Leadership change at BP Whiting Refinery
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
BP has announced a leadership change at its refinery in northwest Indiana. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report Donnie Brown, vice president of refining for the BP Whiting Refinery, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Safety & Operational Risk Assurance for BP.
The 25-year BP veteran has led the Whiting Refinery since 2020. His promotion comes several months after the refinery suffered a series of incidents, including tank leaks that led to the release of toxic chemicals and a power outage that resulted in an evacuation and temporary shutdown.
However, the company said in a statement that the leadership change was not due to those incidents.
“I am deeply grateful for my time in Northwest Indiana and for the privilege of leading the Whiting Refinery and the nearly 2,000 colleagues and friends who work there,” said Brown.
BP has hired Chris DellaFranco to succeed Brown in his position at the refinery, effective Monday. DellaFranco previously worked for ExxonMobil, where he served as operations manager for the company’s Baton Rouge Refinery.
“I am delighted Donnie will have the opportunity to share his skills and expertise with our global operations in his new role,” said Amber Russell, senior vice president of refining, terminals and pipelines for BP. “I also have deep confidence in the future of Whiting Refinery as Chris supports this exciting new chapter. These are two great leaders, and they have my full support.”
The Whiting Refinery is BP’s largest refinery in its footprint.