Steve Furcich
Director at GPRE
Board
About Steve Furcich
Steve Furcich (age 66) was appointed as an independent director of Green Plains Inc. on April 14, 2025. He is a Partner at Tillridge Global Agribusiness Fund with 35+ years of operating experience across midstream and downstream agribusiness, including leadership roles at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Illinois. Director since 2025; independence affirmed by the Board under NASDAQ and SEC standards and in the Ancora cooperation agreement .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) | President, Nutrition and Malting Divisions | 2002–2009 | Led ADM nutrition and malting; senior operating leadership |
| ADM | Vice President & Director of Group Operations, Oilseeds Division | 2000–2002 | Responsible for global manufacturing for Oilseeds, Cocoa, Nutraceutical & Animal Nutrition |
| ADM | Vice President, ADM Polymer | Not disclosed | Advanced industrial/manufacturing operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tillridge Global Agribusiness Partners | Partner; Director for portfolio companies | 2016–present | Private equity in agribusiness/food value chain |
| Inventure Renewables Inc. | Chairman | Current | Portfolio role via Tillridge |
| Wilmar Nutrition (subsidiary of Wilmar International) | Partner and Director | Current | Wilmar International is public (OTC: WLMIF); nutrition subsidiary directorship |
| Furst-McNess Company (subsidiary of Easy USA Holdings/Easy Bio) | Director | Current | Animal nutrition/feed subsidiary |
| Devenish Nutrition (subsidiary of Easy Bio) | Director | Current | Nutrition/wellness subsidiary |
| Novita Nutrition (WSE) | Past Director | Prior | Past public company directorship per company disclosure |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board has determined all non-employee directors are independent; independence confirmed for newly appointed directors (including Furcich) per Ancora cooperation agreement .
- Committee assignments: None as of the 2025 proxy (new director; no committee listed). Company is forming a Risk Committee and a Strategic Planning Committee; Strategic Planning Committee created in April 2025, co-chaired by a new and a tenured director (specific assignments not disclosed) .
- Attendance: In 2024 the Board held 4 regular and 15 special meetings; each director attended at least 93% of Board/committee meetings. Furcich was appointed in 2025, so 2024 attendance does not apply .
Director Election Results (vote signal)
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Steve/Steven J. Furcich – For | N/A | 40,327,058 |
| Steve/Steven J. Furcich – Withheld | N/A | 1,096,326 |
Say-on-Pay Voting (context for governance support)
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory vote – For | 49,007,172 | 36,314,605 |
| Advisory vote – Against | 2,387,859 | 4,966,445 |
| Advisory vote – Abstain | 44,398 | 142,334 |
| Broker non-votes | 4,401,826 | 7,394,016 |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Retainer | $90,000 | Unchanged since Aug 2022 |
| Annual Restricted Stock | $135,000 | Standard for non-employee directors; 2024 grant was 6,687 shares, vests after one year |
| Committee Chair Retainers | $20,000 (Board Chair & Audit), $15,000 (Nominating & Governance), $10,000 (Compensation) | Chair-specific fees |
| Travel/Expense Reimbursement | Actuals | Business-related expense reimbursement |
| New Director Compensation Timing | Prorated from start date | New directors (including Furcich) participate in standard program, prorated from April 14, 2025 |
Performance Compensation
- Directors receive time-vested restricted stock; no performance metrics (PSUs) tied to director pay. Equity vests based on service, typically 1-year vest for annual director grant .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public/private company roles listed above; company disclosures note no related-party transactions requiring Item 404(a) disclosure for Furcich upon appointment, and no related-party transactions in 2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills cited by GPRE: industrial manufacturing & ingredient production; commodity markets/marketing; strategy development; international business; M&A/partnerships; capital markets; legal/regulatory/government relations; public company governance/sustainability; executive leadership; executive compensation .
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership: Not disclosed for Furcich in the April 11, 2025 record date table (he was appointed April 14, 2025). Aggregate management ownership table lists other directors/executives; Furcich not included due to record date timing .
- Director stock ownership guideline: 5x annual cash retainer; 3 years to comply; unvested restricted stock counts; performance awards do not. One director (Farha Aslam) noted as not in compliance; selling restricted while non-compliant prohibited .
- Hedging/pledging: Officers and directors prohibited from short-term/speculative trading and pledging/margin accounts; 2024 policy update clarifies family member pledging is not prohibited only if beneficial ownership is disclaimed and no MNPI shared. Company is not aware of any pledges by directors/officers .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Furcich adds deep operational agribusiness experience aligned with GPRE’s transformation (protein, clean sugar, carbon monetization). His independence and the Board’s formation of strategic oversight committees support investor confidence .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No Item 404(a) transactions upon appointment; no related-party transactions in 2024. Related party policy requires Audit Committee review/approval of any such transactions, mitigating conflict risk .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is a balanced cash/equity mix with service-based vesting and robust ownership guidelines (5x retainer), supporting alignment with shareholders. Clawback policy updated to comply with Rule 10D-1 (primarily affecting executives) reflects governance rigor .
- Signals: Strong director election support in 2025 (40.3M for; 1.10M withheld) and continued say-on-pay approval indicate governance acceptability. The Ancora cooperation agreement and board refresh add investor perspectives and urgency; no special arrangements for Furcich beyond standard director compensation .
- Red flags: None disclosed specific to Furcich. Note the nuanced 2024 policy allowing family member pledging with disclaimed beneficial ownership; while not prohibited per policy, investors often view any pledging as a potential misalignment risk. Company states it is not aware of any pledges by insiders .