Delek US is making significant leadership changes in upstream roles as it considers restructuring in the interest of improving shareholder value.
The diversified energy company and convenience retailer has hired Joseph Israel from Houston-based Par Pacific to lead refining operations at Delek US and logistics operations at Delek Logistics Partners LP.
Meanwhile, Tommy Chavez is being brought in from France’s TotalEnergies SE to act as senior vice president of refining operations effective April 10.
- Delek US Holdings is No. 34 on CSP’s 2023 Top 40 update to the 2022 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
The new hires mean Todd O’Malley, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Nithia Thaver, executive vice president and president of refining, have left Delek US. O’Malley will be available through Sept. 22 and Thaver until May 21 to ensure a smooth transition.
“We are very pleased to welcome Joseph and Tommy to the Delek team. Their extensive relevant experience will allow them to quickly make a positive impact as we work to be an industry leader in safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible operations and to drive shareholder return,” said President and CEO Avigal Soreq.
“I’d like to thank Todd and Nithia for their many contributions to Delek and for their commitment to ensuring a smooth leadership transition. They have been an important part of our success, and we wish them both the best in their future endeavors.”
The changes come less than a month after Soreq announced that Delek US would evaluate opportunities to restructure the company to improve top line results. The announcement raised the possibility that the company may be considering exiting convenience retailing to focus on more upstream operations.
“Everything is on the table,” Soreq said in late February. “Our belief in retail is either you go big, all the way, or you are almost irrelevant. So we are always thinking to ourselves what is the best asset base we should hold and how to bring the best return to shareholders.”
New Management
In his new role, Israel will work with Patrick Reilly, who was named executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Delek US on March 1, splitting O’Malley’s previous responsibilities.
Israel is an industry veteran with more than 25 years of energy experience. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Par Petroleum LLC, a subsidiary of Par Pacific. He has also held leadership positions at Hunt Refining Co. and Alon USA, which was acquired by Delek US in 2017.
“I look forward to working with the leadership team to execute Delek’s strategic plan,” said Israel. “The company is well-positioned for growth, and I’m excited to join the organization at this time.”
Chavez will report to Israel and will oversee refining operations at Delek US.
Chavez brings over three decades of refining experience, most recently with TotalEnergies SE, where he held the position of general manager, Port Arthur Refinery and Petrochemical Complex. He has also worked for Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66.
Delek US Holdings Inc. is a diversified downstream energy company with assets in petroleum refining, logistics, asphalt, renewable fuels and convenience-store retailing. The refining assets consist of refineries operated in Tyler and Big Spring, Texas; El Dorado, Arkansas; and Krotz Springs, Louisiana, with a combined nameplate crude throughput capacity of 302,000 barrels per day. The convenience store retail business operates approximately 250 convenience stores in central and west Texas and New Mexico.
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