Jeff Lautt Named President of POET

Jeff Lautt was named President of POET, the ethanol company announced recently. Lautt has been with POET since 2005 and most recently was Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations. Company founder Jeff Broin will remain CEO and Chairman of the Board.

"Over his six-year career at POET, Jeff Lautt has continually taken on more and more of the daily operations of the company," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "I have full confidence that he will excel in this new role and help take POET to new heights."

By remaining CEO and Chairman of POET, the change will allow Broin to focus his time and energy on long-term strategy for the company and the ethanol industry. "With more of the day-to-day operations in Jeff Lautt's hands, I can invest more of my time in planning the future of POET and work on issues critical to the ethanol industry," Broin said. "Many of the challenges POET faces are shared by the entire ethanol industry. As co-chairman of Growth Energy, I also look forward to working with others in the industry to face those challenges head-on."

"Under the leadership of Jeff Broin, POET has grown into a very successful company," President Lautt said. "Working with Jeff and the dedicated team at POET, I look forward to playing an even bigger role in future accomplishments."

Jeff Lautt has been with POET since early 2005 and most recently was the Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations. In that position, Lautt was responsible for all operational business units within POET. Lautt spent fourteen years in the emergency vehicle industry where he served as President of a Midwestern-based fire truck manufacturing company before joining POET. Lautt has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Engineering from South Dakota State University.