TEAM

Frank Almaraz

Chief Executive Officer

Frank is a seasoned energy executive with extensive experience leading sustainable energy transitions and organizational transformations at large electric and gas utilities. Frank is focused on establishing Braya as a leader in renewable fuels, and on profitable growth of the company as it scales to meet the rapidly growing decarbonization needs of the global transportation sector. Prior to leading Braya Renewable Fuels, he was Chief Energy & Sustainability Officer at CPS Energy.

Josh Bailey

Chief Commercial Officer

As Chief Commercial Officer, Josh is focused on building the commercial capabilities and the team that will maximize the value of Braya’s low-carbon fuel platform. Josh is the former CEO of Eco-Energy Global Biofuels, located in Franklin, Tennessee. He built his career as a leader at Eco-Energy over 14 years, driving Eco’s growth from an early entrant in ethanol marketing to multi-commodity trading, logistics, and distribution company.

Jim Stump

President of Refining

Jim has over 30 years of refining experience across operational and leadership roles at sites across the United States. Prior to joining the Braya team, Jim most recently pioneered the successful conversion of the HollyFrontier Cheyenne refinery to renewable diesel operations. He is committed to safety and quality across the operations he supervises and will ensure that Braya Renewable Fuels sees safe and efficient results as it transitions toward producing renewable fuels.

Stephen Callender

SVP & Chief Financial Officer

Stephen brings a deep wealth of knowledge about the economics of energy that he will leverage to grow Braya into one of the world’s leading renewable fuels facilities in the decades to come. Stephen joins the Braya leadership team after successfully growing Cogent Midstream as its Chief Financial Officer.

Paul Burton

Operations Manager

Paul Burton is the Operations Manager at Braya Renewable Fuels’ Come By Chance refinery and is responsible for all refinery operations. A Power Engineer by trade, Paul brings over thirty years of experience to his role at the refinery. Paul has held Process and Control Technician positions prior to his current position. Prior to joining the refinery, Paul worked in the upstream side of the oil and gas industry during his prior employment with Imperial Oil and Exxon.

Christopher McBay

General Counsel

Christopher McBay is an accomplished attorney with over fifteen years of experience across multiple industries. Prior to joining Braya, he served as Deputy General Counsel for the Ray L. Hunt family of companies where he focused on transactions in the energy industry, including in the refining space. Christopher began his career as a corporate transactional attorney at Baker Botts LLP.

Gayle Brenton-Smith

VP of HR and
Occupational Health & Safety

Gayle is responsible for the Human Resources, Training, and Occupational Health and Safety functions at Braya Renewable Fuels’ Come By Chance Refinery. Gayle holds a Business Degree from Memorial University and professional designations as a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and a Strategic Human Resources Management – Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Gayle joined Braya in June 2017, after leading Human Resources functions in health care, education, government-aligned departments and the wholesale and transportation industries. Gayle is a strategic business partner that utilizes business metrics as the basis for solid decision making with a focus on the future. Gayle identifies a company’s most valuable asset as “its people” and she believes that an engaged workforce is a company’s greatest strategic advantage.

Jaydip Bhadaliya

Technical Services Manager

Jaydip is head of the Business Optimization Department at Braya Renewable Fuels’ Come By Chance refinery. Jaydip and his team manage Process Engineering, Plant Monitoring, Yield Optimization, Energy optimization, Environment and compliance, Process Safety Management, Advanced Process Control, and Control Systems Engineering functions. The team ensures the refinery maximizes value at lowest operating cost out of every barrel of feedstock that is processed at Come By Chance, while making sure the plant consistently operates safely. Earlier in his career at the Come By Chance refinery, Jaydip held the positions of Senior Process Engineer and Planning & Scheduling lead before moving into his current role.

Prior to joining the Come By Chance refinery team in January 2017, Jaydip worked with the Bahrain Petroleum Company in the Middle East for more than six years. Jaydip began his eighteen-year career in the refining industry as part of a construction, commissioning, and start-up team at Essar Oil Ltd. (Now Nayara Energy), a 405 kbpd refinery on the west coast of India. Jaydip holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Gujarat University, India.

Luigi Trigilio

Vice President
of Logistics

Luigi Trigilio has over 15 years of experience in the energy, petrochemical, and renewable fuels space and has led logistics, chartering, and supply chain efforts for a variety of major industry participants. Luigi most recently led marine operations at Pilot, where he managed all vessel chartering for clean and specialty products and structured commercial arrangements for procurement of feedstocks and delivery of finished products. Luigi will enable Braya to utilize a world-class logistics operation for its feedstocks and products.

Kyle Weatherson

Vice President of Finance

Kyle Weatherson joined Braya Renewable Fuels in June of 2022 as Vice President of Finance. He partners with our CFO, Management Team and Equity Sponsors in capital raising, capital structure evaluation, treasury, financial forecasting, economic modeling and other corporate finance related functions. Prior to Braya, Kyle spent several years with Tyson Foods as a Director of Corporate Development and Strategy focusing on M&A across North America, Europe and Asia. He has also Spent time in Lazard’s global Energy practice executing M&A, restructuring and strategic advisory across the oil and gas industry value chain.

Kyle holds an MBA from Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business with a concentration in energy and finance as well as a degree in Finance from Texas A&M University.

Marc Byerly

Controller
Braya Renewable Fuels

Marc Byerly joined Braya Renewable Fuels in June 2022 as Controller. He works extensively with our CFO, Management Team and Refinery accounting group in financial reporting, treasury and other corporate finance related functions. Prior to Braya, Marc spent 6 years as Controller for Caelus Energy Alaska, an Apollo Global Management backed energy company focused on North Slope production and exploration. Prior to Caelus, Marc was a Controller and Partner at Merit Energy Company where he focused on various areas of accounting for over 15 years, including offshore, financial reporting and special projects.

He is a CPA and has a BBA from Texas Tech University Rawls College of Business.

Marie Stone

Finance Manager/Controller
Refinery

Marie is responsible for the management of all areas of finance at Braya Renewable Fuels Come by Chance Refinery. Marie joined Braya in 2005 as Controller and was promoted to finance manager/controller in 2023. As a former manager at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), Marie’s previous work experience includes leading corporate audits as well as the provision of services for areas of management consulting, financial, accounting, tax and audit. Marie completed her Bachelor of Commerce Degree at Memorial University in 1990. She received her Chartered Accountant designation in 1993 while with Sullivan, Lewis and White in St. John’s.

Marie works directly with the Braya management team providing key financial information for company decision making with a focus on future performance and goals, while also ensuring the operational strategy for the finance team is aligned with corporate goals and strategy. She believes teamwork is key to a successful finance department.

Jeff Power

Engineering and
Reliability Manager

Jeff Power is Manager of Engineering & Capital Projects at Braya Renewable Fuels’ Come By Chance refinery. Jeff’s department executes capital projects to upgrade and improve the refinery’s operation. Prior this role, he worked as a Project Manager with a focus on our tank farm, truck rack, and marine terminal at Come By Chance.

Prior to joining the Come By Chance refinery in 2015, Jeff worked with the Newfoundland Provincial Government, as well as at consulting and construction companies. Jeff graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2008 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Jeff has been a practicing Professional Engineer since 2013.

Brad Ramsey

Operating Partner

Mr. Ramsey joined the Cresta family companies in 2018 and became an Operating Partner in 2022. Mr. Ramsey has served in various roles with Cresta portfolio companies, including Chief Executive Officer of Easton Energy, Chief Operating Officer of Sentinel Midstream, and as an executive steering committee member for Braya Renewable Fuels. Mr. Ramsey has 30 years of engineering, construction, and operations experience in the upstream, midstream, and downstream energy sectors with Koch, Valero, NuStar Energy and multiple energy infrastructure construction companies that he developed and managed.  Mr. Ramsey has in depth midstream experience in the crude, natural gas, natural gas liquids and refined products business segments where he developed teams to execute several billion in capital projects in 6 countries including large scale storage terminals with pipeline, rail, truck, and marine capability. Mr. Ramsey also held various engineering, operations, maintenance and turnaround positions in multiple downstream refineries and chemical plants.  He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kansas.

Steven Basler

Operating Partner

Steven Basler has over a decade of experience trading and operating physical renewable fuels and environmental attributes at prominent commodities trading houses. Steven served as a key advisor to Cresta in the acquisition of the refinery and associated conversion to renewable diesel. Prior to joining Cresta, Steven spearheaded the buildout of several vertically integrated renewable fuels businesses at Chemoil, Noble Americas, and Gunvor. Steven will continue to assist Braya with a focus on feedstock sourcing and product offtake.

Tony Vardy

Maintenance Manager

Tony is an invaluable member of the site senior leadership team who began his employment with the refinery in 1997 as a Scaffolder and developed deep hands-on expertise across several crafts while rising through the ranks in Maintenance, Turnarounds and Projects. In 2010, Tony continued his career progression into supervision with Jacobs Industrial Services at the refinery eventually advancing to Site Superintendent.

In 2012, Tony accepted a supervisory position with the refinery and has since held several progressively responsible positions with the company including Turnaround Superintendent, Reliability Superintendent, and Turnaround Manager. In January of 2021, Tony became a member of the site senior leadership team when he assumed the role of Maintenance Manager for the refinery.