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CITGO Petroleum Corporation has named Dennis Willig as the company’s new Vice President of Refining, where he will oversee operations at the company’s three refineries located in Lake Charles, Louisiana.; Lemont, Illinois; and Corpus Christi, Texas. Willig most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of the Corpus Christi Refinery, and prior to that was the Vice President and General Manager of the Lemont Refinery, where he spent the majority of his 28-year career with CITGO. Replacing Willig as the new Vice President and General Manager Corpus Christi Refinery is Ryan Vining, who spent the last 24 years at the CITGO Lake Charles Refinery, most recently as General Manager Operations, Maintenance and Reliability. Both appointments are effective from February 1st, 2024.

“Denis Willig’s leadership skills, experience and commitment to operational excellence are an excellent fit for overseeing our refining network and maintaining continuity in our operations,” said CITGO Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Edgar Rincon. “And adding Ryan Vining as Vice President and General Manager Corpus Christi Refinery further strengthens our leadership team.”

Willig replaces Jerry Dunn, who will retire after more than 34 years with CITGO, spent primarily at the Lake Charles Refinery before serving as Vice President Refining for nearly two years.

“Jerry is a well-respected, outstanding leader who has dedicated his entire career to CITGO,” said CITGO President and CEO Carlos Jordá. “On behalf of the executive leadership team and all the employees, I want to thank Jerry for always giving his best and making us a better refiner. We wish him well in the next chapter of his life,” added Jordá.

Willig joined the CITGO Lemont Refinery in 1995 and advanced all the way to Vice President and General Manager Lemont Refinery before assuming the Vice President and General Manager position at the Corpus Christi Refinery in 2022. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University.

Vining joined the Lake Charles Refinery as a process engineer in 1999 after graduating with a chemical engineering degree from McNeese State University. He served in several engineering leadership roles, including General Manager Operations, Maintenance and Reliability; General Manager Engineering and Technical Services; Area Manager Reformers, and Manager Process Engineering among others.

Premium Nickel Resources Ltd. has announced the appointment of James Gowans as a director and as the new independent chairman of the board of the company, effective from January 1st, 2024. Gowans has over three decades of expertise as a senior executive in the mining industry, with roles at Debswana Diamond Company in Botswana, DeBeers SA, DeBeers Canada Inc., PT Inco and Placer Dome Ltd. He has also served on the boards of several Canadian mining companies, including Cameco, Arizona Mining, Trilogy Metals, Detour Gold, New Gold, Marathon Gold, Paycore Minerals and Treasury Metals, where he currently serves as chairman. He was also CEO and interim president of Trilogy Metals Inc., held roles as CEO, president, and director at Arizona Mining Inc., and served as co-President of Barrick Gold Corporation before becoming a senior advisor to the Chairman of the Board at Barrick Gold Corporation.

John Hick, Lead Director commented: “On behalf of the PNRL Board and management I would like to extend a warm welcome to Jim as he joins our team. This is a strategic step for the growth of PNRL and the Company will greatly benefit from Jim’s wealth of experience as we advance the Company’s Botswana mines. I would also like to thank Keith Morrison for acting as interim Chairman of the Board while the Company underwent the search for a new independent director to serve as Chairman of the Board.”

Marathon Oil and Gas has named Maryann Mannen as its new company president, taking on the role that CEO Michael Hennigan had held since 2020. Hennigan will continue serving as Marathon’s CEO, as the CEO and president roles are being split. Mannen has been Marathon’s executive vice president and chief financial officer since 2021. She is succeeded in that role by John Quaid, who previously held the same title with Marathon’s MPLX division. Mannen and Quaid will report to Hennigan in their new roles. As president, Mannen will oversee Marathon’s refining business, responsible for the company’s commercial performance, as well as its health, environment, safety and security functions. Mannen will remain a member of the board of directors for MPLX.