Management Team
President & Chief Executive Officer
Ronald H. Miller
Mr. Miller has been our President and Chief Executive Officer since May 2003 and the President of our subsidiary, Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc., since 2000. Prior to his current position, Mr. Miller served in senior marketing, logistics and development positions at our Company from 1981 to 1999. Between 1971 and 1981, Mr. Miller held roles of increasing responsibility with Texaco. Mr. Miller was appointed the Chairman of the RFA in 2005, where he previously served as the Chairman from 1995 to 2001 and Vice Chairman from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Miller is a member of Class III of the Board of Directors.
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.
Chief Financial Officer
Ajay Sabherwal
Mr. Sabherwal has been our Chief Financial Officer since November 2005. Prior to joining Aventine, Mr. Sabherwal was the Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Choice One Communications Inc., a telecommunications company, from September 1999 until November 2005. Choice One Communications Inc. filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in October 2004 and emerged from such bankruptcy in November 2004. Mr. Sabherwal was the executive director of institutional equity research for Toronto based CIBC World Markets from June 1996 to September 1999. Prior to joining CIBC World Markets as a senior research analyst in June of 1996, Mr. Sabherwal was the telecommunications analyst for BZW (Barclays de Zoete Wedd) Canada and its successor company from November 1993 until June 1996. Mr. Sabherwal has also held positions at Deloitte Consulting, AT&T Canada and Louis Dreyfus (U.K.).
Vice President General Counsel & Secretary
Lynn K. Landman
Ms. Landman joined our team in July 2007, as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Aventine, Ms. Landman served as Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Development with NCR Corporation, a global technology company, in Dayton, Ohio. During her tenure at NCR, Ms. Landman held roles of increasing responsibility within the legal department, including Chief Counsel of Mergers and Acquisitions and Chief Counsel of Corporate Real Estate. Prior to joining NCR in 2002, Ms. Landman held legal positions with Motorola, Inc. as well as several Chicago law firms. Ms. Landman holds a Juris Doctorate from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University.
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 Business Resources & Administration
Roger E. Bushue
Mr. Bushue has been our Vice President of Business Resources and Administration since June 2005. Prior to his current position, Mr. Bushue served as Director of Human Resources since 2000. Mr. Bushue has over 35 years experience in the wet milling and ethanol industry. Over his career he has taken on increasing roles of leadership and responsibility within the ethanol industry.
Vice President of Global Supply & Distribution
John R. Gray
Mr. Gray has been our Vice President of Global Supply & Distribution since September 2007. Prior to his current position, Mr. Gray was our Vice President of Supply & Distribution beginning in January 2007 and before that he served as the Vice President of Logistics and Development. Prior to joining Aventine in April, 2006, Mr. Gray was the Manager of Business Development Ventures for Motiva Enterprises LLC, a joint venture between Shell Oil Company and Saudi Resources Inc., where he developed significant ethanol logistics infrastructure and contributed to Shell's global bio-fuels supply strategy from March 2001 until March 2006. Prior to that time, Mr. Gray held positions of increasing responsibility in Products Supply, Trading, and Distribution during his 25 year career with Shell. Mr. Gray has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Indiana University where he studied transportation, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University.
Vice President of Technical Services
Jeffrey A. Moery
Mr. Moery joined Aventine in 2006 and is currently our Vice President of Technical Services. Prior to his current position, Mr. Moery served as our Vice President – Capital Expansion overseeing the development and implementation of Aventine’s organic growth strategy. 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 utilizes both dry and wet milling processes.
Vice President of External Relations
James M. Redding
Jim Redding is Vice President – External Relations for Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc. He is responsible for the Co-Products marketing and working with government officials and industry representatives to resolve issues affecting the ethanol industry. He graduated from Winona State University at Winona, Minnesota in 1976 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and received his MBA from the University of Illinois in 1992. He has held various positions with increasing responsibilities since December, 1983. Jim is the company's representative with various national and state industry associations. Jim resides in Pekin, IL with his wife, Tish.
Vice President of Biofuels Marketing
James R. Sneed
Mr. Sneed has been our Vice President of Ethanol Marketing since October 2005. He became a CPA in November 1990. Prior to 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.
Vice President of Operations
Jerry L. Weiland
Mr. Weiland has been our Vice President of Operations since June 2005. Mr. Weiland joined the Company in July of 2000, as Director of Operations for Aventine Renewable Energy. Before joining the Company, Mr. Weiland was the General Manager of a wet milling facility in Stockton, California owned by Corn Products International. Mr. Weiland had worked for Corn Products for 36 years at various locations in the wet milling business, where he had started up Greenfield plants and rebuilt plants on existing sites. He traveled for Corn Products and supported facilities in Yugoslavia, Germany, Italy, and Columbia. Currently Mr. Weiland is responsible for all Aventine Renewable Energy’s operating facilities. He serves on the Board of the Employers Association of Illinois, and has been appointed to the Pekin Transportation committee.
