Heightened Global Tensions: Chemicals in Uncertain Times

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 a Master of Arts in Materials Science from Cambridge University, as well as a Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering (ACDMM).

Mariana Santos Moreira Thought Leadership Director Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Mariana is the Thought Leadership Director at Chemical Market Analytics, leveraging the full portfolio of CMA’s chemical markets intelligence into informative and thought-provoking insight pieces pertinent to the whole supply chain.
Throughout her chemical market research and analysis career, Mariana served as regional/global SME of a wide breadth of sectors within the chemical industry: Aromatics (Benzene/Styrene and PX/PTA), Chemicals of the Energy Transition (Ammonia, Methanol, Hydrogen), Inorganic Chemicals (Caustic Soda, Bleaching Chemicals, Soda Ash), Polymer Films & Flexible Packaging (inc. Plastics Sustainability taskforces).
Mariana started her career at IHS, having rejoined CMA in 2024. Prior to rejoining CMA, Mariana served as Head of Aromatics, Head of Chemicals of the Energy Transition, and Films & Flexible Packaging Lead Analyst, at Wood Mackenzie.
Mariana holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering from Instituto Superior Tecnico, University of Lisbon.

Martin Wiesweg VP, Polymers team in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Martin Wiesweg is the Vice President of the polymers team in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Chemical Market Analytics

Martin’s primary responsibilities focus on polystyrene, expandable polystyrene (EPS) and PET resin. With over 30 years of experience, Martin is a key resource within the business for understanding and insights into the polymer sector of the petrochemical industry.

He works closely with the European plastics industry in the EMEA region, from producers to converters and brand owners, bringing insights and guidance throughout the polymer chains. His current area of focus includes oversight of the ‘European Plastics and Polymers Report, contributing to various reports, e.g., Global Plastics and Polymers Report, Global PET Stream Report and European Aromatics Monomer Report, as well as primary input and insight for the World Polystyrene, EPS and PET resin analyses. He is also an expert on plastics sustainability and recycling, supporting Chemical Market Analytics’s circular plastics service and the Global Recycled Plastics Report. Before Chemical Market Analytics, Martin spent over 20 years in the petrochemical industry. Within Huels AG, BP Chemical and Ineos Nova, he has held many responsibilities in technical and commercial departments, including technical service, marketing, sales, and as head of commercial management for speciality polymers.

Mr. Wiesweg holds a Master’s degree in Physics from the University of Paderborn, Germany.

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.

David Potter Vice President Aromatics and Fibers, EMEA Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

David Potter is Vice President of Aromatics and Fibers, EMEA, at Chemical Market Analytics.

David joined the Chemical Market Analytics team in January 2013 and is Vice President for the EMEA team, with product responsibility for pygas and benzene. David has expertise across several markets within the aromatics and fibers sector, including styrene monomers, phenolics, polyurethane feedstocks and ethylene oxide and derivatives. Between 2016-2018, David had global responsibility for the daily pricing and market update reports for Chemical Market Analytics on aromatics and light olefins.

David joined the Chemical Market Analytics team from Platts, where he was an editor on the petrochemicals team, responsible for price discovery, assessment, and editorial content across various petrochemical markets. However, David’s main focus was on aromatics, where he was responsible for the benzene market coverage for over five years.

Before his time at Platts, David worked for Petrochem Carless (now Haltermann Carless) for 8 years, from 1999 to 2007. He undertook many commercial roles here, including product management and customer service manager. He was responsible for buying and selling a wide range of aliphatic and aromatic products, ketone solvents, antifreeze, and glycols, and for undertaking many roles across road, rail, and shipping logistics.

David has a Bachelor of Arts in Media and a postgraduate diploma in Periodical Journalism.