WSA 2024 – Day 2

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Session Details

WSA 2024 – Day 2

Friday, 11 October
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Nick Kovics, Vice President, Global Inorganics, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Session 5: Market Impacts

Rock Bain, Associate Director, China, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS
This speaker will provide a detailed supply/demand overview for Mainland China.
  Volatility in international freight costs continue to be a key factor for global soda ash buyers and sellers with the Red Sea crisis and limitations in the Panama Canal the most recent challenges. 
 
Moderator: Nick Kovics, Vice President, Global Inorganics, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS  
Make new connections or join familiar faces during this dedicated break. Sessions to resume at 1130.

Session 6: Prospects for Glass and Packaging

What are the factors that have been undermining the developments for container glass and what are the prospects for the future? 
Rajesh Khosla, CEO & President of AGI Greenpac & President AIGMF
 
Moderator: Marguerite Morrin, Executive Director, Chemicals, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Session 7: Market Divers & Sustainability

Karthikeyan C., Head of Procurement, NEI Glass Division, Reliance Industries Ltd.
Are sodium ion batteries a substitute for lithium-ion batteries? 
With falling lithium prices and a more conservative demand outlook will lithium continue to drive soda ash demand. 

 

Moderator: Hasan Copur, Associate Director, Global Soda Ash, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS  
Make new connections or join familiar faces during this dedicated break. Sessions to resume at 1555.

Session 8: Market Divers & Sustainability

How does carbon impact the soda ash supply chain.
Shehzad Mohsin, Category Team Lead Inorganics & Bleach, Henkel
Growth propsects for powder detergents
Ana Lopez, Director, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS
Moderator: Nick Kovics, Vice President, Global Inorganics, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS 

 

Session Speakers

Rock Bain Associate Director, China Soda Ash Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Rock Bian is the Associate Director of the China Soda Ash Research and Analysis at Chemical Market Analytics. With over 20 years of experience, Rock is an essential resource within the business for understanding and insights into the soda ash sector of the inorganic chemical industry. Rock works closely with the soda ash industry in China, providing support and guidance throughout the product chain. His focus includes oversight of the mainland Chinese section of soda ash reports and primary input and insight for the world soda ash analyses. Rock has over 20 years of experience in chemical industries. He started his career as an engineer and project manager for a leading chemical engineering design institute in China. He supported and handled various engineering, design and construction projects in China and Tanzania. Rock also has extensive experience in soda ash and hydrogen peroxide with Solvay and FMC (now Genesis) and successfully led the development of a greenfield hydrogen peroxide plant. Before joining Chemical Market Analytics, Rock had a role in strategic planning and business development for Sinochem International, where he led market research for new business opportunities and planned the subsequent relevant venture developments. Rock holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from Zhengzhou Engineering College and a Master of Business Administration from Nanjing University.

Karthikeyan C Senior General Manager & Head of Procurement, Glass Division Reliance Industries Limited- India

Karthikeyan is the Senior General Manager and Head of Procurement for the Glass Division of Reliance Industries Limited- India. He is a procurement and operations professional with 20 years of experience in Supply Chain. Prior to joining Reliance in 2024, he worked as Team Leader-Strategic Sourcing at Saint-Gobain India for 14 years. He has expertise in Strategic Sourcing of Raw Materials, Energy, and Logistics for Glass Manufacturing in India. Karthikeyan holds Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Anna University Chennai.

Rajesh Khosla CEO AGI Greenpac Ltd.

Mr. Khosla is the CEO of Limited AGI Greenpac, a leading packaging products company in India. With a strong focus on innovation and a relentless drive for performance, he has transformed AGI Greenpac into a leading provider of cutting-edge packaging product solutions across various industries. Mr. Khosla's strategic approach has encompassed a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing employee development, inspiring a culture of innovation, driving financial analysis, improving operational efficiencies, and exploring new markets through the expansion into specialty glass. His relentless focus on these areas has yielded significant results and positioned the company for continued growth. He has been instrumental in identifying and developing the strengths of various functions that have induced micro-cultures within departments that has catalysed overall business efficiency. A keen and farsighted strategist, his experience of Joint Ventures, anti-dumping duty & market development ensures that AGI Greenpac continues to evolve as a sustainability-oriented, innovative manufacturer of glass containers, pet bottles & products, security closures, and other allied packaging products. With over 32 years of experience, Mr. Khosla has held various in organisations aimed at developing industrial capacity. His experience spans domains such as international businesses, business strategy, mining operations, and marketing. Prior to AGI Greenpac, he served as the President Director and CEO at PT Jindal Stainless, Indonesia. His experience in the nickel and glass industry has seen him author many success stories such as Nippon (NSSC) steel & the world’s biggest cooperative FAGOR. He actively collaborates with industry stakeholders, participating in industry forums and associations to advocate for advancements in packaging technology and sustainable practices. Through these collaborative efforts, he contributes to the overall growth and development of the packaging industry in India. He is the Current Chairman of EFSI for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Region, serves as the Senior Vice President of All India Glass Manufacturing Association, is an elected member of CII State Council & Co-Convenor for Manufacturing Competitiveness Panel, and is also a Regional Executive member of Indian Institute of Packaging. Mr. Khosla holds a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy from Punjab Engineering College and a Master’s of Business Administration degree from B.K. School of Professional and Management Studies. Keen to stay abreast of new developments in management and business, he has completed numerous advanced courses from IIM-Ahmedabad.

Nick Kovics Vice President, Global Inorganic Chemicals Team Lead Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Nick Kovics is the Vice President of the Global Inorganics team at Chemical Market Analytics. Nick Kovics serves as the Vice President of Global Inorganic Chemicals at Chemical Market Analytics, which includes Chlor-alkali chemicals, Vinyls, Bleaching Chemicals, and Soda Ash. Nick brings over 25 years of chemical industry experience to the Chemical Market Analytics Inorganic Chemicals insights team. He was promoted to his current role in 2024, where he leads twenty analysts who research, forecast, and report on chlor-alkali chemicals, vinyls, bleaching chemicals, and soda ash from five global locations. Previously, Nick held a variety of roles in the Inorganics value chain at Chemical Market Analytics, including leading the Chlor-alkali, Bleaching Chemicals, and Battery Materials advisory services. Nick held various functional roles in several companies before joining Chemical Market Analytics. He began his career as a process engineer in the chlor-alkali sector at Canadian Occidental. Nick next moved into the energy sector as a field engineer with Schlumberger Canada cementing and hydraulic fracturing services. He transitioned from oil and gas to new energy and spent a decade in the hydrogen fuel cell sector in technical, commercial and financial roles. Nick continued in the electrochemical industry by joining Canexus (now Chemtrade) and held commercial leadership roles in chlor-alkali and sodium chlorate marketing. Nick is originally from Canada and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from Simon Fraser University. He is a registered Canadian Professional Engineer and a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant. He has resided in Houston, TX, since joining Chemical Market Analytics in 2017.

Ana Lopez Director, Americas Vinyls and Global Sodium Sulfate Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Ana Lopez is the Director of Americas Vinyls and Global Sodium Sulfate at Chemical Market Analytics. Ana Lopez is the Americas Director of Vinyls (PVC, VCM, EDC) research at Chemical Market Analytics. In addition, she is responsible for the global market analysis of sodium sulfate. She has held several roles across numerous product areas during her time with the company. With over 25 years of experience, Mrs. Lopez is a key resource within the business for understanding and insight into the chlor-alkali & vinyls sectors of the chemical industry. Within North America and South America, she works closely with the chlor-alkali and vinyls industries, bringing her experience from the commodity markets. Her current area of focus includes contributions to the ‘Global Vinyls Report as well as primary input and insight for the World Sodium Sulfate and World Vinyls analyses. Her prior experience includes covering caustic soda, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid. In this role, she was responsible for contributing to the Global Chlor-Alkali Report and World Analysis Chlor-Alkali. Before joining Chemical Market Analytics, Mrs. Lopez spent several years with Pemex International Trading Company (PMI) in Mexico City in petrochemical commercial operations and market analysis, preceded by a few years with the EPC company ICA Fluor Daniel. Mrs. Lopez has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana and a Master of Business Administration from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, both in Mexico City. She joined Chemical Market Analytics in 2007 and is based in the Houston office.

Shehzad Mohsin Global Category Purchasing Manager Inorganics & Bleaches Henkel

Shehzad is the Global Category Purchasing Manager for Inorganics at Henkel. With 20 plus years of experience in the field of Strategic sourcing and supply chain management and transformation with different multinationals and geographies , Shehzad joined Henkel in 2020 and is based in their Global Supply Chain HQ in Amsterdam. Shehzad holds a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Marketing.

Marguerite Morrin Executive Director, Global Soda Ash Service Lead Chemical Market Analytics

Marguerite Morrin is the Executive Director of Global Soda Ash Service Lead at Chemical Market Analytics. Marguerite Morrin is the Executive Director of Soda Ash research at Chemical Market Analytics (CMA). Marguerite launched the Global Soda Ash Market Advisory Service (MAS) in 2008. Before launching the soda ash MAS, she held various responsibilities in the Inorganics value chain, including European chlor-alkali and vinyls market coverage, where she helped develop MAS. Marguerite’s area of focus is the Soda Ash Market Advisory Service. With over 30 years of research experience in the chemicals sector, Marguerite is a key CMA resource with respect to analysis and insights about soda ash markets. She works with the global soda ash team to understand and keep track of soda ash market developments and provide CMA clients with insight and critical analytics that facilitate decisions. Marguerite also organizes the CMA annual World Soda Ash Conference. Marguerite holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from University College Dublin, Ireland and a postgraduate diploma in Business Studies from UCD Smurfit Business School, Dublin. She is currently based out of the London office.  
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