CITGO Petroleum Corporation named Dennis Willig 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 Feb. 1, 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.
