Cynthia (CJ) Warner is a seasoned energy executive with experience in both traditional and renewable energies. For more than 40 years, CJ has been driving growth and improvements to deliver energy ever more safely, reliably, and sustainably, holding executive positions in operations, technology development, strategy and business development, and environment, health, and safety. She has led operations globally for large refiners including Andeavor and BP as well as scale-up and development efforts in novel renewable energy technologies.
CJ was the President and CEO of Renewable Energy Group (REG) – a leading international producer of low carbon, bio-based diesel – from 2019 through 2022, growing the company’s market value approximately 3 -fold prior to its acquisition by Chevron.
Prior to REG, Ms. Warner served as Executive Vice President, Operations for Andeavor (formerly Tesoro). She oversaw Andeavor’s Refining; Logistics; and Environment, Health, Safety & Security groups, providing leadership that promoted safe, reliable, efficient, and value-enhancing execution. In this capacity she helped to realize significant growth opportunities including the purchase and conversion of the Dickinson refinery to a renewable diesel facility, and the purchase and integration of Western Refining. Prior to that role, Ms. Warner served as Andeavor’s Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, where she led the Company’s strategic growth initiatives.
Prior to Andeavor, Ms. Warner held executive leadership roles at several global energy companies. She was Chairman and CEO of Sapphire Energy from 2012 to 2014, after joining as President in 2009, where she led the emerging biofuels company’s ongoing technology development and transition to commercial-scale algae bio mass and renewable crude oil production.
Prior to Sapphire Energy, Ms. Warner served as Group Vice President of Global Refining and Group Vice President of Health, Safety, Security, Environmental and Technology for British Petroleum (BP). During her 10-year tenure with BP, she oversaw refining operations in five continents and led a ground-breaking cooperative effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to shape an industry-wide framework for clean air improvements.
Ms. Warner began her career as a chemical engineer at UOP, initially working on shift as a plant operator. This hands-on experience contributed to her success in several years of operational leadership roles at Amoco.
She was named 2020 Businessperson of the Year by Fortune Magazine, listed as one of the top 20 CEO’s that year. She is a featured leader in the 2008 book Becoming a Resonant Leader: Develop Your Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business Press) and was named one of Fast Company’s 100 most creative people in business in 2010.
She was honored as Corporate Director of the Year, Corporate Governance by the Corporate Directors’ Forum in 2023, and was recognized as Alumni of the Year, 2023 by Vanderbilt University.
Ms. Warner is Sr, Operating Partner at GVP Climate, LLP; serves on the Board of Directors of Chevron and is Lead Independent Director for Sempra Energy. She serves on the Board of trustees at the University of Incarnate Word (identified as #6 in the nation in Social Mobility among private schools, by US News and World Report in 2023). She is also a member of the Columbia University executive committee of the Advisory board for the Center for Global Energy Policy (CGEP); the National Petroleum Council; and the Vanderbilt University of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni – She serves as trustee at the Conference Board Center for Economic Development and serves as co-chair of their ongoing Climate, Energy, and Environmental task force.
Ms. Warner earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University (Magna Cum Laude) and a Master of Business Administration degree with focus on Technology Management from Illinois Institute of Technology (Highest Honors).
She currently resides in Nevada, IA with her husband where they are developing a portion of their property into a pollinator reserve.