Brazil has been steadily deregulating its power market over the last two decades. This combined with one of the largest share of renewables in the generation mix of any advanced economy, alongside hydrocarbon production in the ‘Pre-salt’ off the coast, has made it a hugely dynamic market with lots of opportunity for participants, both domestic and international. What is Brazil’s generation mix and power market structure? How volatile is the market and why? What pressures do participants face? How liberalization survived multiple political changes and what might the future hold? Our guest is Adriana Waltrick, CEO of SPIC, the fifth largest power generation company in the country.

To attend our upcoming HC Commodities Podcast Live Event on September 19 in Houston please visit:

https://www.eventcreate.com/e/hc-commodities-podcast-houston

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Are we seeing a regime change in Europeangas and power markets? Is Europe now entering a period of structurally lower energy prices and economic advantage as its decades long investment in renewables starts to pay off? Will other countries have to go through this journey? What does this mean for power trading opportunities? As we approach winter, is the European Energy Crisis in the rearview mirror? What of natural gas? Huge amounts of LNG are forecasted to arrive on European shores in the coming years. What will this mean for Europe’s gas markets and what’s the impact on the US, the main exporter, as well as other parties along the gas value chain? Our guests are Senior Commodities Strategists, Aldo Spanjer and James Huckstepp from BNP Paribas. 

To attend our upcoming HC Commodities Podcast Live Event in Houston on September 19 please RSVP here (in person event only):

https://www.eventcreate.com/e/hc-commodities-podcast-houston

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In commodities, the lowest cost producer or shipper is king.This in turn drives siting assets, determined by human factors such as cost, legal and tax regimes and geographic factors like proximity to rivers, coasts, production and markets. However, today the world is becoming more volatile both in weather events and in policy. And in fact locations a few miles apart can have very different risk profiles – with those choosing wisely outstripping competitors as crucial times of disruption.  And those risks are now being mapped down to the precise GPS coordinates. Our guest is someone who is leading the charge. Michael Ferrari is Chief Scientific Officer & Chief Investment Officer at AlphaGeo - AI-powered geospatial predictive location analytics platform that enables clients to assess location risks in the commodities sector and beyond

To visit AlphaGeo - 

https://alphageo.ai/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The Fate of Rome: climate, disease and the end of an empire with Kyle Harper (Christmas Special) 

The Roman Period affords us one of the most documented and detailed histories of an ancient civilization. Yet since Edward Gibbon, its decline and fall remains hotly debated. However, over the last couple of decades we have complemented the written evidence with a wealth of climate and disease research. The result is a striking new view and one with echoes for our time. Climate change was foundational to Rome’s rise and instrumental in its subsequent fall, combining with attendant pandemics falling on a weakened population. In the wake of COVID and rapid climate shocks, what warnings does this history hold for us? In this Christmas special, we welcome Kyle Harper, G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty; Professor of Classics and Letters at The University of Oklahama and author of The Fate Fate of Rome: climate, disease and the end of an empire. 

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Insects & Commodities with Charlie Drew

Insects are fundamental to the commodities world. As pollinators, they are crucial to the agri sector and food production. Increasingly, they are being used to recycle trash and farmed to provide protein for aquaculture, animal husbandry and even humans. However, these very alien creatures also show us a way to think very differently too – generating a collective brain created by thousands of individuals in a colony. And it is this decision making process that is informing Swarm Technology’s very different investment fund. Here to talk all things insects from farming to investing is Charlie Drew, Co-Founder and COO of Swarm Technology (https://swarmtechnology.com)

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Climate Change is the dominant investment theme of the next 30 years. To decarbonize the planet while managing and mitigating the risks of a more volatile climate will require trillions of dollars, creating immense opportunities and risks for investors. Our guest is Bruce Usher, author of the recently published book “Investing in the Era of Climate Change’ – a clear-eyed handbook on the investing strategies, risks, terminologies and the controversies, from divestment to ESG. What products are available now and what might the future hold? Usher takes us step-by-step through the investment world’s response to this global threat.  

Bruce Usher is professor of professional practice and the Elizabeth B. Strickler ’86 and Mark T. Gallogly ’86 Faculty Director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School, where he teaches on the intersection of financial, social, and environmental issues. He was previously an entrepreneur and worked in financial services in New York and Tokyo. Usher is also the author of Renewable Energy: A Primer for the Twenty-First Century (Columbia, 2019).

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The European Energy Crisis is viewed through the lens of a gas supply crisis, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While true, it is as much a product of a European nuclear energy crisis, centered on France. A crisis that is both acute but also forecast to be chronic. And yet, nuclear power is still hailed as the solution to this same crisis and energy transition in general. All the while, for the first time in world, history, a nuclear power plant is being shelled during a military conflict in the heart of Europe. Returning to the show to discuss all things nuclear in 2022 is Mycle Schneider, independent consultant, coordinator and editor of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (https://www.worldnuclearreport.org).

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Following the recent LME week and COP27, we are checking in on the metals market. In particular, Copper, Aluminum and Steel. All these metals face the twin forces of energy transition & sustainability alongside a global market destabilized by COVID, trade wars and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What have been the major trends in these metals in 2022 and what is the outlook for 2023? How will each of these metals fare in the effort to decarbonize, an inflationary global economy and the European energy crisis. Our guests are research leaders, Sarah Macnaughton and Charlie Durant, at the independent market analytics firm, CRU, which covers metals, minerals and fertilizers. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Titanium is an engineer’s dream. Lighter than steel yet stronger than aluminum and extraordinarily corrosion resistant, titanium can help facilitate the clean energy transition—from EVs to wind turbines. Yet ittypicallyremains the preserve of space programs and Swiss watches.The current process for manufacturing titanium is expensive, complex, toxic and highly carbon intensive. Additionally, like many critical metals, the supply chain is dominated by foreign nations including China and Russia. Titanium is crucial to our national defense, the space industry and our advanced industries, and the supply chain stakes are high. Here to discuss Titanium and its potential is Anastasios Arima, co-founder and CEO of IperionX, a US based metals technology company.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Gas stations have played a pivotal role in civil infrastructure for over a century. The pump has served as a proxy for a country’s development status and a polity’s health. Over time its role has developed. As fuel margins tightened, companies reimagined themselves as roadside retailers. Others have backward integrated into supply and trading firms. However, what does the energy transition hold for this ubiquitous sector? How will EVs transform the market and how can retailers adapt? Our guest is Dan Munford, Managing Director of consultancy Insight Research and media platform for the sector Global Convenience Store Focus. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

LNG now drives natural gas prices in Europe. After decades of this only being the case in Asian markets, LNG could shortly price markets worldwide. How did we get here in terms of assets, players and politics? Will this remain in place throughout the energy transition? What does it mean for producers like the US?  What does it mean for Natural Gas traders and who stands to benefit? Our guest is Tamir Druz, Managing Director of Capra Energy, an LNG and Natural Gas Training and Data Provider. He is also Chief Risk Advisor at Green Trading Capital, an environmental asset investment company. Tamir has had a 25 year career in Natural Gas markets as a trader, risk officer and consultant.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

What is happening to the Super-Cycle? The thesis is redistributive policies, energy transition and deglobalization have dramatically constrained supply while ballooning demand. Arguably, all conditions have tightened exacerbated by conflict, energy subsidies and a worsening emissions outlook. So why have commodities fallen off the Spring highs? Is this a pause before prices inexorably march upwards? Jeff Currie, Chief Economist for Commodities at Goldman Sachs returns to talk about the last 6 months and what the future might hold. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In this episode, we take a look at the Meat Industry and the ag and animal nutrition sector that underpins it. The sector faces unprecedented challenges. Producers are working to meet the demands of a growing population while adapting to long term trends such as changing consumer expectations, in addition to innovating to address the challenges presented by climate change. At the same time, they face short term volatility from feedstock prices, conflict, disease and increasing regulation. Here to discuss all this and more is Chris Chavis, VP of Animal Nutrition and Health Performance at DSM, the global nutrition and health company.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In this episode, our guest argues that not only is the energy transition happening, it’s happening faster and more profoundly that you can imagine…and it’s being led by China. The ‘age of renewables’ will be very different than the ‘age of carbon’ and the same forecasting assumptions do not apply. The energy transition is being driven by technology, economics, geo-strategy and, of-course, necessity. And the data proves it. Our guest is Kingsmill Bond, Senior Principal at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Kingsmill’s latest analysis is available in the link in the show notes. https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/06/RMI-Cleantech-Revolution-pdf.pdf

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The past decade has seen a vibrant investment market centered on food and agri technology, in part driven by the twin imperatives of sustainability and resilience in a changing climate and in response to changing consumer demands.  Some returns have been atmospheric such as alternative protein first movers like Beyond Meat. Large agri and food houses have been keen investors and buyers as they respond to shareholder demands. However, this is a challenging space where biological systems rule and many investors have been left with low yields. Our guest to discuss the world of food and ag tech is Lindsay McCorkle, Director, Ventures and Growth Equity at Blue Horizon, an investment fund focused on the sector. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The Lithium-Ion battery is central to energy transition. However, the key components within it come with a heavy environmental toll and are captive in an opaque supply chain dominated by a handful of Chinese companies. Western OEMs are now scrambling to meet demand for batteries while navigating these trade-offs. Governments are reacting to how the core components – Nickel, Lithium, Cobalt and Copper – are strategic resources and that Western miners alone cannot meet the demand. In this episode, explore the new book, Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green, with its author Henry Sanderson – an award winning journalist and now executive editor at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

A hundred or more years ago, the oil business was vertically integrated and companies, often back by governmental support, scrambled to secure untapped reserves. So it is with Lithium at the dawn of the battery age. The parallels do not stop there as this episode uncovers. Access to Lithium is becoming the crucial bottleneck for battery companies, OEMs and countries alike – and a combination of prescient policy and aggressive entrepreneurs has put China way ahead. Can the West ever recover? What is the future of the Lithium market…will it evolve into a traded market? What is the role of commodity traders now and in the future and how to position for it? Our guest is Lukasz Bednarski, author of  the book, Lithium: The Global Race for Battery Dominance and the New Energy Revolution. Lukasz is a former rare metals commodity trader and now a battery metals analyst. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Throughout history Solar flares have swept the earth, creating nothing more than a planet wide lightshow for the human race. However, in the digital age, we are uniquely vulnerable.  Even relatively weak events can destroy our uniquely vulnerable power grids – leaving whole regions in blackout for months, even years. Powerful events, like the 1859 Carrington Event, could destroy civilization as we know it – every electronic system would be destroyed with no hope of rebuilding in any short period of time. Currently, we would only have 15 minutes notice of such an event. Yet, there are things we can do from hardening transformers, raising public awareness and investing in prediction - something most power sector executives and regulators have quietly ignored. Here to shed light on the terrifying world of solar flares is Edl Schamiloglu, Distinguished professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico and world expert on all forms of pulsed electromagnetic radiation. 

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Batteries are now at the center of geopolitical competition. Lithium extraction and processing is not going to meet forecasted demand. All the mineral components of batteries have environmental impacts, especially cobalt and graphite. It’s against this backdrop that commodity traders are investing in battery recycling. Can and how are batteries recycled? What are the technical, regulatory  and market challenges to unlocking the vast resources trapped within used batteries. Who is leading the race? Our guests are William Bergh and Eden Yates of Cling Systems. A start-up focused on creating the trading platform for the repurposing and recycling of batteries and their components. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

We are living in the Human Age and climate change presents an existential threat to humanity. For the commodities sector, it is the key driver of opportunities and challenge, from selecting strategies to pricing future risks. Growing awareness of the impacts is profoundly affecting society and companies alike. But what is climate change and to what future climate are we headed? Is humanity capable of addressing it whether through mitigation and adaptation? And how can the best intentions of energy-transition be disruptive as they change the societies within which they are placed? In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Dominic Boyer, Professor of Cultural Anthropology, whose focus is on climate change and societal responses. Dominic is also the author of Energopolitics and co-host of the Cultures of Energy.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulates commodities futures markets and enforces the Commodity Exchange Act in the US. As such, it sets the tone for much of the global regulation governing the sector. In such a global, dynamic and evolving market, the CFTC has its work cut out. It also has teeth, exacting significant fines on transgressors through its enforcement arm. What is the CFTC? How is it constructed and managed? How can it provide stable and forward looking regulation in such a volatility and changing sector? What are the challenges it faces triggered by energy transition and digitization (and digital assets)? We are delighted to have Commissioner Summer Mersinger join us to discuss all these points and more.  

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The commodities sector has never been under more financing pressure. Yet, many traditional financiers have scaled back their capabilities or exited the space altogether. To fill this void, alternative financing has emerged from a range of sources including hedge funds, trade-finance funds, and other asset managers – bringing with it a new set of costs and challenges. In this panel recording, we take on the rise of alternative financing in the commodities sectors and its consequences with some of the leading protagonists.  The panel was recorded at the Reuters Events Commodity Trading USA event. The panelists were Lewis Hart, head of Commodities and Corporate Banking at BBH, Prashant Mupparapu, head of investments in energy and infrastructure at Citadel and Ethan Shoemaker, Investment Partner and head of infra credit at Orion Infrastructure Capital.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Energy transition will be revolutionary. Fundamental to that statement is recognition that solar and batteries are technologies, not fuels. Their technological journeys have just begun - as have their consequences for societies, economics and for individuals. This is the biggest opportunity since the development of the combustion engine for the energy & commodities sector. But who will lead this next chapter in the global energy industry? Who is currently investing in what and what will the future look like? Our guest Bill Nussey, entrepreneur, tech CEO and host of the Freeing Energy Podcast.  Bill is the author of Freeing Energy – How Solar and Batteries are disrupting the global energy industry from the outside in. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

This episode continues our focus on the looming energy crisis in Europe; its causes, path and potential solutions. The episode is a recording of a Reuters Events webinar from late July 2022, where host Paul Chapman moderated a discussion between Gerard Reid, co-founder of Alexa Capital and host of the Redefining Energy Podcast and George Voloshin, previously head of the Paris branch of Aperio Intelligence and now at ACAMS. The panel discuss the structural and temporal backdrop to Europe’s unprecedented energy prices and what the likely political and societal responses could be. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In a deglobalizing and volatile world, sanctions can upend commodity markets overnight. Commodities underpin global trade and are often themselves direct targets of sanctions or swept up in restrictions imposed on trade infrastructure, such as finance and shipping. In this episode, we do a deep dive on the suite of Russian sanctions imposed since the invasion of Ukraine. How do sanctions work? How are they imposed and by whom? What are the specific Russia related sanctions and what are their consequences for the commodities sector? And how should companies prepare for and manage them? Our guest is Sarah Hunt, commodity trade and sanctions specialist lawyer at HFW. 

To find Sarah's seminar on sanctions visit the podcast page at www.hcgroup.global

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

At root, the rise in global food prices is tied to energy. The rise in energy prices is fundamentally driven by a lack of investment in hydrocarbons. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tipped rising prices into the genesis of a crisis. The invasion has deepened the divide between energy exporters and importers, with profound and increasing impacts on food supply. What does the future hold and what are the milestones that signal whether the crisis is improving and getting worse? Will the pain of sanctions be too much for Western Democracies? Where is the political will to underpin energy security in the face of energy transition? Our guest is Doomberg, one of the leading content providers on Substack and a leading thinker on commodities, economics and finance. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Fifteen years ago, money was flowing into oil. Prices were high and the stock market rewarded successful exploration above all. A lot has happened since including a price collapse and the advent of shale. Now with prices on the rise again, how will this cycle look different? Is there the appetite to invest in oil exploration and production in a world of energy transition and an uncertain carbon regime? How have producers adapted and what choices do they face? Our guest is Morten Kelstrup, oil industry veteran and Chief Operating Officer for Maersk Drilling. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

This week’s episode is a panel discussion on the US carbon markets, and beyond, recorded at the Reuters Event’s USA Commodity Trading 2022 in June. Our panelists take on the state of the compliance and voluntary carbon markets today. How in the absence of a federal carbon market, voluntary markets are leading the charge.  How are voluntary credits generated? What is legal framework and the nascent legislation around them? How are they already transforming industry and technologies? What could the future hold and how can the opportunity across carbon avoidance and mitigation be unlocked? What are the hurdles to that future? The panelists are Deanna Reitman, head of DLA Piper’s commodity platform, Eric Rubenstein, founder and Managing Partner of New Climate Ventures and Lance Titus, Managing Director at Uniper Global Commodities.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Blessed by geography and abundant oil and gas, the UAE is adding targeted legal, tax and infrastructure policies to create a commodity trading hubs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that rivals Singapore, London and Geneva. Timed with the release of HC Group’s editorial on this subject in our quarterly review (available at www.hcgroup.global) , we dig into the rise of the UAE as a commodities hub. What is the background to the strategy. What specific policies are targeting commodity traders and what could it mean for the sector. How is the UAE tackling the leading edge in commodities of energy transition and digitization. What does it mean for individuals thinking of relocating… Our guest is Bhaskar Dasgupta, an independent board executive and long-time UAE operator.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Do the commodity markets pose a systemic risk to the global financial markets and beyond? A timely look at the risks inherent in the commodity markets and capacity of exchanges, clearing houses, traders, regulators and central banks to manage them. What are the main sources of systemic risk? What would a disruption look like and how could it spread through the broader global financial system? What are potential solutions? Our guest is Craig Pirrong, Professor of the Bauer Business School at the University of Houston and Adjunct Professor at the University of Geneva. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

High prices, high volatility, geopolitics risk, liquidity constraints and navigating the energy transition. These are just some of the challenges facing the commodity trading sector that the panelists take on in the discussion, recorded at the Reuters Events Commodity Trading USA event which was moderated by Paul Chapman and hosted by ING. The panel tackle the challenges, their significance and potential opportunities while laying out their views on the state and future of the commodities sector.  The panelists were Sebastian Barrack, head of Citadel’a Commodity Business Unit, Ben Sutton, founder and CEO of 61Commodities, Matthew Rosetti, head of ING’s Commodity platform in the Americas and Summer Mersinger, Commissioner of the CFTC. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Renewable Energy faces the twin challenges of intermittency and spilled power, both of which drag on adoption and financing. If countries are to meet their climate goals, renewable energy generation needs to accelerate. One solution is connecting renewable power to flexible load, namely data centers meeting the demands of power hungry crypto mining and other applications. In this episode we dig into the fundamental challenges of widespread renewable adoption and potential solutions. Our guest is John Belizaire, founder and CEO of Soluna Computing (SLNH), a global company that provides renewable investors and generators with turn-key computing solutions. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Institutional firms have been utilizing algorithms to trade commodities for years and the adoption of this approach appears to be accelerating.  The scale is such that even the markets themselves may be changing.  Why?  What are the advantages for a trader to distill trades into series of pre-determined decisions? What's the impact? How should (and in many cases are) traditional market participants adapt and adopt? Our guest is Stephen Roseme, founder and CEO of the Bridgeton Group, the developer of a proprietary algorithmic and data analytics platform used by commodities trading houses and institutional investors.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Investment capital flows into the commodities sector have slowed despite rising returns and opportunity. Volatility, geopolitical risk and uncertainty over energy transition have impacted the rate of investment while increasing the need. In this episode, we discuss the cause and impact of this funding gap and what the role of banks is in supporting investment and managing the risks. Our guest is Nick O’Kane, Global Head of Commodities and Global Markets at Macquarie Group. Nick gives us his thoughts behind the current trends in the commodities space, the need to be responsive to the changing environment and what the future might hold. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Soybeans have become one of the world’s most important commodities. They feed us, our livestock and fuel our cars. As such they have become central in geopolitics, world trade and food security. However, prices are rising fast in the wake of rising demand for food and fuel, weather impacts of La Nina and climate change and the war in Ukraine. What will this mean for the world of commodities?  In this episode we zoom into the world of soybeans. What are they? Where are they grown, crushed and sold? What are the trends that are affecting traders and us all. Our guest is Ivo Sarjanovic, agri independent director, investor in ag-tech and visiting professor at the University of Geneva. As a bonus, Ivo also takes us through a recent academic paper on whether commodities are always a good hedge for inflation.

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In this episode, we are diving into the Japanese power market, which by virtue of its size, generation mix and recent liberalization, is fast becoming one of the most active power markets in the world, attracting a host of domestic and international energy merchants. What is the regulation that underpins the market? How does it function and who are the participants? Who is, and where do you get, the talent to build such a capability. Our guest is Xavier Veillard, Partner at Mckinsey, heading their global power and gas commodities offering.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Geopolitical risk is back. Gone are the years of expanding free trade and liberalization of markets. Sanctions on Russia, great power rivalry and market interventions are all disrupting energy & commodities markets and its participants. What are the current sanctions on Russia, What is the short term impact and what more can we expect? What can we expect over the medium term? How can companies organize themselves to prepare and respond to this increasingly complex and uncertain landscape? What does it mean for the global trading houses and their funding? Our guest is George Voloshin, Director and Head of the Paris Branch at Aperio Intelligence, a political risk & management consultancy. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Over the last decade, commodity markets have become increasingly financialized with much more granular contracts, and therefore hedges, available on exchanges. Oil is the tip of the spear. This is profoundly changing how oil is traded and by whom. Forward curves are now dictating supply and demand. The information produced by integrated physical systems – historically the unassailable competitive advantage  of the majors – has now been democratized. This has also attracted new participants on a huge scale. The consequences is the oil markets look a lot more like equity markets and swings much more violent – supply and demand be damned. Our guest is Greg Newman, CEO of Onyx Capital Group, the leading market maker in oil swaps. Greg guides us through what is changing and the consequences for the commodities sector. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The adoption of battery electric vehicles has profound consequences for the commodities world. From the components required to build, to how they are charged and more broadly the future of energy management. What is the current state of the market? What new trends and technologies are emerging from wireless charging to battery swapping (and who will provide these services)? What is the role of the EV in energy transition? Have Western policies focused on promoting private ownership mean these are just the toys of the rich, rather than transformative for carbon reduction? What policies should we have? Is China leading the world in this? Our guest is renowned EV commentator and thinker Roger Atkins, founder of the EVOutlook with over 300,000 followers on Linkedin. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Europe is in an energy crisis. Power prices have quadrupled, governments have scrambled to provide liquidity to markets and subsidize households. And for the moment, gas is still flowing from Russia. How did we get to this state? What are the impacts and short-term consequences?  Can Europe navigate to the “whole of Europe response” needed or could this test the political union to breaking point? What does this mean for European energy traders and markets and what are the solutions? Our guest to tackle this subject is Gerard Reid, energy and renewables investment banker and economist and co-host of the Redefining Energy podcast .

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In February, the SEC released proposed rules for reporting climate risk and Green House Gas emissions, including Scope 1, 2 and 3. What exactly are in the proposed rules? How likely are they to be enacted?  How will they affect the energy and commodities sector both in the US and globally? How should leadership respond? Now that these risks have been highlighted, will investors drive change through the supply chain? And do they herald more stringent reporting and remediation in the future? Julie McLaughlin, Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Energy Practice, sheds light on how to think about these rules and the answers to these questions. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Jeff Currie, Global Head of Commodities Research at Goldman Sachs, returns to update us on the commodities super-cycle. Redistributive policies, energy transition and deglobalization are driving commodity prices higher and higher. However, investment is not flowing into the sector – kept away by the risk and the optics. This sets the stage for a volatility trap that could lead to huge market disruption. What has led us to the state and what could the future hold? How will investment return to the sector and will the government intervention already seen in German power markets be just the start.  

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The container shipping market, the lynchpin of global commerce, is in turmoil. Shipping rates have increased 1000%. Over the last decade, commodities have been increasingly containerized, as low prices have supported efforts for shipping lines to build market share. Why the turmoil? What is causing the bottlenecks? What is its role in inflation? What does this mean for commodities and when will things get back to normal...? Our guest to navigate these choppy waters is Peter Sand, Chief Analyst at Xeneta, the shipping data and analytics company. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The commodities markets and its traders face great challenges. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may tip an already stressed markets into turmoil. The LME’s recent challenges with Nickel has exposed serious cracks in both how markets function and are funded. It has sent a shock wave through the sector, signaling that commodity price risk may have been seriously undervalued. Margins requirements have spiraled and recent requests for support by the sector’s main traders may have invited a future reckoning with regulation. It's challenging times and may get a whole lot worse. Our guest is Javier Blas, co-author of The World for Sale , the best seller on the commodities trading world and Energy Columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. Javier deftly walks us through the major challenges facing the sector and what the future may hold. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In this episode, Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations, returns to the podcast to discuss the unfolding energy crisis and the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What does the energy crisis (and the broader commodity super-cycle) mean for geopolitics and how does it shape the trends we discussed in our previous episode? Was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered by  the changing energy map? What does it mean for Europe? Will it accelerate or derail the Energy Transition? Why is India on the fence and  what does it mean for relations between the geo-strategic competitors China and the US? The best seller, The New Map is now available in a revised edition and in paperback. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Digitization is transforming commodities trading, creating new opportunities and introducing new risks as markets become faster and transparent. What does this all mean for how and who makes trading decisions? How trades are settled and financiers connected? Can this tackle the liquidity challenges the industry faces? What does this mean for organizational design and talent? All these questions and more are tackled by the panelists who participated in this Reuters Event Webinar recorded in March which host Paul Chapman moderated. The panelists represent a spectrum of users, creators and financiers: Scott Wellcome, Director of Grains Risk Management at Good Mills Group, Carl Wegner, CEO of Contour, Christine McWilliams, Global Head of Energy & Commodity Trade at Citi and Carl Larry, Director of Sales at Genscape. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Western Governments have enacted a slew of policies to support energy security and its transition to a greener future. These policies can radically shift the economic landscape for the commodity sector participants. However, the reality of implementing these policies, from the power lines needed to the mines for critical metals, requires navigating byzantine levels of planning and approval. What does this mean for the West’s ability to compete in the energy transition. What does this mean for commodity traders who have historically eschewed close governmental relations? Why does that need to change? Our guest is Peter Stahley, Senior VP at Cassidy & Associates, a governmental relations service. 
 

For pdf discussed visit https://www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider/hc-insider-podcast/governmental-relations-planning-and-policy-with-peter-stahley

For more on HC visit  www.hcgroup.global

For more on Cassidy & Associates https://cassidy.com/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In this episode, we do a deep dive in to the world of voluntary carbon credits, which dominate the carbon world  in the absence of widespread global compliance markets. To date the categories, case law and regulation around these credits is complex and fragmented. However, with vast amounts of money flowing into them as companies respond to consumer demand the space is rapidly evolving and expanding.  What are they? How are they generated, verified, tracked, financed and traded? Who is active in the space and what is its future? Our guest is Deanna Reitman, head of the commodities subsector at the law firm DLA Piper, whose team is spearheading their carbon offering. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

To date, carbon markets cover only a few geographies and select categories. Yet, they are already impacting how commodities are produced and traded.  Over the next decade, carbon credits will expand to cover all manner of reduction and avoidance technologies,  dramatically changing the commodities world. Low carbon alternatives to existing commodities will flourish and so will the circular economy. Carbon will become a truly global commodity and every trader will need to know the market.  How can commodities firms plan for and capture these future opportunities? Will every trader, from power, to ags, to oil, need to become a carbon trader? In this episode, Eric Rubenstein, Managing Partner of New Climate Ventures, sets forth his thesis on carbon’s future and impact on the commodities world. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider 

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In this episode we return to Hydrogen with guest Erik Rakhou, Associate Director at Boston Consulting Group.  Low-carbon Hydrogen projects, policy support and predictions continue to dominate the news. So does the debate over its role in the energy transition, from power production to use as a fuel. What is the landscape today, the state of the debate and what will the future of Hydrogen be? What conditions will be needed? Where and how will low-carbon Hydrogen be deployed? Erik, together with co-editor Rosa Puentes, has gathered experts from around the world to publish a free to download book – Touching Hydrogen Future - that’s gives us a sweeping view of the potential future hydrogen economy around the world in 2040, based on technological and policy support today. You can access to book here: https://europeangasmarket.eu. **Episode was recorded just prior to Erik joining. 

To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcgroup.global/hc-insider

To connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global