Calumet Specialty Products announces CEO transition

Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. , a leading independent producer of specialty hydrocarbon and fuel products, announced on 5 March that Tim Go plans to resign as chief executive officer (CEO) effective 1 June  2020 to pursue other interests closer to his family in Texas. Steve Mawer, a current board member, has been appointed to take over as CEO upon successful completion of an orderly transition process. 

“On behalf of everyone on the Board, I’d like to thank Tim for his leadership and service to our general partner, employees and unitholders. Tim led Calumet through a very difficult turnaround, resetting our vision on our core specialty business and focusing our efforts on operations excellence and delivering self-help growth.  He divested non-core assets and significantly reduced our debt burden and leverage ratio. Most importantly, Tim built a strong management team that will continue to build on his legacy. Under Steve’s leadership, we will continue executing our specialty products growth strategy. We are where we are today due to Tim’s dedication and leadership, and I thank him for his contributions and sacrifice,” said Fred Fehsenfeld, chairman of the Board.

Fehsenfeld added, “Steve has been on our Board since 2016 and brings nearly three decades of industry experience. He is a perfect choice to lead the partnership through its next chapter.  He has chaired our compensation committee, been a member of our audit and finance, strategy and growth, and risk committees and has been active in helping with deleveraging the company. With his breadth of experience and in-depth knowledge of our company this transition will be seamless.”

“It has been a privilege to lead Calumet for nearly five years.  I am extremely proud of our employees and what we have achieved in turning this company around.  With today’s announcement that the partnership is evaluating strategic options for its Great Falls, Montana refinery, my vision to return Calumet to its core specialty business will be completed in the near future. I will be focused on driving that activity and ensuring an orderly transition to Steve over the next several months,” Go said. 

Mawer brings significant industry experience.  He currently serves as chairman of ClimeCo Corporation, an environmental commodities development and management company and on the Board of Directors of Zenith Energy Management, LLC, a midstream company.  He also serves as a member of the advisory board of Heritage Environmental Services. He retired as president of Koch Supply & Trading and as a senior member of the Koch Industries management team in 2014, following a 27-year career in commodities trading, risk management and refining operations.  In addition to global commodities trading, Mawer brings manufacturing expertise as former head of Koch’s European refining operations. 

“The opportunity to work with and lead a team whom I already know well and greatly respect is an exciting one which I am honored to accept.  Our excellent results in 2019 show the substantial progress that Tim and the management team have already made in transforming Calumet. Our vision remains unchanged, and we will remain intently focused on deleveraging, operations excellence and growing the profitability of our specialty  businesses,” Mawer said.

Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. is a master limited partnership and a leading independent producer of high-quality, specialty hydrocarbon products in North America.  Calumet processes crude oil and other feedstocks into customized lubricating oils, solvents and waxes used in consumer, industrial and automotive products; produces fuel products including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.  Calumet is based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and operates 10 manufacturing facilities located in northwest Louisiana, northern Montana, western Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey and eastern Missouri.