Nellson Burns

CIO, HollyFrontier Corporation

Nellson Burns moved to Dallas in 2007 from Houston to become Holly Corporation’s Vice President of Information Technology. Having since merged with Frontier Oil Corporation, HollyFrontier is an independent petroleum refiner and marketer producing high-value products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel as well as specialty lubricants, oil and waxes. HollyFrontier has major refinery operations New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas, Utah and Oklahoma that drive revenues over 20 billion dollars per year. Nellson helped complete the successful implementation of a comprehensive SAP software suite in 2007. When Holly acquired two significant refineries within six months in 2009 and doubled its refining capacity, Nellson successfully spearheaded the rapid business and technology integration efforts, including integrating the new refineries into SAP with a 4 week period. He has recently integrated the IT systems of Holly and Frontier, where the merger team was able to integrate the Frontier business into Holly’s SAP system on Day 1. Prior to joining Holly, Nellson was with Ernst & Young’s, then CapGemini’s, Oil & Gas SAP practice for nine years, were he “refined” his IT leadership skills. Nellson serves as a member of the SIM DFW Chapter Board, and is the former chairman of the global advisory council for SAP’s for Oil & Gas sector. He is also on the advisory board for the Terry Foundation, the state’s largest private source of full academic scholarships. Nellson and his wife Melissa are proud Texas A&M Aggies, and Nellson serves as a Director of the Texas Alliance Foundation, to support opportunities for student leadership at Texas A&M.