Global Chlor-Alkali & Vinyls Conference

Hazel Kreuz Vice President, Global Inorganics Team Lead Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Hazel Kreuz serves as the Vice President of Global Inorganic Chemicals at Chemical Market Analytics, which includes Chlor-alkali chemicals, Vinyls, Bleaching Chemicals, and Soda Ash.

Ms. Kreuz brings four decades of chemical industry experience to the Chemical Market Analytics Inorganic chemicals insights team. She joined the IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics) in 2016 as Chlor-alkali Chemicals Global Service Lead. Ms. Kreuz was promoted to her current role leading the Global Inorganic chemicals insights team in April 2019. She leads twenty analysts that analyze, forecast, and report on chlor-alkali chemicals, vinyls, bleaching chemicals, and soda ash from five global locations.
Ms. Kreuz has a background in petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals; she held a range of functional roles in several companies prior to joining Chemical Market Analytics. Hazel began her career in ethylene oxide and glycols manufacturing with Union Carbide Corporation; she also held ethylene oxide derivatives, HS&E, risk analysis, financial analysis, and marketing management positions with Union Carbide. She was a recipient of Union Carbide Corporation’s prestigious Chairman’s Award for the development of the Corporations’ Episodic Risk Management System, which Arthur D. Little praised as “elegant and sophisticated”.

Hazel moved to the inorganic chemicals world joining Canadian Occidental, which subsequently became Nexen Petroleum, and then Canexus, where she held management positions in chlor-alkali chemicals and sodium chlorate marketing, strategic planning, and investor relations. She returned to the US chemical market, joining Huntsman Corporation and serving as global marketing manager for mining chemicals, pulp & paper chemicals, and water treatment chemicals in the Performance Products division.
Hazel holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA.

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

Eddie Kok is Executive Director of the Inorganics Group at Chemical Market Analytics

Eddie has global responsibility for the Vinyls Market Advisory Service. He has more than 20 years of experience in the chemical industry, holding broad responsibilities including regional sales, marketing, business development, and product management. Eddie joined Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI) in 2004 as a consultant. Eddie has responsibility for providing market coverage and analysis for the chlor-alkali and vinyls market in Asia. Eddie has a good grasp of the global chlor-alkali and vinyls sector dynamics and is the go-to person for data and market intelligence in Asia.

Before CMAI, at IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics), Eddie broadened his responsibility and assumed the team leader role for the Vinyls Market Advisory Service. Over the years, he has worked on numerous chlor-alkali and vinyls projects around the Asia-Pacific region, providing analytical and planning support to clients.

Eddie holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Campbell University, North Carolina, United States.

Nick Kovics Vice President, Global Chlor-Alkali Service Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Nick Kovics is the Vice President at Chemical Market Analytics.

Mr. Kovics leads the global chlor-alkali market advisory team and holds specialized expertise related to pulp-bleaching chemicals including sodium chlorate and hydrogen peroxide.

Nick Kovics brings 25 years of chemical industry experience to the Chemical Market Analytics Inorganic chemicals insights team. He joined Chemical Market Analytics in 2017 as Global Bleaching Chemicals Global Service Lead. Mr. Kovics went on to lead the Global Lithium & Battery Materials team before being promoted to Chlor-alkali Chemicals Global Service Lead in 2020.

Mr. Kovics has a varied background having worked in upstream energy, new energy, and electrochemical. He held a range of functional roles in several companies prior to joining the IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics). Nick began his career in the oil service sector with Schlumberger Canada cementing and hydraulic fracturing services. Nick transitioned from oil and gas to new energy and spent a decade in the hydrogen fuel cell sector with Ballard Power Systems. Nick’s career continued in the electrochemical sector when he joined Canexus and held positions in chlor-alkali chemicals and sodium chlorate marketing.

Nick holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, an MBA, and is a Canadian Certified Professional Accountant.

Francesco Martella Associate Director, EMEA Chlor-alkali Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Francesco Martella is currently the Associate Director for the EMEA region for Chlor-alkali, also in charge of the global sodium sulfate market.

Prior to joining IHS Markit base chemical (now known as Chemical Market Analytics), Francesco has matured a long experience in the Technology industry as a Business Development Analyst in the Strategy, Operations, and M&A division at Salesforce. Before that, he worked in Milan as a Consultant at Oracle and People. Francesco holds a master’s degree in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology from Bocconi University and has recently completed an Executive Education course on Data Analysis for Management at the London School of Economics. As an Economics and Analytics expert, Francesco brings with him strong technological and economic expertise, together with a deep knowledge of the industry.

Ana Lopez Director, Americas Chlorine & Vinyls Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Ana Lopez is the Director for Chlor-alkali & vinyls at Chemical Market Analytics.

Since 2012, Mrs. Lopez has formed part of the inorganics team at IHS Markit Base Chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics), specializing her analysis on the vinyls markets in North America and South America, as well as the chlorine and hydrochloric acid markets in the US.  Recently she started coverage for the sodium sulphate global market.  She contributes to the monthly reports on those topics and has presented on several occasions at the Global Chlor-Alkali & Vinyls Conference, Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association meetings, Vinyls Compounders Conference and Global Plastics Summit. She has an intimate knowledge of engineering project execution as well as petrochemical commodities markets.

Prior to joining Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, Mrs. Lopez spent several years with Pemex International Trading Company (PMI) in Mexico City, dealing with petrochemical commodities commercial operations as well as market analysis, preceded by a few years with the EPC company ICA Fluor Daniel. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Iberoamericana University, Mexico City, and an MBA from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM), Mexico City.

Paulo Pereira Executive Director, North America Caustic Soda Research Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Paulo Pereira is the Executive Director of the North American Light Olefins business at Chemical Market Analytics.

Paulo joined Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS in December 2022 as Executive Director, North America Caustic Soda Research. He is a native of Santos, Brazil, and graduated in 1984 from Maua Engineering School in Sao Paulo, Brazil with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Upon graduating, Paulo joined Dow Chemical at the Guaruja site in Sao Paulo state.  After 22 years in Dow Chemical Epoxy and Polyurethane operations in Brazil, the U.S., and Italy, Paulo joined Dow’s Technology Centers division, leading the global Polyurethane and Alkoxylation technology teams. In 2019, he was seconded to Sadara Chemical Company in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia as Technology Director and subsequently repatriated to the U.S. in 2021.  Paulo’s extensive knowledge of the chemical industry and chlor-alkali derivative markets adds to the already industry-leading expertise of Chemical Market Analytics global chlor-alkali research team.

Jan Eghøj Managing Director Essberger & Stolt Tankers

Jan Eghøj is currently the Managing Director at Essberger & Stolt Tankers. He is a strategic executive with 20+ years experience with strong commercial understanding and focus on delivering results through enhanced ownership and clarity on targets. Ability to drive performance by motivating the teams to take responsibility for the joint success and thereby creating high performance teams.

Tom Driessens Business Director PlastChem B.V.

Tom has 22 years’ experience in the pvc industry in different leading roles in R&D, Operations, Purchasing and Sales: this at the virgin pvc side as at the recycling side. As Chemical Engineer I worked for 21 years for the Belgian pvc window profile manufacturer Deceuninck where I lead the last 6 years the Compounding and Recycling business, during this time the external compound sales and the old windows recycling factory and business were established.

Since last year being Business Director for PlastChem, a European leading pvc compounder settled in the Netherlands, managing the sales markets of Belgium / France, strategic purchasing and exploring new market and business opportunities in and outside the pvc world.

Rudy Miller Vice President Vinyls Business & Head of Circularity Vynova

Rudy Miller heads the Vinyls activities of Vynova, a leading European PVC and chlor-alkali company, and leads the company’s Circular Economy efforts. Rudy has extensive experience in various executive positions in the chemical industry. Prior to joining Vynova, he held several executive director roles at SABIC, including the global leadership of various businesses, strategy and M&A and innovation leadership. Rudy also worked for almost 19 years at Dow Corning in various management roles that included responsibilities for marketing, sales & technical services as well as e-commerce. Rudy holds a Master’s degree in Business Management & Economics from the University of Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), complemented by additional executive trainings at INSEAD (France) and IMD (Switzerland).

Michael Insulan Vice President Commerical Electra Battery Materials

Michael Insulan has nearly 20 years of experience across oil and gas, bulk commodities, base, and minor metals. He previously worked for Royal Dutch Shell, CRU, and Eurasian Resources Group. Over the past six years, Michael has been primarily focused on the battery raw materials markets where he has built a reputation as an industry expert.

As Vice President, Commercial, Michael has overall responsibility for marketing of the Company’s refined cobalt sulfate production to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and battery cell makers. He is also responsible for marketing recycled cobalt, nickel, lithium and other battery materials produced by Electra’s Canadian refinery.

Michael holds a PhD in Economics, focused on the extractive industries.

Jens Schmidt Chief Technology Officer Tree Energy Solutions

Jens Schmidt is the Chief Technology Officer at Tree Energy Solutions leading technology selection, innovation and optimization across all of TES-H2’s projects and operations globally. He previously worked at Dow Chemical for 20 years holding various roles in engineering and technology. Jen’s has a MS Chemical Engineering from Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, PhD Chemical Engineering from Technical University Hamburg-Harburg and MBA from Northwood University Michigan.

Sean Metcalfe Lead Economist, Industry Team Oxford Economics

Sean is a Lead Economist on the Industry team at Oxford Economics, where he helps shape the team’s outlook for global industrial activity, forecasts the utilities sector and works on climate and energy-related enhancements to the Global Industry Model. He also regularly presents on the global industrial outlook for clients.

Prior to joining Oxford Economics, Sean spent two years working for RBB Economics as a competition economist. At RBB he was involved in the economic assessment of competition cases across a range of industries, including mergers and acquisitions in the food and beverage sector and antitrust investigations in the telecommunications sector. Sean holds an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

Angel Fernandez Director, Global Bleaching Chemicals Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Angel Fernandez is the Director of global bleaching chemicals at Chemical Market Analytics

Angel joined the IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics) in 2021 and leads the Global Market Advisory Service for Bleaching Chemicals as part of the Inorganics Global Business Team. He brings 17 years of experience in trading, shipping, market research, and analysis for the chemical industry

Angel started his career in the chemical industry with BP Chemicals, followed by five years at Sojitz UK where he was involved in the trading and shipping of aromatics, solvents, and methanol.

Prior to joining the IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics), he spent 10 years researching and analyzing oxo alcohols, plasticizers, and chlor-alkali markets at a market data provider. Angel holds Masters Degrees in Chemistry and International Relations.

Remko Koster EMEA C4 & Elastomers Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Remko Koster is the Director for EMEA C4 & Elastomers at Chemical Market Analytics.

After obtaining his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Amsterdam, Dr. Koster worked from 2000-2011 at DSM and Sabic in the petrochemical industry in varying roles in R&D, market intelligence, and commercial departments. He was the commercial manager for SABIC in Europe for C4 products, benzene and derivatives, and heavy aromatics. His last role at Sabic was as global market intelligence lead for PP (polypropylene). In 2011, he joined CMAI (now Chemical Market Analytics) as the consultant for PE and PP, before switching to the C4 & Elastomers lead role for EMEA in 2017. Dr. Koster leads the global tire type indices service, is a main contributor to the global C4 olefins & elastomers report, several world analysis services, and is a frequent speaker at conferences. He is an expert in steam cracker products and various polymers and elastomer markets.

David Potter Executive Director, EMEA Phenolics and Americas Isocyanates Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

David Potter is Executive Director for EMEA aromatics and phenolics at Chemical Market Analytics.

Mr. Potter joined the IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics) at the start of 2013, where he has been responsible for market coverage and insight across the global aromatics and fibers team. He has specialized in aromatics derivatives such as phenolics, styrene monomers, and polyurethane feedstocks for both the EMEA region and the Americas. He is currently responsible for aromatics and phenolics in the EMEA region.

Prior to joining IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics),  Mr. Potter worked on the petrochemical desk at Platts for close to six years, where he covered the EMEA benzene and toluene markets for over four years. He also worked on other product streams including olefins and polymers. He first entered the petrochemical world in 1999 when he was recruited by Petrochem Carless, a UK-based refiner and distributor. He worked with Petrochem Carless for nearly seven years, where he took a variety of sales and marketing roles.

Mr. Potter also has a postgraduate diploma in periodical journalism.

Henry Warren Director, EMEA Chlorine & Vinyls Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Henry Warren is the Director of the Inorganics Group at Chemical Market Analytics.

Mr. Warren is an integral member of the Vinyls Market Advisory Service. He performs market analysis of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry and its precursors – ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). He is a key contributor to the annual World Analysis – Vinyls and the in-depth monthly vinyls service.

For most of his career, he has covered hydrochloric acid, chlorinated solvents, caustic potash, and caustic soda, but his focus has continued to center on vinyls. He joined Chemical Market Analytics when it acquired Harriman Chemsult, a highly regarded consultancy specializing in the chlor-alkali and vinyls segment.

Mr. Warren has a degree in economics and he entered the field of chemical market analysis in 1996, analyzing feedstocks and several polyolefin value chains in Europe, North America, and Latin America. Along with the stakeholder relationships he has built over several decades, his in-depth understanding of the industry contributes to the unparalleled level of insight that Chemical Market Analytics brings to this sector.