Speakers

Carlo Barrasa Vice President, Energy Insights Team Lead Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Carlo Barrasa is the Vice President of Energy Insights at Chemical Market Analytics

In this role, Carlo stewards the development of energy market content to help Chemical Market Analytics’ clients navigate the complexities of the oil, gas & natural gas liquids markets. Previously, Carlo led the North American Light Olefins service, which provides clients with valuable insights into the regional market dynamics of cracker feedstocks, ethylene, and propylene.

Before joining Chemical Market Analytics, Carlo was a Senior Strategy Advisor at Anadarko Petroleum, where he was responsible for guiding the company’s market strategy for its natural gas liquids business. After beginning his career in various downstream and chemical roles with ExxonMobil, Carlo held senior consulting and research positions at IHS Markit legacy companies PFC Energy and CMAI.

Angel Fernandez Director, Chlor-Alkali Research EMEA Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Angel Fernandez is the Director of EMEA Chlor-alkali Research at Chemical Market Analytics

Angel Fernandez is the Director of EMEA Chlor-alkali Research at Chemical Market Analytics. Angel joined the Chemical Market Analytics team through the legacy IHS Markit Base chemicals team in 2021. During his time with the company, he has held various roles in the Inorganics value chain, including potassium hydroxide research and analysis and Global Service Leader for bleaching chemicals.

Angel leads the EMEA chlor-alkali team and provides market coverage for European caustic soda in the Global Chlor-alkali Report and Chlor-alkali World Analysis. He works closely with clients in all regions to provide support and guidance on chlor-alkali chemicals.

Angel has over 20 years of experience in trading, shipping, market research and analysis of the chemical industry. He started his career at BP Chemicals, followed by five years at Sojitz UK, where he was involved in the trading and shipping of aromatics, methanol and solvents. Before joining the IHS Markit Base Chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics), he spent ten years researching and analyzing oxo alcohols, plasticizers and chlor-alkali markets at a market data provider.

Angel holds Master’s degrees in Chemistry and International Relations. He is based out of the London office.

Eddie Kok Executive Director, Global Vinyls Service Lead Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Eddie Kok is the Executive Director of Global Vinyls Service Lead at Chemical Market Analytics

Eddie Kok is the Executive Director and Global Service Leader for Chemical Market Analytics (CMA) Global Vinyls Market Advisory Service. During his time with the company, he has held various responsibilities within the Inorganics value chain, including Asia Lead for the chlor-alkali and vinyls market coverage. With over 20 years of chemicals sector research experience, Eddie is a crucial resource within the business for understanding and providing insight into chlor-alkali and vinyls markets.

Eddie’s currently focuses on vinyls markets, directing a team of researcher colleagues around the globe to monitor and understand market developments within the vinyls value chain and provide CMA clients with insights and critical analytics that facilitate decisions. Eddie also researches and analyzes Asian KOH markets and works closely with his global Chlor-alkali colleagues in other ways to provide an integrated view of the chlor-alkali and vinyls businesses.

Before joining Chemical Market Analytics, Eddie held multiple roles with CCM, a chlor-alkali producer based in Malaysia. His responsibilities at CMM included product portfolio management, production planning and regional sales.

Mr. Kok holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Campbell University, North Carolina, United States. He is currently based out of the Singapore office.

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.

Paul Leclair Vice President and Co-Founder Numera Analytics

Paul Leclair is a pulp and paper market expert with 25 years of experience in the industry. As Vice President and co-founder of Numera Analytics, Paul oversees the operations of Numera’s sectoral and custom research services, which cover the entire range of pulp and paper products, including market pulp, specialty pulps, graphic papers, packaging grades, tissue, hygiene products and recycled fibres. Paul holds a Masters degree in Economics from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC).

Wilson Loh Director, Asia Chlor Alkali Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Wilson Loh is the Director for Asian Chlor-alkali at Chemical Market Analytics.

Wilson Loh is a Research and Analysis Director in the Chemical Market Analytics Global Chlor-alkali Team. Before joining, he gained extensive experience through his decades of work in commercial and trading positions in chlor-alkali and other chemical industries.

Wilson’s deep experience facilitates his work in conducting extensive research and analysis on the chlor-alkali markets in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. He authors the Asian report section of the Global Chlor-alkali Market Report (GCR), which covers his assessments of chlorine and caustic soda markets across Asia. He also provides long-term projections for Asian markets through his contributions to the World Chlor-alkali Analysis.

Before joining Chemical Market Analytics, Wilson spent years at Basic Chemical Solutions (BCS) and Univar in chlor-alkali products distribution and trading in the Asian market. His work at BCS and Univar was preceded by several years in a commercial position at Chemical Industries Far East, a chlor-alkali producer.

Mr. Loh holds a BBA and MBA degree from the University of San Francisco. He joined Chemical Market Analytics in 2017 and is currently based in the Singapore office.

David McCoy Executive Chairman TZMI

David McCoy is the Executive Chairman of TZMI, a globally recognized consulting firm that supports the world’s opaque minerals and metals industries, particularly in the titanium value chain. David has worked for clients in over 70 countries.

He is a Chartered Professional Engineer (Chemical Engineering) and has a Master of Engineering Management (International Finance major) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Craig Murphy, PhD Associate Director, Global Bleaching Service Lead Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Dr. Craig Murphy is an Associate Director of Global Bleaching Chemicals Service at Chemical Market Analytics.

Craig Murphy serves as the Global Service Lead for Bleaching Chemicals and holds the position of Associate Director within the Chemical Market Analytics group. With extensive experience in the chemistries of oil and gas development, pulp and paper, chlor-alkali, and advanced manufacturing, Craig is a pivotal resource within the business for managing and developing chemical market intelligence.

In addition to spearheading the global bleaching team, Craig also provides regional market coverage for potassium hydroxide, alumina, aluminium, and pulp and paper. With global responsibilities, he collaborates closely with clients across all regions and the financial sector to offer support and guidance on the inorganics chain.

Craig brings expertise across various industries and markets. He previously served as a technical expert in chlor-alkali applications associated with oil and gas at Canexus Corporation, aiding clients to succeed in participating in O&G. He honed his oil and gas proficiency while developing hydraulic fracturing fluid systems for the global service provider Calfrac Well Services. As the Director of Product Development at Cascades, Craig played a key role in creating new products to support vinyl construction materials.

Dr. Murphy holds a PhD in Chemistry from McGill University, where he conducted research on oxidative processes in pulp and paper. Later, he earned an MBA from the University of Calgary, focusing on logistics and supply chain management.

Brian Newsome Vice President, Global Chlor-alkali Advisory Service Lead Chemical Market Analytics

Brian Newsome is the Vice President of the Global Chlor-alkali advisory service at Chemical Market Analytics (CMA)

Prior to joining CMA, Brian served in several roles at Westlake Corporation, including as Director of Strategy, Business Manager for Chlorine and Chlorine Derivatives, and Market Manager for Calcium Hypochlorite. He has also previously worked in commercial and technical roles for Kureha Corporation (Japan), Motorola Semiconductor and ExxonMobil LNG. Brian has over 17 years of chemical industry experience including over 13 years of global chlor-alkali and vinyl’s industries experience in marketing, sales and business line management roles. He received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin as well as a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Humberto J. Rocha Carbon and Biodiversity Editor OPIS a Dow Jones Company

Humberto J. Rocha is a Carbon and Biodiversity Editor based in London, focusing on the carbon compliance markets in the European Union and the United Kingdom and the growing voluntary biodiversity credit market. A journalist with nearly a decade of experience, Humberto primarily focuses on covering the dynamics of the compliance carbon markets in Europe. He covers daily and weekly price assessments, conducts webinars and writes features ranging from the gulf between the U.K. and EU carbon prices and the potential linkage between these two carbon markets. Additionally, he covers policy developments and pricing trends in the voluntary biodiversity credit market from projects around the world.

Humberto joined OPIS in the summer of 2022 after covering energy policy and federal and state legal cases in the United States for Law360 at the news agency’s Houston and London offices. He has also worked in international outlets including Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun, local news at Hearst Connecticut Media, and Forbes. Humberto speaks fluent Spanish and French and has a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies with a focus on Latin America from Harvard University and a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Oxford.

Andrew Rock Senior Research Analyst Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Andrew Rock pursued his undergraduate studies in Chemistry and Psychology at the University of Alberta, graduating in 2018. Andrew then relocated to London to pursue a master’s degree in digital innovation and analytics, specializing in the applications of disruptive innovation in technology. For the past four years, Andrew has been a pivotal member of the Strategy team at Newscorp, the parent company of Dow Jones, where he has been instrumental in identifying innovative opportunities for new business ventures and diversifying advertising opportunities. Andrew recently transitioned to Chemical Market Analytics, assuming the role of senior research analyst on the chlor-alkali team. In this capacity, he looks after the European market for Chlorine and Hydrochloric Acid.

Vladimir Sedivy President Salt Partners Ltd.

Vladimir M. Sedivy received his MSc degree in chemical engineering (with honours) at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague and a PED diploma at the Institute of Management Development in Lausanne. He built petrochemical plants with Badger in London and evaporation plants with Sulzer Escher Wyss in Zurich. His interest in salt started in 1973 when he became a manager of salt projects in Africa and South America. He invented the HYDROSAL salt purification process with hydroextraction of impurities in 1978. As a Director of Krebs Swiss, he acquired and implemented many salt and chloralkali projects in Europe, America, Africa, Middle East and India, including turnkey contracts for leading chemical and food companies.

In 2003, Vladimir M. Sedivy established Salt Partners. Under his management, Salt Partners carried out consultancy assignments for Governments, Banks and global corporations and built SOLARSAL and HYDROSAL salt production and processing plants worldwide. Vladimir M. Sedivy is a Member of the Board of several companies. He published many articles and presented papers at international conferences.

Vladimir M. Sedivy is married and lives in Switzerland. His son Claudio and daughter Isabella are Directors of Salt Partners. Both are biologists holding PhD and MSc degrees (with honours) from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

Raheel Shafi Vice President, Europe, Middle East and APAC Consulting Team Lead Chemical Market Analytics

Raheel serves as the Vice President for Global Consulting at Chemical Market Analytics.

Raheel has over 25 years of experience working in the downstream and petrochemicals sectors. During this time, he has held numerous technical and commercial positions in operating companies and, more recently, within consulting, where he has spent the last 11 years.

His background spans refining and petrochemical process technologies, product markets, and operations, enabling him to provide astute and valued advisory services across the refinery petrochemical interface and beyond crude to chemicals.

He has provided advisory services over the entire petrochemical asset lifecycle from concept and feasibility study of grassroots complexes at major national master plan level as well as for NOCs and consortia. Similarly, he has completed numerous brownfield technical and commercial advisory projects looking at new value chains, increased business agility and increasing overall plant capacity for a wide variety of clients.

He has also supported both greenfield and brownfield projects through the project finance stage, providing services to lenders and ECAs. From an organic growth perspective, he has developed strategies around future business direction supporting divestments relating to the sale of assets and growth through sell-side due diligence from both a technical and commercial advisory perspective. Specifically, Raheel has supported more than 75 billion dollars in transactions in the petrochemical space.

Tobias Spyra Director, EMEA Styrenics & Polyurethane Feedstocks Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Tobias Spyra is the Director for EMEA Styrenics & Polyurethane Feedstocks at Chemical Market Analytics.

Mr. Spyra joined the European aromatics and fibers team in 2016 and his current role in Chemical Market Analytics is as Director of Styrenics and Polyurethane Feedstocks in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa region. As a key resource within Chemical Market Analytics for understanding and providing insight into the Aromatics sector of the petrochemical industry, he works closely with the petrochemical, oil, and financial industries. He specializes in cumene, phenol, acetone, AMS, BPA, solvents, styrene monomer, and its derivatives as well as the in the isocyanates, polyether, and polyester polyols markets.

Prior to joining Chemical Market Analytics, he worked in the chemical and petrochemical industries in various Sales, Marketing, and Global Business Management roles at Ineos, Innovene, and BP. Fluent in English, Spanish, and German.

Lina Suarez Executive Director, North America Chlor-alkali Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Lina Suarez is the Executive Director of North America Chlor-alkali Research at Chemical Market Analytics.

Ms. Suarez is the Executive Director of North America Chlorine and Hydrochloric Acid. Over her tenure with CMA, she has held various roles, including Americas caustic soda market coverages. With over 25 years of extensive experience in integrated chlor-alkali, ethylene, and vinyls production chains, as well as other petrochemicals, Ms. Suarez is a crucial contributor to Chemical Market Analytics’ industry-leading expertise.

Ms. Suarez currently focuses on the North America region, conducting research, analyzing, and reporting on the chlorine and hydrochloric acid markets. Lina works closely with clients in all regions and the financial sector to provide support and guidance on chlor-alkali chemicals.

Before joining Chemical Market Analytics, Lina worked as a sales executive and product manager in multiple Latin American countries. Her experience includes positions as Commercial Director for PMV / Vestolit Mexico, guiding chlor-alkali, ethylene and VCM business strategies and commercial operations, and expertise defining new business models and executing sales programs in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil for chemical and oil companies, including 3M Colombia, DuPont México, Chevron México and BP México.

Ms. Suarez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia,  an MBA in Finance from the Universidad Externado de Colombia, and a Marketing Degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana de Mexico. Lina has resided in Houston, TX, since joining Chemical Market Analytics in 2019.

Matthew Thoelke Vice President, EMEA Olefins Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Matthew Thoelke is the Vice President for Olefins and Derivatives in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Chemical Market Analytics.

Matthew Thoelke is the vice president of the olefins and derivatives team in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Chemical Market Analytics. During his time with the company, he has taken a wide variety of roles across a broad range of product areas. With over 25 years of experience, Matthew is a key resource within the business for understanding and insight into the olefins sector of the petrochemical industry.

Within the EMEA region, he works closely with the petrochemical, oil and financial industries, bringing support and guidance throughout the petrochemical chain. His current area of focus includes oversight of the ‘Europe and the Middle East Olefins Report’ and primary input and insight for the ‘World Ethylene and Propylene Analyses.’

His prior experience includes coverage of butadiene and elastomers, for which he remains a globally recognized industry speaker and expert. Whilst in this role, Mathew was responsible for the ‘Global Outlook — Feedstocks, Elastomers Report’ and the ‘World Butadiene Analysis’ and took the lead role in analyzing olefin and derivative markets in support of the long-term planning outlooks in the World Analysis.

Mr. Thoelke has both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Material Sciences from Cambridge University, as well as a Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering (ACDMM).

Cristian Triana Senior Research Analyst Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Cristian Triana joined Chemical Market Analytics in September 2023. He focuses on caustic soda and potassium hydroxide market discovery and analysis in the expansive EMEA region, employing rigorous assessment and industry expertise to drive insights.

Cristian Triana conducts market research through direct and indirect client interactions, delivering presentations, and assessing market dynamics for caustic soda and KOH in Southern Europe, Turkey, and Africa. He manages the World Analysis responsibilities, econometrics, and supply/demand dynamics and develops unique analytical approaches that benefit clients.

For almost seven years, Cristian held the position of Senior Applications Engineer within the Energy and Chemicals Business Unit at Siemens Digital Industries Software. In this capacity, he provided technical guidance and solutions to clients throughout the EMEA region, assisting them in crafting robust flowsheet simulations. These simulations were designed to boost profitability, lower energy usage, and address gas emissions, in line with Net Zero objectives.

Dr. Triana earned a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from The National University of Colombia, followed by a Master’s degree focusing on ethanol production. He then pursued a PhD at University College London, specializing in the simulation and optimization of ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass using computer-aided process engineering tools such as gPROMS Process.

Henry Warren Director, EMEA Vinyls and Middle East Caustic Soda Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Henry Warren is the Director of EMEA Vinyls and Middle East Caustic Soda at Chemical Market Analytics.

Henry Warren is an integral Global Vinyls and Chlor-alkali Market Advisory Service member. Since joining the company in 2001, he has focused on vinyls, from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) through its precursors – ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Since early 2024, he also assumed responsibility for caustic soda in the Middle East. During his time at the company, he has held various additional positions, including responsibility for chlorine, hydrochloric acid, chlorinated solvents, TiO2 and caustic potash. Along with the stakeholder relationships he has built over several decades, his in-depth understanding of the industry contributes to the unparalleled insight that Chemical Market Analytics brings to the vinyls and chlor-alkali sector.

Henry provides coverage, analysis and insight into the vinyls value chain in EMEA and caustic soda in the Middle East in the Global Vinyls and Chlor-alkali Reports, respectively. He is also a key contributor to our Vinyls and Chlor-alkali World Analysis services. With a regional and global perspective, he works closely with clients across regions to provide support in relevant areas of the vinyls and chlor-alkali industries.

He entered the field of chemical market analysis in 1996, analyzing feedstocks and several polyolefin value chains in Europe, North America and Latin America.

Mr Warren holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Humberside, UK. He is a native English speaker, fluent in Spanish, proficient in French and resides near Oxford, UK.