The Petroleum Quality Institute of America

Marvin Kerkstra, Manager, Lubricants Technology, CITGO Petroleum Corporation

Marvin Kerkstra has served as manager of lubricants technology for CITGO Lubricants since 2010. He is responsible for Product Development, Technical Services, Compliance, and Quality Assurance. Since joining CITGO Lubricants in 1996, Marvin has held various management and technical roles. These positions include manager of manufacturing, manager of lubricants supply chain & base oil sales, and plant manager. Prior to 1996, Marvin held a variety of management and engineering roles in CITGO Terminal and Pipeline Operations.

Marvin holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Reginald ("Reggie") Dias, Director, Automotive Lubricants, Phillips 66

Reggie Dias, Director, Automotive Lubricants, has been with Phillips 66 for more than 25 years, having worked in the R&D and management of various product lines. Reggie is currently responsible for the management of Passenger Car Motor Oil and Automatic Transmission Fluid lines. He is also responsible for developing and maintaining liaison with the engine builders, OEMs and other automotive lubricants industry segments. Prior to Phillips 66 Lubricants, Reggie worked with a major additive manufacturer developing new technologies for heavy duty and automotive engine oils. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, Society of Automotive Engineers, ASTM and the Locomotive Maintenance Officers Association. He is also the Phillips 66 Lubricants company representative at the API Lubricants Group.

More recently, Reggie was instrumental with the development and launch of ConocoPhillips Lubricants featuring the exclusive Liquid Titanium® additive.

Harry is currently the North America Marketing Manager for Chevron Lubricants, responsible for all marketing activities in the U.S. and Canada.  Harry has worked in the industry for 26 years, 19 of them with Chevron.  He has been in his current position since 2014.  Previous to this role, Harry served in a number of sales and marketing leadership positions such as Area Business Manager, Consumer Retail Channel Manager, Global Marine District Manager, Asia, and Global Industrial Sector Manager.

Harry graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1985, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Management.

Ian Macpherson Director of OEM Liaison for North America, Afton Chemical

Ian Macpherson has twenty-six (26) years of experience in automotive, commercial and industrial lubricant formulation, technical service, and marketing roles with Afton Chemical Corporation.  He has a PhD in Chemistry from University of Leeds in the UK, and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Bradford.

After serving the past 10  years in Afton’s marketing department in Richmond, VA,  Ian was appointed to his current role in the OEM liaison team in Southfield Michigan. 

David Arters, Global Technology Director, Driveline,  The Lubrizol Corporation

In 1976 Irvin Warren founded Warren Oil Company, Inc. and for the last 35 years has served as President and CEO. Today Warren Oil Company, Inc. is the largest independent lubricants manufacturer in North America with 6 plants that service all of the USA and 49 foreign countries. Irvin attended North Carolina State University where he obtained his MBA and remained on staff as a professor of engineering for 6 years.  He has endeavored to serve his community in a variety of ways. Most recently, on three occasions, transporting a team of doctors to assist in earthquake relief for Haiti. He prefers, however, to remain anonymous in all philanthropic pursuits.

Other interests include real estate and his first love, farming. 

Sydney Thwaites  President/COO of Lubricating Specialties Company (LSC)

Sydney Thwaites is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Lubricating Specialties Company (LSC). Mr. Thwaites joined LSC in 1998 and holds a BS in Accounting and Finance from California Lutheran University. Prior to becoming the President/COO, Sydney was Chief Financial Officer for the company. Lubricating Specialties Company, founded in 1928 and headquartered in Pico Rivera, California, is the leading contract customer blender and packager of lubricants and greases in the Western United States.

David W.H. Fenderson, STLE-CLS  Vice-President Marketing GH Berlin-Windward Petroleum

David Fenderson is serving as Vice President of Marketing, Industrial Sales, and Product Development for GH Berlin-Windward since the merger of the two companies in 2011.  Prior to that, David served in a similar capacity with Windward Petroleum.  David held the position of marketer principal at Maine Lubrication Service from 1985 until 2004 in which he managed the sales organization and led his company through several expansions and acquisitions.  In 2004 Maine Lubrication Service merged with Windward Petroleum.

David is a 1985 graduate of Hobart College and holds a BA in economics.