TEAM
Our team is our biggest asset in establishing Braya Renewable Fuels as the world’s premier renewable fuels producer. We are proud to provide safe and sustainable jobs that contribute to the clean energy transition.
The team leading Braya has decades of experience in the energy sector, supplementing the excellent team already in place at the refinery. Together, they are working to provide a critical pathway to decarbonization for existing diesel and jet fuel consumers.
LEADERSHIP
Todd O’Malley
Chief Executive Officer
Todd joined Braya as Chief Executive Officer in October 2023. Before joining Braya, Todd was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Delek US Holdings, Inc., and Delek Logistics Partners, LP. Prior to joining Delek in 2021, Todd served as a special advisor to a number of private equity and public company CEOs and boards regarding corporate strategy, M&A/divestments, financial structuring, and commercial optimization. He has previously held C-suite positions at Citizens Companies (President and CEO), Gulf Oil (EVP and Chief Commercial Officer), PBF Logistics (President), and PBF Energy (SVP and Chief Commercial Officer). He has also worked extensively in the investment banking, hedge fund, commodity trading, and electric and natural gas sectors. He holds an undergraduate degree from Colgate University (Cum Laude) and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
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 produces renewable fuels.
Steven Basler
Chief Commercial Officer
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 its conversion to renewable diesel. Prior to joining Cresta, Steven spearheaded the build-out 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.
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 joined the Braya leadership team after successfully growing Cogent Midstream as its Chief Financial Officer.
Paul Burton
VP of Refining & Refinery Manager
Paul Burton is the VP of Refining and Refinery 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 roles prior to his current position and has worked in the upstream side of the oil and gas industry 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 as a Strategic Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Gayle joined Braya in June 2017, after leading human resources in health care, education, government-aligned departments, and the wholesale and transportation industries. Gayle is a strategic business partner who utilizes business metrics as the basis for solid decision-making with a focus on the future. Gayle believes that an engaged workforce is a company’s greatest strategic advantage.
