Speakers | World Soda Ash Conference

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.

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.

Martin Carrizo Business Development Manager Alcalis de la Patagonia

Martin Carrizo is the Business Development Manager at Alcalis de la Patagonia. He is a specialist in field operation services & contracts, and chemical raw material supply for the energy sector Oil & Gas/ Minery. His experience spans 20 years working at the fields in Argentina, USA and Brazil working at NOV, Tecpetrol and Clear Petroleum before his current position at Alcalis de la Patagonia.

Education: Electromechanics, Industry, integrity and big rotating maintenance engineering for production and process facilities, Management Development Program Fellow at the IAE Business School

Harry Chapman Senior Analyst Chemical Market Analytics

Harry Chapman is the Senior Analyst on the Soda Ash team as part of the Inorganics team. Since joining the company in 2024, he has provided continuous support for soda ash research and analytics.

Harry focuses on market research, regularly contributing updates and analysis of market changes for all regions of the world along the soda ash chain. His contributions extend to authoring sections of the Global Soda Ash Monthly report and supplement and ensuring clients receive up-to-date and in-depth insight into the industry. 

Prior to joining Chemical Market Analytics, Harry gained more than a year and half of valuable industrial experience post-graduation. During this time, he worked for Wychem, a division of Ascensus Specialties, where he played a pivotal role in the production of fine chemicals for pharmaceutical, electronics and specialized applications.

Mr. Chapman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of East Anglia. He is currently based out of the London office.

Hasan Copur Associate Director, Global Soda Ash Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Hasan is the Associate Director of the Soda Ash team at Chemical Market Analytics.

Hasan is an associate director within the inorganics team and has expertise in the global Soda Ash Market Advisory Service. Over 15 years in commercial roles, Hasan has acquired international chemical industry experience while holding various sales and business management roles. He engaged in diverse sectors using inorganic chemicals as raw materials and helped develop a portfolio of global clients.

During his time with the company, he has provided soda ash market coverage for each region of the world, offering insight and intelligence across the soda ash value chain, emphasizing Europe and the Indian subcontinent.

Hasan spent over ten years with Sisecam, a global glass and soda ash manufacturer, managing international sales activities for their chemicals group in its multiple locations. He spent four years in China, leading the regional business. Before joining in 2021, he spent three years working in trading in the UK, overseeing a range of basic chemicals and metals in the international markets.

Hasan holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Istanbul University and an MBA from Yeditepe University. He joined the company in 2021 and resides in London, UK.

Görkem Elverici CEO Şişecam

After graduating from TED Ankara College in 1992, Görkem Elverici completed his undergraduate studies in the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Middle East Technical University in 1996. He went on to obtain his MBA from Bilkent University in 1998. In 2015, Elverici completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He is currently working on his Ph.D. dissertation in Banking-Finance at Kadir Has University. He began his professional career at İşbank in 1998. Throughout his career, Elverici served in various senior management positions at İşbank, HSBC Turkey, Deloitte Consulting, and Accenture Consulting. Elverici joined Şişecam on March 01, 2013, as the Financial Affairs Director of the Flat Glass Group. He served as Şişecam’s Chief Financial Officer from May 2014 to July 2021 and was appointed as Şişecam CEO as of July 1, 2021.

Lu Jin Senior Manager Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange

Lu Jin joined Zhengzhou Commodity Exchage in February 2015. As the Senior Manager of Commodity Products III Department at Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange, she has made significant contributions to the exchange’s growth and success. With her expertise in the field of commodities trading, she has been instrumental in the design and launch of Soda Ash, Sodium Hydroxide futures, and options.

Her team is responsible for the research and development of Flat Glass, Soda Ash, Sodium Hydroxide Futures, and Soda Ash, Sodium Hydroxide Options. Under her guidance, they have added to the exchange’s offerings and helped meet the needs of the industry.

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.

Kamil Majczak CEO Qemetica

Since June 2022, he held the position of a Member of the Management Board of CIECH S.A. responsible for the strategy and business transformation. Kamil Majczak has been associated with the CIECH Group since 2018, when he took the position of Strategy Director at CIECH S.A. responsible for formulating and implementing the Group’s strategy. In 2020-2021, he simultaneously held the office of the President of the Management Board of CIECH Żywice and a Member of the Management Board of CIECH Ventures, a company focusing primarily on cooperation with young businesses developing modern technologies related to chemistry, sustainable industry and agriculture.

So far, his most important achievements at CIECH have been: preparation of the Group’s strategy for 2019-2021 and 2022-2024 as well as support in their implementation, coordination of activities related to improved efficiency in the soda business (digitisation), preparation of a plan to modernise energy sources in accordance with the adopted ESG Strategy, as well as a review of the Group’s businesses, including the sale of the CIECH Żywice business for PLN 160 million in 2021. Between 2018 and 2021, he was employed at Kulczyk Investments.

Professional Experience

From 2018 to 2021, Kamil Majczak also worked for Kulczyk Investments. His previous professional experience includes working for the strategic consulting firm Bain & Company in Warsaw and Melbourne from 2014 to 2018, as well as for the advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in London from 2012 to 2014.

Education

Kamil Majczak is a graduate of a master-degree programme in economics at the University of Cambridge and a bachelor-degree programme in economics at the Warsaw School of Economics.

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.

Lyle Nehls Industry Expert, Soda Ash Technology

Lyle Nehls has over 45 years of industry experience beginning his career in 1972 as a process engineer. He then moved to FMC and over 25+ years worked in  various roles globally in planning and technology management including commercial director for Marine Colloids Division, General Manager for FMC Food Ingredients Europe, Technology Director for FMC Alkali Chemicals Division, Asia Development Manager for FMC Biopolymer, General Manager of FMC NovaMatrix.

Lyle Graduated with honors from Yale University with a BS Engineering and Applied Science, and holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Jonathan Pascoe Associate Director, Thermal Coal Research McCloskey by OPIS

Jonathan Pascoe, Associate Director, Thermal Coal Research, covers all aspects of the global thermal coal market including demand, supply, freight, prices, and cost analysis. Mr. Pascoe is responsible for running the research team’s thermal coal supply and demand model and is managing editor of McCloskey’s Thermal Coal Market Briefing publication. He also contributes strategic reports to McCloskey’s Thermal Coal Research service, and has contributed research to several consulting projects in thermal coal market assessments and price outlooks, coal supply studies, and litigation processes.

Mr. Pascoe holds a BSc in mathematics from the University of Surrey.

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.

Alasdair Warren Chief Executive Officer WE Soda

Alasdair Warren is the Chief Executive Officer of WE Soda, based in London, having been appointed in November 2019 and having previously served as a non-executive board director.

Prior to joining WE Soda, Mr. Warren served as the Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for the European, Middle East and Africa region at Deutsche Bank, based in London.

Prior to that, Mr. Warren was an investment banking Partner at Goldman Sachs in London for 11 years, serving in a number of roles, including the Global Head of Financial Sponsor Coverage, the Head of European Equity Capital Markets and Derivatives, and the Co Head of UK Investment Banking.

Mr. Warren holds a BSc (Hons) in Geology from the University of Nottingham.

Dennis Wasike Chief Operating Officer Ngaresero Soda Company

Dennis Wasike is the Chief Operating Officer of Ngaresero Soda Company. He is a dedicated and results-driven professional with over a decade of hands-on experience in general management, supply chain management, manufacturing, and leadership across the mining, FMCG, Pharma, and Chemical sectors. He excels in spearheading transformative initiatives and driving operational excellence, currently leading strategic efforts in a Tanzanian Soda Ash venture representing a group with extensive mining interests across Africa.