GEVO · Gevo, Inc.

This executive transition reflects a planned leadership succession following Patrick R. Gruber’s retirement as CEO after long-standing service. The structured three-year consulting arrangement ensures continuity in strategic guidance during a critical phase for Gevo, particularly as it advances its renewable fuels and decarbonization initiatives. The $30,000 monthly fee represents a modest, predictable cost relative to executive compensation norms and is explicitly tied to performance and availability — fees are conditioned on ongoing service delivery each month. Importantly, the agreement reinforces Gevo’s control over intellectual property and confidential information, with work product assigned exclusively to the company and confidentiality obligations lasting five years (or indefinitely for trade secrets). Termination rights are narrowly defined and favor Gevo only for serious cause — including felony conviction, willful misconduct, dishonesty, or material failure to perform — limiting exposure to uncontrolled severance or open-ended obligations. While not indicative of operational distress, the arrangement signals reliance on Gruber’s domain expertise during execution of near-term commercial and technical milestones.