Plains All American Pipeline Announces COO Change; Dean Liollio Appointed

What Happened Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (PAA) and Plains GP Holdings, L.P. (PAGP) filed an 8-K on Sept. 29, 2026 reporting that Chris Chandler notified the company on Sept. 25, 2026 that he will resign as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective Oct. 2, 2026. The companies announced Dean Liollio (age 67) will be appointed EVP and COO of the general partner entities effective Oct. 2, 2026. Mr. Chandler’s resignation is to pursue other interests and is not due to any disagreement with the company’s operations, policies or practices.

Key Details

• Effective date: Oct. 2, 2026 (announcement made Sept. 29, 2026; resignation notice dated Sept. 25, 2026).
• New role and pay: Dean Liollio will serve as EVP & COO with a $625,000 annual base salary.
• Incentives: Annual bonus target of 150% of base salary and a time‑based LTIP grant of 150,000 phantom units vesting in August 2029.
• Background: Liollio joined Plains in 2008; prior roles include Senior VP, Special Projects (since June 2024), President of Plains Midstream Canada (2020–2024), and prior executive roles at EnergySouth and CenterPoint. No family relationships or special arrangements were reported.

Why It Matters Leadership changes at the COO level affect day‑to‑day operations oversight and execution of pipeline and midstream activities. The filing provides concrete compensation and incentive terms for the new COO, which are relevant to assessing management stability and alignment with shareholder interests. The company explicitly stated the outgoing COO’s departure was not due to disagreements, which reduces governance‑related uncertainty for investors.