OREANDA-NEWS. Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has named energy industry veteran Graeme Burnett as Senior Vice President – Fuel Optimization, effective Aug. 1, 2013. Burnett will oversee all aspects of Delta's fuel program, including maximizing the benefits of its Monroe Energy subsidiary, which owns the refinery in Trainer, Pa.

Burnett also will serve as chair of the Monroe Energy Board of Directors. He will report to Delta President Ed Bastian.

Burnett brings deep experience and skills in the energy industry, with more than 30 years experience in positions worldwide. Prior to joining Delta he spent nearly a decade at Total Petrochemicals working in Texas; Brussels; Seoul, South Korea; and Guangzhou, China; and in 2012 was named that firm's president and CEO of Petrochemicals and Refining for the U.S. Previously he worked in various roles at Sincor PLC in Caracas, Venezuela; Fina Oil and Chemical in Texas; Petrofina in Texas, Brussels and the United Kingdom; and Foster Wheeler in the U.K.

Burnett sits on the Board and is a member of the Executive Committee of the American Chemistry Council, and is a member of the Board of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. Burnett, who grew up in the U.K., has a degree in Chemical Engineering from Teesside University in the U.K.

"At Delta, we have been a leader in finding innovative ways to deal with the No. 1 cost input in our business. Graeme's great expertise and experience will help Delta continue to advance the increasingly critical area of fuel management," Bastian said. "In addition, his character and values are a great match for Delta's unique culture, which is the foundation of our success."