Ferrellgas elevates Tamria Zertuche to president, CEO

The Ferrellgas Partners board of directors unanimously elected COO Tamria Zertuche as president and CEO, effective Aug. 1.

Zertuche

James E. Ferrell, who has been president and CEO for several years, will become executive chairman of the board.

“Anyone who knows Tamria and what she has done for us as our COO will not be surprised at the board’s decision,” says Ferrell. “She has transformed Ferrellgas into a technology-enabled logistics company while significantly improving financial performance.”

Zertuche says it is an honor to be elected as the next president and CEO of Ferrellgas.

“I am privileged to be able to lead the high-performing employee-owners of this company into the future,” she says. “They were recognized recently when Ferrellgas was named by Newsweek as one of the ‘Most Trustworthy Companies in America.’ We all know we have more to do to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. As a Hispanic woman, I am particularly proud to hold this position. I joined the company through its Blue Rhino division 19 years ago in information technology and have held positions of increasing responsibility over the years. The inclusionary atmosphere of Ferrellgas has allowed me to grow into the COO role, and now I am fortunate to be elevated to CEO.

“The rich 80-year history of Ferrellgas has been nurtured by Jim, and we are fortunate for his continued leadership as executive chairman of the board,” adds Zertuche.

Ferrell returned in late 2016 as interim CEO to reposition the company after an unsuccessful diversification attempt. In 2019, Ferrellgas Partners voluntarily delisted from the New York Stock Exchange when it had fallen out of compliance because the average closing price of its common units over a consecutive 30-day trading period was less than $1 per unit. In 2021, the company completed financial restructuring transactions to strengthen its balance sheet.