Clean Energy Names JJ Armstrong as CFO
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE), a leading provider of renewable natural gas (RNG) for the transportation market, has appointed JJ Armstrong as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Armstrong succeeds Robert Vreeland, who is retiring after serving as the company’s CFO for approximately 12 years.
With the appointment, Armstrong will join Clean Energy’s executive leadership team and become one of the company’s named executive officers. His promotion represents an internal succession move that brings an experienced finance and accounting executive into a senior leadership position at a time when the company continues to focus on growth, new technologies and the expansion of renewable transportation fuels.
Armstrong has been with Clean Energy since 2014, when he joined the company as Director of SEC Reporting and Divisional Controller. Over the past decade, he has taken on increasing responsibilities within the organization and most recently served as Vice President and Corporate Controller.
During his tenure at Clean Energy, Armstrong has worked across a broad range of financial and accounting activities. His experience includes financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity transactions, treasury operations and other corporate finance functions. His long tenure with the company has also provided him with an in-depth understanding of Clean Energy’s business operations, financial structure and strategic priorities.
“JJ has been with Clean Energy for more than a decade and knows our business inside and out,” said Clay Corbus, CEO of Clean Energy Fuels. “He has a deep understanding of all our financial operations, our strategy, and where we see opportunities ahead. That experience, along with the trust he has built across the organization, makes him the right person to take on the role of CFO.”
Corbus added that Armstrong’s appointment comes as Clean Energy continues to focus on its growth strategy, implementation of new technologies and efforts to deliver long-term value for shareholders. By selecting an executive who has already spent more than 10 years within the organization, the company is maintaining continuity within its finance leadership while positioning the function to support its future priorities.
“I’m excited to take on this new role and the opportunity that comes with it,” said JJ Armstrong. “We have an experienced team and a strong foundation to build on, and I look forward to working with Clay and the broader leadership team to support our priorities and help move the business forward.”
Armstrong’s promotion comes as renewable natural gas continues to play an important role in the transportation sector’s efforts to reduce emissions. Clean Energy has established itself as a major provider of RNG and other alternative transportation fuel solutions, serving commercial transportation customers seeking lower-carbon fuel options.
The company’s financial organization is therefore responsible for supporting a business operating within a rapidly evolving energy and transportation market. Armstrong’s background in corporate reporting, transactions and treasury operations is expected to provide relevant experience as Clean Energy manages its financial requirements and continues implementing its strategic plans.
Before joining Clean Energy, Armstrong spent 11 years at EY, a global accounting and professional services firm. During his time at EY, he worked in assurance services and supported clients across several industries, including retail, technology and manufacturing.
That experience provided Armstrong with a broad foundation in accounting, financial reporting and corporate finance before he moved into Clean Energy’s internal finance organization in 2014. Since joining Clean Energy, he has progressed through several leadership responsibilities, ultimately becoming Vice President and Corporate Controller before being appointed CFO.
The transition also marks the conclusion of Vreeland’s tenure as Clean Energy’s chief financial officer. Vreeland has led the company’s financial activities for approximately a dozen years and is now retiring.
“Bob has been the consummate professional steering our financial activities while being a pleasure to work with,” Corbus said. “As he heads into retirement, the entire company wishes Bob the best in this new and exciting stage of his life.”
Vreeland’s departure follows a lengthy period in which he oversaw Clean Energy’s financial operations and supported the company through developments in the alternative transportation fuel market. His retirement represents a significant leadership transition for the company, while Armstrong’s internal promotion provides continuity for Clean Energy’s finance organization.
The company’s decision to appoint Armstrong also reflects the value of internal experience in managing a complex financial organization. Having worked across Clean Energy’s accounting and finance functions for more than a decade, Armstrong enters the CFO position with knowledge of the company’s systems, operations, financial processes and leadership structure.
His previous responsibilities involving SEC reporting and corporate controllership also give him direct experience with the financial reporting requirements of a publicly traded company. In addition, his exposure to mergers, debt and equity transactions and treasury operations provides experience across several areas that are important to corporate financial management.
For Clean Energy, the CFO transition comes as the company continues to pursue opportunities associated with renewable fuels and transportation decarbonization. RNG is increasingly being used by commercial transportation operators as an alternative fuel, particularly in applications where fleets require dependable fueling infrastructure and seek to reduce the carbon intensity of their operations.
Clean Energy’s strategy includes continued attention to growth and technology as it seeks to expand its role in the transportation energy market. The company has indicated that implementing new technologies will remain an important part of its priorities, alongside maintaining a focus on shareholder value.
Armstrong will now work closely with Corbus and the broader executive leadership team as the company advances these objectives. His appointment provides Clean Energy with an executive who has extensive institutional knowledge and a long history with the organization.
As CFO, Armstrong will oversee the company’s financial leadership at a time when energy markets, transportation technologies and regulatory priorities continue to evolve. His combination of external accounting experience at EY and more than a decade of internal experience at Clean Energy positions him to manage the company’s financial responsibilities while supporting its broader strategic direction.
The appointment of Armstrong and retirement of Vreeland therefore represent both a leadership transition and an effort to maintain continuity within Clean Energy’s financial operations. With Armstrong moving into the CFO role immediately, the company will continue to rely on his existing knowledge of its finance and accounting functions as it works toward its growth objectives.
Clean Energy said Armstrong’s extensive experience, familiarity with the company and understanding of its strategy were key factors behind the appointment. The company will now move forward with Armstrong as CFO while continuing to focus on renewable natural gas, new technologies, business growth and value creation for shareholders.
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