Blue Tide Expands Executive Team with New Finance and Commercial Leaders

HOUSTON, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Tide ("Company"), a portfolio company of Tailwater Capital and an innovative company developing a network of used motor oil re-refining facilities across North America, today announced the appointment of Jason Starnes as Chief Financial Officer and Sinan Kucuk as Chief Commercial Officer.

The additions of Starnes and Kucuk further strengthen Blue Tide's executive leadership team as the Company continues scaling operations at its state-of-the-art Baytown, Texas re-refining facility and expands its position in the circular economy for lubricants.

As Chief Financial Officer, Starnes will oversee Blue Tide's finance, accounting, strategic planning, and corporate development functions. He brings nearly two decades of experience across private equity-backed businesses, corporate finance, investment banking, and strategic transactions.

Most recently, Starnes served as Chief Financial Officer of Harbor Logistics, where he led the integration and refinancing of two private equity-backed portfolio companies and helped drive operational and financial improvements across the organization. Previously, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Business Development and Finance at Associated Asphalt Partners. Earlier in his career, Starnes held investment banking roles at Wells Fargo Securities and commercial banking roles at JPMorgan Chase and Amegy Bank. Starnes earned an MBA from Rice University and a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University.

As Chief Commercial Officer, Kucuk will lead Blue Tide's commercial organization, including feedstock supply, product sales and marketing, supply chain, and customer operations. He brings more than 16 years of international experience in the lubricants industry.

Prior to joining Blue Tide, Kucuk held senior leadership roles at Shell, where he managed base oil supply and commercial operations across global markets and negotiated more than $1 billion in contracts with global oil majors. Before Shell, he led logistics and import/export operations at Toyota Automotive Manufacturing. Kucuk is a five-time recipient of the Global Commercial Champion Award and also received the 2025 EVP Award from the Luminary Club in recognition of his commercial leadership and strategic execution capabilities. Kucuk holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jason and Sinan to Blue Tide," said Terence McHugh, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Tide. "Their combined experience across strategic finance, global lubricants markets, operational leadership, and commercial growth will be invaluable as we continue expanding our platform, serving customers and suppliers, and advancing our mission to deliver sustainable, high-performance re-refined products."

Blue Tide operates one of the most advanced re-refining facilities in North America, converting used motor oil into premium Group II/II+ base oils and specialty products through a circular re-refining process. The Company's Baytown facility is strategically located along the Houston Ship Channel and is designed to support long-term growth through integrated logistics infrastructure, advanced hydrotreating technology, and scalable production capabilities.

About Blue Tide
Blue Tide is redefining oil refining through advanced, sustainable re-refining of used motor oil into high-performance Group II/II+ base oils and specialty products. Headquartered in Texas, Blue Tide operates one of the most technologically advanced re-refining facilities in North America and is committed to supporting a more circular, lower-carbon economy through innovation, operational excellence, and responsible resource management. Learn more at bluetide.com.

About Tailwater Capital
Dallas-based Tailwater Capital is an energy and infrastructure private equity firm with a well-established track record of working constructively with proven management teams to deliver value-added solutions. Tailwater Capital has raised more than $6 billion in committed equity capital since inception, and the team has executed more than 300 transactions representing over $29 billion in value. For more information, please visit tailwatercapital.com.

Tailwater Media Relations
Jill McMillan
Managing Director, Communications & Public Affairs
+1 214-489-7047
[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Tide