Green Plains Inc. 8-K

What Happened Green Plains Inc. announced in an 8-K filed January 12, 2026 that the Board approved the appointment of Ryan Loneman as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective January 26, 2026. Mr. Loneman, age 42, joins from Lindsay Corporation (most recently Vice President - Legal), previously served as VP & General Counsel at Signal Security, and practiced at Kirkland & Ellis. He holds a J.D. with distinction from Stanford Law School and a Finance & Philosophy degree from Creighton University.

Key Details

• Employment documents: Offer Letter (Exhibit 10.1) dated Jan. 8, 2026 and Employment Agreement (Exhibit 10.2) effective Jan. 26, 2026 were filed with the 8-K; press release furnished as Exhibit 99.1.
• Compensation and incentives: one-time grant of $200,000 in restricted shares vesting over 3 years; one-time $50,000 bonus eligibility tied to 100‑day milestones; annual base salary $300,000.
• Incentive participation: eligible for the Company’s short-term incentive plan at a target of 80% and eligible for the long-term incentive plan.
• Governance/related-party: Mr. Loneman has no family ties to current directors or officers and no reportable related-party transactions; he was not appointed pursuant to any outside arrangement.

Why It Matters A new general counsel affects the company’s legal oversight, compliance and corporate governance functions. The equity grant and incentive structure align Mr. Loneman’s compensation with the company’s near- and long-term performance, while the filings allow investors to review the full employment terms. Investors monitoring governance or management changes should note the effective date (Jan. 26, 2026) and can review Exhibits 10.1, 10.2 and 99.1 in the 8-K for complete details.