Jamie Herbert
Chief Human Resource Officer at GPRE
Executive
About Jamie Herbert
Jamie F. Herbert II is Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Green Plains Inc. (GPRE), serving since October 2022; he was added to the Executive Committee in February 2025 amid the CEO transition . He is 51 and holds a BS in Business Administration (Marketing & HR) and an MBA from University of Nebraska Omaha, plus an MS in Negotiations & Dispute Resolution from Creighton University School of Law . Prior roles include VP Finance & Operations at Capstone IT (2018–2022) and multiple HR leadership posts at Union Pacific Railroad (2007–2018) . Company-level 2024 execution highlights include record renewable corn oil yields, record Ultra-High Protein production, commissioning of York demo with Shell FCT, and progress on ‘Advantage Nebraska’ carbon capture—context for operational performance orientation of executive incentives .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capstone IT | Vice President, Finance & Operations | 2018–2022 | Led finance/operations at an IT services firm; relevant to HR-operational alignment |
| Union Pacific Railroad | Assistant VP HR Training & Development; Assistant VP Human Resources; Assistant VP Operations | 2007–2018 | Enterprise HR leadership and operations exposure in a complex industrial environment |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Herbert. Skip if not disclosed .
Fixed Compensation
Herbert’s individual base salary, target bonus %, and paid bonus are not disclosed (he was not a 2024 Named Executive Officer). Company policy context for executives:
- Annual incentive program exists for executive participants (NEOs disclosed) with objective metrics and MBOs .
- Long-term incentives structured as RSAs (time-based, 3-year ratable vesting) and PSUs (performance-based, 3-year cliff vest) .
Performance Compensation
Company’s executive incentive designs and 2024 metrics (applied to NEOs; CHRO program likely similar but not specifically disclosed):
| Metric | Weight | Threshold (50% payout) | Target (100%) | Max (200%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergent EBITDA (by product) | 30% | Product-level targets | Product-level targets | Product-level targets | Two of five product metrics achieved in 2024 |
| Safety (multi-metric) | 5% | Various safety targets | Various safety targets | Various safety targets | Achieved 100% across five initiatives |
| Run Rate (mm bushels/yr) | 5% | 289 | 308 | 316 | Quantitative throughput goal |
| ESG – ISS Scoring | 2.5% | 3.00 | 2.67 | 2.33 | External scoring target levels |
| Yields (corn oil, protein, ethanol) | 5% | Product-level targets | Product-level targets | Product-level targets | Averaged 96% of target |
| Other Operating Initiatives | 27.5% | Quantitative metrics per initiative | Quantitative metrics per initiative | Quantitative metrics per initiative | Achieved on 4 of 7 initiatives |
| MBOs / Individual Performance | 25% | MBO attainment | MBO attainment | MBO attainment | Executive-specific objectives |
Annual payout schedule:
- Threshold: 50% of target (all NEOs)
- Target: 80% of target (NEOs) vs 200% of target for CEO
- Maximum: 200% (NEOs) vs 300% (CEO) of target
Long-term incentives (2024 grant design):
- RSAs: 3-year ratable vesting
- PSUs: 3-year cliff; performance goals include absolute stock price ($30/$40/$50 per share for threshold/target/max), Protein/Sugar/Carbon ROI tiers, and EBITDA tiers (+35%/+80% vs threshold)
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Herbert’s personal beneficial ownership (direct/indirect shares, vested/unvested breakdown, options) is not disclosed; the Security Ownership table covers directors and NEOs, not the CHRO .
- Company policies:
- Stock ownership guidelines apply to NEOs (CEO 6× salary; CFO 4×; other NEOs 3×); directors 5× retainer . Herbert’s specific guideline status not disclosed.
- Clawback policy updated in November 2023 to require recovery of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation upon accounting restatements under Exchange Act Rule 10D-1/Nasdaq .
- Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging, derivatives, margin accounts, and pledging by officers/directors; trading window preclearance required; event-specific blackouts permitted . Proxy clarifies a family-member pledging carve-out if insider disclaims beneficial ownership and no MNPI sharing; the company stated no NEOs or directors have pledged shares .
Employment Terms
- No individual employment agreement, severance multiple, non-compete/solicit, or change-of-control terms are disclosed for Herbert in 2024–2025 proxies or 10-K exhibits (examples provided for Mapes and Osowski only) .
- Executive Committee governance: Herbert was designated to the Executive Committee with three other leaders to lead the company during CEO transition; interim PEO designated (Mapes) .
Performance & Track Record
- Role in transition: Participation in Executive Committee during 2025 leadership change (CEO departure; board strategic review and cost-reduction initiative) indicates operational trust and continuity responsibilities .
- Company achievements relevant to operating metrics: 2024 records in renewable corn oil and Ultra-High Protein; commissioning of York demonstration with Shell FCT; Clean Sugar Technology™ deployment and product trials; CCS project progress under ‘Advantage Nebraska’ .
Say-On-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- 2025 Say-on-Pay vote results: For 36,314,605; Against 4,966,445; Abstain 142,334; 7,394,016 broker non-votes—advisory approval of executive compensation framework .
- 2024 investor engagement topics included strategy, decarbonization (CCS), Ultra-High Protein, renewable corn oil, Clean Sugar Technology, capital allocation, and executive compensation programs .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibitions for officers and directors (alignment positive); family-member pledging carve-out tightly constrained and monitored .
- Clawback policy: Mandatory recovery on restatements (alignment positive) .
- Executive continuity: CEO transition and cost reduction initiatives in 2025; Herbert’s Executive Committee role mitigates leadership gap risk .
- Related-party/option repricing/tax gross-ups: No Herbert-specific disclosures; CEO legacy gross-up tied to insurance/disability noted; broader policies against option repricing without shareholder approval .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: Company-wide incentives emphasize operational delivery (Emergent EBITDA, safety, yields, throughput, ESG scoring, and MBOs) with rigorous PSU metrics (EBITDA, ROI, absolute stock price), supporting pay-for-performance. As CHRO, Herbert operates under policies that reinforce long-term alignment (no hedging/pledging; clawbacks; controlled trading) .
- Retention risk: Personal comp/severance terms not disclosed; participation on Executive Committee signals high organizational reliance. Absent disclosed severance protections, retention hinges on strategic trajectory and recognition in LTIP frameworks .
- Trading signals: Structural constraints (preclearance, windows, blackout periods) reduce opportunistic insider trading; no evidence of pledging by insiders (NEOs/directors), lowering forced-sale risk proxies. Form 4 activity for Herbert not available in provided documents—no signal on near-term selling pressure .
- Execution risk: Incentive linkage to operational initiatives (CCS timeline, Ultra-High Protein ramp, CST commercialization) implies variable payout sensitivity to program milestones. Monitoring PSU goal attainment (EBITDA, ROI/stock price) is critical for forecasting realized equity comp and insider motivation .
Key data gaps: Herbert’s individual salary/bonus/equity grants, ownership levels, and contract terms are not disclosed in 2024–2025 filings; rely on company-wide incentive/policy frameworks until further documents or Form 4s are available **[1309402_0001309402-25-000074_gpre-20250424.htm:52]** **[1309402_0001309402-25-000074_gpre-20250424.htm:85]** **[1309402_0001309402-25-000008_gpre-20241231.htm:10]**.