Chris Cooper leverages more than 25 years of experience in the global energy industry. As President of Neste U.S. (North America), he oversaw regional leadership for renewable products, following his tenure as Vice President, Americas, Renewable Aviation. As Head of Renewables Trading at BGN, Chris led global trading activities for renewable fuels, including SAF, renewable diesel, and biogenic feedstocks. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly two decades at Phillips 66 and Chevron, holding a range of leadership roles in commercial strategy, downstream operations, and business development. A professional pilot, Chris brings a unique perspective on the aviation sector, combining operational depth with an international view of energy transition, renewable fuels, and infrastructure innovation.

Since 2021, Wray Thorn has been a Partner and Co-Founder of Focus Impact Partners, LLC and currently serves as the Chief Investment Officer of Focus Impact Acquisition Corp. Also since 2021, Mr. Thorn has been the Founder and Chief Executive of Clear Heights Capital. From 2012 to 2021, Mr. Thorn was a Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer - Private Investments at Two Sigma Investments, where he architected and led the firm's private equity, venture capital and impact investment businesses and was a leader in the creation of Hamilton Insurance Group and the incubation of Two Sigma's insurance technology activities. With approximately three decades of experience as a chief investment officer, investment leader and lead director, Mr. Thorn has firsthand knowledge of investment firm leadership, private investing and company value creation. Mr. Thorn has built and led businesses to source, structure, finance and make private investments, to allocate and risk manage capital across private investment strategies and to help companies, organizations and executives realize their growth and development objectives. Mr. Thorn has also been at the forefront of proactive impact investing principals, putting people first in private investing as well as applying data and technology to innovate private investing. Mr. Thorn also serves as Co-Chair of the Board of Youth, INC and Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Investment Committee for Futures and Options, both of which are Non-Profit Organizations.

Mr. Schnitzer is a seasoned financial and operational executive with extensive experience leading global organizations through growth, integration, restructuring, and strategic transformation. His background includes more than three decades serving as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations Officer, and Board Member across public, private, and private‑equity–backed companies.

Most recently, Mr. Schnitzer served as Chief Financial Officer for a global manufacturer of hair care products with revenues exceeding $230 million, where he provided strategic and financial leadership to the Chairman of the Board and oversaw Finance / Accounting, FP&A, Credit & Collections, Legal, Commercial Insurance, and led the implementation of an ERP upgrade and a new E-commerce platform. During his tenure, he negotiated contracts and royalty agreements generating meaningful incremental profit, reduced expenses, and implemented operational and inventory initiatives that significantly improved profitability and customer service.

From 2012 - 2020, Mr. Schnitzer served as EVP, Chief Operations Officer & Board Member of Lapolla Industries, Inc. (“Lapolla”), where he led a turnaround of a distressed public company into a high‑growth, profitable enterprise with 100% revenue growth and a six‑fold increase in shareholder value. Lapolla was subsequently sold to a private equity firm, taken private and merged with a portfolio company, Icynene. Two years later the company was sold to Huntsman Corporation (“Huntsman”), and merged with a subsidiary of Huntsman, forming Huntsman Building Solutions, a $500 million global manufacture of spray foam insulation and roof coatings. Mr. Schnitzer was instrumental in the integration of the two merged companies, managed a team of 32, and oversaw $500 million in revenue. He drove strategic initiatives that generated $22 million in planned synergies, reduced inventory by $10 million, and transitioned the organization to a unified reporting model.

From 2003 – 2012 Mr. Schnitzer was the Chief Financial Officer of Energy Maintenance Services, a start-up company that successfully purchased their first company in 2004 and over the next five years purchased 25 companies, resulting in total revenue of $250 million and 1,200 employees. Mr. Schnitzer was instrumental in closing various financings including, mezzanine financing, institutional investors, a private bond offering and securing private equity financing. Mr. Schnitzer was heavily involved in negotiating all Purchase & Sale Agreements, financing agreements, due diligence processes and finalizing the associated legal documents.

Mr. Schnitzer began his career with Price Waterhouse as an auditor and has since held CFO and COO roles across several industries, including energy services, manufacturing, professional associations and investment banking firms. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has an Executive MBA from Loyola College and a BS in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has also completed executive programs at MIT in Negotiation and Managing Change in Complex Organizations.

Jereme Crouthamel brings over 25 years of experience as a safety-focused, results-driven operations leader in the oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors. He oversees turn-key operations and maintenance solutions designed to maximize efficiency, safety, and performance. Jereme excels in process optimization, cost control, and complex problem-solving. He has completed coursework in Business Administration and Management at the New York Institute of Technology and advanced training in hazardous materials and fire prevention.

Dan Perez brings 15 years of hands-on experience in the oil and gas industry, with a background spanning natural gas production and storage operations. A Northern California native, Dan joined New Rise Renewables in 2022 and quickly proved himself as a dedicated leader and skilled operator with a commitment to growth and operational excellence.

Nick Wehbe serves as Facilities Engineer and Compliance Coordinator at New Rise Renewables Reno, where he plays a critical role in managing regulatory compliance and supporting plant optimization efforts. With a strong background in petroleum and geothermal engineering, Nick brings over a decade of experience leading complex technical projects and leverages his ability to navigate regulatory frameworks while driving operational efficiency. Prior to joining XCF, Nick held engineering and project management roles in the upstream oil and gas and geothermal sectors. Nick holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Houston and an M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

A trained chemical engineer, Trevor Stephenson focuses on optimizing refinery operations and delivering practical solutions to complex technical challenges. A graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, Trevor played a key role during New Rise Reno’s construction phase—supporting the specification and procurement of instrumentation, control valves, and critical equipment. He also helped implement process control and data systems, contributing to a seamless transition from construction to operations. Trevor brings a hands-on, solution-oriented mindset to his work and continues to support the plant’s performance and efficiency as part of the engineering team.