail with a large integrated international refining and marketing company, basis marketing with an independent merchant refining company in New York harbor markets, and marketing of refined products in the upper Midwest for a regional refining and marketing company. A graduate of West Point, Mr. Bleyl served in the US Army for six years
