Management Team
Interim President & Chief Executive Officer
George T. Henning
Aventine’s Board has appointed George T. Henning, Jr. as Interim Chief Executive Officer and
President of the Company, effective October 24, 2009. Mr. Henning has served as the Interim
Chief Financial Officer at Aventine since March 2009 and will retain that position. Mr. Henning was a retired financial executive with over 35 years of senior financial management experience, including previous positions with Eastern Gas and Fuel Associates, LTV
Corporation and its predecessor companies, and Pioneer Americas Company. Mr. Henning
holds a MBA from Harvard University and a BA from Pennsylvania State University. Mr.
Henning serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University
Chief Operating Officer
Daniel R. Trunfio, Jr.
Mr. Trunfio has been our Chief Operating Officer since March 2007. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Trunfio spent 23 years with the Royal Dutch/Shell Group in various leadership roles including General Manager and Vice President. Shell is one of the largest bio-fuels marketers in the world and a recognized global leader in second generation bio-fuels technology. Mr. Trunfio most recently led the development and implementation of Shell’s first and second generation bio-fuel strategies and operations worldwide. In this role, Mr. Trunfio was responsible for coordinating bio-fuel issues for Shell in the Americas working as a liaison with external stakeholders and governments. In addition, he was also responsible for managing Shell’s bio-fuel alliances in the Americas. While at Shell, Mr. Trunfio’s experience included positions (both domestic and internationally) in retail sales, marketing, supply, trading, e-commerce, strategy, product development and bio-fuels.
Interim Chief Financial Officer
George T. Henning
Mr. Henning became our Chief Financial Officer in March 2009. Mr. Henning is a retired financial executive with over 35 years of senior financial management experience, including previous positions with Eastern Gas and Fuel Associates, LTV Corporation and its predecessor companies, and Pioneer Americas Company. Mr. Henning holds a MBA from Harvard University and a BA from Pennsylvania State University. Mr. Henning serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University.
Corporate Secretary
Christopher A. Nichols
Mr. Nichols became our Corporation Counsel in August 2009 and Corporate Secretary in October 2009 after previously serving Aventine while a Member of a Peoria area law firm. Prior to joining Aventine, Mr. Nichols was in private practice in the Peoria, Illinois area since 2000, focusing his practice on employment and corporate law and litigation. Mr. Nichols is a member of the Illinois and Indiana State Bar Associations and the American Bar Association and is licensed to practice in the States of Illinois and Indiana and various federal courts. He received his law degree from Indiana University in 1988. He is responsible for Aventine’s legal affairs, as well as Human Resource and Insured Risk activities.
Chief Accounting & Compliance Officer
William J. Brennan
Mr. Brennan became our Chief Accounting & Compliance Officer in November 2005 and was our Chief Financial Officer since October 2004 when he joined the Company, until November 2005. Before joining the Company, Mr. Brennan served as Regional Chief Financial Officer for Omnicare Inc. from 2001 to 2004 and as Chief Financial Officer of Polestar Communications, Inc. and its predecessor company from 2000 to 2001. Mr. Brennan also held senior financial positions with Ameritech Inc., Wisconsin Bell, Inc and De La Rue Systems of the Americas, Inc. Mr. Brennan is a CPA and began his professional career with Alexander Grant & Co. Certified Public Accountants.
Vice President of Pekin Operations
Jeffrey A. Moery
Mr. Moery joined Aventine in 2006 and is currently our Vice President of Pekin Operations. Prior to his current position, Mr. Moery served as our Vice President of Technical Services from January 2008 to March 2009, Vice President of Plant Construction from December 2006 to January 2009 and Director of Dry Mills from April 2006 to December 2006. Prior to joining Aventine Mr. Moery worked for Archer Daniels Midland (“ADM”) from 1981 until 2006, where he enjoyed increasing levels of responsibility, serving most recently as the Plant Manager for ADM’s Peoria, IL facility. In that role, Mr. Moery managed ADM’s Peoria corn ethanol processing facility which included oversight of 230 employees and utilized both dry and wet milling processes.
Vice President of Marketing & Logistics
James R. Sneed
Mr. Sneed is currently our Vice President of Ethanol Marketing. Prior to his current position, Mr. Sneed had been our Vice President of Biofuels Marketing since October 2005. Before his promotion in 2005, he held positions of increasing responsibility within our Company in accounting and marketing functions from 1991 to 2005. Prior to joining our Company, he worked for Peabody Meyers from 1990 to 1991 as a staff accountant. He is a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a member of the Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, Ethanol Producers and Consumers, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Wisconsin Ethanol Producers Association, National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, and the following state fuel marketers associations: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, New Jersey, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and California. He became a CPA in November 1990.
