Our Leadership


DENNY WIST
Co-Founder & CEO
Mr. Wist is a Co-Founder and the Chief Executive Officer of P2826 with 40 years of experience in the steel industry. He is the US expert on NPS and former president of the only U.S. NPS producer to date with more than 30 years of experience in executive leadership of steel sales, operations management, brand management, marketing and product development.


From 2001 to 2010, he was President and COO of Thomas Steel, the sole North American NPS producer. From 2010 to 2012, he was the Global Business Development Manager for Tata Steel Plating, developing new plated steel products. In addition to his experience at Thomas, he had 28 years at other steel companies in a variety of leading and executive roles in Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Operations, Planning, and Quality.



DOUGLAS HEIN
Co-Founder & CFO
Mr. Hein is Co-Founder and the Chief Financial Officer of P2826. He is a seasoned financial executive with experience in start-up businesses, capital raises and financings. Direct involvement is successful capital and financing activity in excess of $1 billion. Negotiated and executed maximum shareholder value business exits.

Mr. Hein, age 66, is a co-founder and the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO” of P2826. He is an executive with extensive experience in financial and operational management. He is the Founder and President of Heritage Corporate Advisors, a boutique business and financial advisory firm.

As the former CFO and Chief Operating Officer of a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, and as the current CFO of a private equity firm and its portfolio companies, he has, and had, responsibility for the overall fiscal and administrative management of each company. He was also Executive Vice President and CFO for Access Data Corp. and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Federated Administrative Services, providing accounting and administrative services to Federated Investors (now Federated Hermes (NYSE: FHI) and its customers.

Mr. Hein began his career by working with KPMG International Limited, a global accounting firm for thirteen years.


MIKE HARTMAN

CCO

Mr. Hartman is the Chief Commercial Officer of P2826. He has 30 years of experience working with companies in the steel and steel products industries.

Mr. Hartman began his career with Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corporation as a sales and technical representative. He worked for Thomas Steel from 1997 until 2014. At Thomas Steel, he worked with Mr. Wist in various positions including New Market Business Development Manager and Commercial Director.

More recently, MR. Hartman held positions of Vice President, Sales and Marketing Director of the EV/Rechargeable Division and VP, Global Commercial Director of the Alkaline Division for H&T Battery Components, an international battery component manufacturer.



MICHAEL RUGGERI

CCDO

Mr. Ruggeri, age 70, is a Principal with Heritage Corporate Advisors, a boutique business and financial advisory firm.

Prior to joining Heritage, he had a 42-year career with PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) that included responsibilities for accounting, controllership, finance, business strategy, and business development functions. He was Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Transitions Optical, Inc., a PPG majority-owned joint venture, with responsibility for finance, accounting, purchasing, IT, and legal functions. During this period, the business delivered double-digit sales and earnings growth.

Subsequently, as Business Controller for PPG’s Optical and Specialty Materials external reporting unit, he was a member of the leadership team which consistently delivered the highest return on sales of any business unit within the PPG portfolio.

He was a member of the PPG deal teams that negotiated M&A transactions totaling more than $5 billion, including the divestiture of the Transitions Optical business with a transaction value of $3.4 billion. He returned to PPG as a consultant where he participated in M&A transactions totaling more than $2 billion.



DENIS HENNESSY

Manufacturing Operations Advisor

Mr. Hennessy is the Manufacturing Operations Advisor for P2826. He has 25 years of experience in the steel industry optimizing product flow and minimizing headcount while being responsible for steel mill technical review.

Mr. Hennessy, age 50, is currently Vice President of Steel for H2Green Steel in Boden, Sweden, where he is responsible for steel mill technical review and layout to optimize product flow and minimize headcount. He hired and trained the workforce of this Greenfield Steel company.

He previously worked as the Director of Product Development for Big River Steel in Arkansas from 2014 to 2021 where he directed metallurgical engineering and product development in the electrical steel, automotive steel and API product lines. Mr. Hennessy and Mr. Wist worked together at Big River Steel.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Hennessy held various product development, technical and engineering positions at Severstal Columbus and Stelco Inc.’s Lake Erie Steel facility.


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