Speakers | Global Plastics Summit

Jonatas Melo CEO & President Baystar

Jonatas Melo joined Baystar in 2024. Jonatas brings extensive leadership experience across commercial management, business strategy, product management, supply chain, and corporate finance to lead Baystar through a period of rapid growth, as the company introduces Borstar® technology to North America. Prior to joining Baystar, Jonatas spent 13 years with Borealis and Borouge in progressively senior roles in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe; most recently as Global Vice President of performance materials, where he led the consumer products and infrastructure industry clusters. Prior to joining Borealis Jonatas worked with ExxonMobil and Cosan in South America.

Jonatas holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; an MBA (honors) from IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland; and a Certificate in Global Management from INSEAD, Singapore.

Ricardo J. Arias Trade Development Manager Port Houston

Ricardo Arias has been an integral part of Port Houston’s Commercial Division since April 2003, taking on the role of Trade Development Manager in 2005.

In this role, Mr. Arias oversees business development efforts across the U.S. Midwest and Latin America, while actively promoting Port Houston’s capabilities in handling resins, chemicals, steel products, project cargo, perishables, and coffee. His work focuses on driving both national and international trade, fostering economic growth by raising awareness within the public and maritime sectors about Port Houston’s world-class services.

Arias earned his bachelor’s degrees in business administration and marketing from Houston Baptist University, in 1995. Since then, he has built a distinguished career in international transportation and logistics.

Throughout his career, Mr. Arias has held leadership roles in business development and operations management, specializing in trucking, third-party logistics, freight forwarding, and steamship companies, with a particular focus on Latin American markets.

Kate Bailey Chief Policy Officer Association of Plastic Recyclers

Kate Bailey is the Chief Policy Officer for the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), the only North American organization focused exclusively on improving the recycling of plastics. Kate leads APR’s advocacy at the state, national, and global levels to pass legislation to improve plastics recycling. She has 20 years of experience in recycling operations and policy development, and has passed several leading policies such as Colorado’s EPR for Packaging program in 2022. She is based in Colorado.

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.

Robin Bresser Marketing Manager, Pipe Solutions Baystar

Robin has more than 30 years of global experience in pipe applications with strong contribution to the advancement of Borealis, Borouge and very recently Baystar as well as the pipe industry through PE/PP pipe innovations, sustainability focus and market development initiatives. Robin has held several senior positions in industry associations such as President of the PE100+ Association, Director of WSUP, Director of PPCA and several key working group positions in for example TEPPFA and PPI. He has presented many papers on various topics at seminars and conferences worldwide.

Robin is currently Marketing Manager, Pipe Solutions at Baystar covering the North American PE pipe market. Based in Pasadena, Texas, Baystar was formed in 2018 as a joint venture between Borealis and TotalEnergies.

Born in 1964 in Germany, Robin holds a BSc degree in Chemical Engineering with honours from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA and has completed several executive management courses at IMD and INSEAD. He is a passionate Ironman triathlete and has three grown children.

Fabio Brocca Chief Product Officer Xeneta

Adrian Calcaneo Vice President, Energy & Feedstocks (NGL & Naphtha) Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Adrian Calcaneo is Vice President of NGL & Naphtha at Chemical Market Analytics.

Mr. Calcaneo is based in Houston, Texas, and is the Vice President for Energy and Feedstocks at Chemical Market Analytics (CMA).

His responsibilities include spearheading global development efforts across multiple product lines, including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Natural Gas Liquids (NGL), and Naphtha. With over 20 years of experience, Adrian is a key resource within the company, offering deep insights into the broad energy market.

In his role, he collaborates closely with stakeholders throughout the energy, petrochemical, and financial sectors, providing global support and strategic insights. His current focus involves leading the development of new energy products and enhancing the company’s market deliverables and insights.

Before assuming his current position, Adrian managed NGL market research for 43 Latin America and the Caribbean countries. His extensive experience also includes consulting for multinational energy companies and working in international trade, energy policy, and global economics at think tanks and international non-governmental organizations.

Mr. Calcaneo holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration, focusing on Energy Policy, from Texas A&M University, along with a Certificate in Advanced International Affairs from the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Data Science and a professional certification from Harvard University.

Peter Feng Vice President, Aromatics & Fibers Americas Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Mr. Peter Feng is the Vice President of Aromatics & Fibers Americas at Chemical Market Analytics.

Peter Feng is the Vice President of Aromatics & Fibers. He is responsible for the North American Aromatics Service and covers the styrene, polystyrene and expandable polystyrene markets in the Americas for Chemical Market Analytics. With over 35 years of experience in various assignments, Peter has a breadth of knowledge in multiple disciplines and products. Peter is a key resource for understanding and insight into the aromatics sector of the petrochemical industry.

Within the Americas, he leads the North American Aromatics Service. While his current area of focus is the products in the styrenics chain, he has covered many of the aromatics products at once. In addition to North American Aromatics, he contributes to several different services and is a key contributor to the World Styrene Analysis, World Polystyrene Analysis and World EPS Analysis.

During his time at Chemical Market Analytics and predecessor companies, he has contributed to several bespoke client studies, including the development of a marketing plan for a new Middle East plant, a site assessment for a U.S. plant, strategic analysis for refineries and chemical plants, strategic purchasing analysis, etc. As a renowned expert, he has been sought after as a testifying expert in numerous legal cases. He is often a guest speaker at various conferences and industry events.

Before his role in market consulting, he worked at Air Products and Sterling Chemicals. He had assignments in Process Engineering/Technology, Information Systems, Projects, Environmental, Supply Chain and Commercial teams during this time. Peter Feng has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston.

Pablo Giorgi Vice President, North America Light Olefins Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Pablo Giorgi is the Vice President of the North American Light Olefins business at Chemical Market Analytics.

Pablo Giorgi is the Vice President for North America Light Olefins at Chemical Market Analytics. With over 25 years of industry expertise, Pablo is a key resource within the business for understanding and insight into the olefins sector of the petrochemical industry.

Within the Americas he works closely with the petrochemical, energy, refining and financial industries, bringing support and guidance throughout the petrochemical chain. His current area of focus includes oversight of the North America Light Olefins Service and primary input and insight for the World Ethylene and Propylene analyses.

Mr. Giorgi’s professional experience includes working in styrenics, aromatics, olefins, and polyolefins businesses. Before his current position at Chemical Market Analytics, he held roles in commercial, purchasing, supply chain, strategy, and market intelligence functions across various organizations in Brazil and the USA.

Mr. Giorgi holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), later acquiring an MBA in Logistics from Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV) and an MBA in Management from Fundacao Dom Cabral (FDC).

Dewey Johnson Senior Vice President, Global Head of Chemical Market Analytics Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Dewey is Senior Vice President with Dow Jones and Global Lead for the Chemicals practice within Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company.

Dewey leads a team of 250+ subject matter experts with deep knowledge and experience within the chemical sector globally. Chemical Market Analytics offers unmatched global coverage of the Base Chemicals space covering almost 350+ chemistries through subscription services and consulting (bespoke research) offerings to our clients. The CMA practice presently covers Energy & Feedstocks, Olefins & Derivatives, Aromatics & Fibers, Inorganics (chloralkali, vinyls and soda ash), Plastics & Polymers, Syngas (methanol, acetyls and ammonia) chemicals, Sustainable chemistries (carbon, hydrogen, various chemicals) and plans to extend into newer areas.

Dewey has two master’s degrees in environmental engineering & business management respectively. He has enjoyed a distinguished career with Eastman Chemical Company across multiple roles and functions for one and a half decades. In 2009, he joined Chemical Market Associates Incorporated (CMAI) and has been in the chemical market intelligence and research space ever since. From the acquisition of CMAI by the erstwhile IHS Markit to the present acquisition by Dow Jones, Dewey has been in senior leadership positions within the organization and has a deep understanding of the business.

Dewey has worked extensively with chemical industry stakeholders across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, covering industry leadership, the financial sector, and policymakers. Dewey has led multiple engagements with chemical industry clients globally in strategy development and execution, analysis of chemicals markets and business portfolios, and due diligence analysis in the M&A space.

Dewey is a frequent lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, UVA Darden School of Management and SUNY at Albany School of Public Policy. He is based out in Houston, Texas, United States of America.

Oskar Karlsson Chief Procurement Officer and VP Sustainability Trioworld

Oskar Karlsson is the Chief Procurement Officer and VP Sustainability at Trioworld. With more than 15 years of experience from various raw material markets, such as pulp & paper, aluminum and polyethylene, Oskar brings value for the organization in the transformation to become sustainable.

In his current position, he is responsible for the group’s sourcing activities and sustainability journey as well as the product-line Personal Protective Equipment. Oskar is driven by customer’s current and future needs, his ambition is to contribute to Trioworld’s vision to constantly strive to be the first choice in sustainable polyethylene film solutions.

He has a M.Sc degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University Chalmers in Gothenburg and a MBA from Stockholm School of Economics.

Yonas Kebede Director Polypropylene Sales & Marketing Heartland Polymers

Yonas Kebede brings more than 30 years’ experience in the petrochemical industry to his role as Director of Polypropylene Sales and Marketing for Heartland Polymers.  He started his career selling polyethylene and polypropylene in the Northeast for Quantum Chemical, a legacy LyondellBasell company.  In 2000, he joined Formosa Plastics in Livingston, New Jersey, spearheading their entry into the blow molding, sheet extrusion, and pressure pipe markets with the startup of the company’s new HDPE Phillips Loop Plant.  In 2019, Mr. Kebede joined Inter Pipeline, Heartland Polymers’ parent company, to build and lead the commercial team’s entry into the polypropylene market.  While he travels often to Calgary, Alberta, Canada where Inter Pipeline is headquartered, he works out of the Heartland Polymers’ Short Hills, New Jersey Sales Office and resides in Northern New Jersey with his wife and two children.  Mr. Kebede holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Michigan State University.

Brian Kimberley Vice President, Marketing, and Licensing & Services W.R. Grace & Co.

Brian is Vice President,  Marketing and Licensing & Services, within the Specialty Catalysts business unit of W. R. Grace & Co. In this role he is responsible for the UNIPOL® PP licensing and services business.  Prior to this role Brian served as Commercial Director for Specialty Catalysts and was responsible for the catalyst business across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Brian has more than 25 years’ experience within the petrochemical industry working for BP then INEOS prior to joining Grace in 2015.  Brian has broad experience across a variety of leadership roles in R&D, catalyst manufacturing, technology licensing, global sales, technical service, business development and management.

Brian graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Warwick and holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Imperial College, London.  After working in several European locations Brian recently moved and is now based in Grace’s headquarters in Maryland, USA. He has filled more than 50 patents and has published over 15 scientific articles.

Steve Lewandowski Vice President, Global Olefins & Derivatives Team Lead Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Mr. Lewandowski is the Vice President of Global Olefins & Derivatives at Chemical Market Analytics.

Based in Houston, Steve Lewandowski is the Vice President – Olefins at Chemical Market Analytics (CMA) by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company, a leading global provider of information, insight and consulting services to the global chemical and petrochemical.

During a career spanning 30 + years in the refining and chemical industry, Steve has experience across the spectrum of refining and petrochemical hydrocarbon value chains covering various financial, strategic, technical and commercial roles. Before his move to Chemical Market Analytics, Steve was Senior Manager of Base Chemicals at TOTAL Petrochemicals & Refining, Inc. In that capacity, he managed the P&L of the base chemicals business, including joint venture relationships, strategic guidance to the partnerships, plant operational interfaces, project development, and commercial responsibility for olefin and aromatic monomers, including styrene.

Before the Base Chemical Senior Manager role, Steve had increasing responsibilities within the Petrochemical business at TOTAL. The latest assignment was overseas, in Brussels, Belgium, where he was responsible for the Global Aromatics long-term commercial business activity. The assignment included P&L responsibility and strategic project development for TOTAL worldwide. Before the Belgian assignment, he worked as manager of the US aromatics business. Before 2000, Steve was involved in the refining and fuels side of the Hydrocarbon chain both for what was then FINA Oil and Chemical and for Star Enterprise (a joint venture between Texaco and Saudi Aramco), working as a process engineer, optimization engineer, fuels blending optimizer, branded/unbranded fuels marketing and supply lead, and in a business development role.

Steve earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University in 1987 and an MBA with a focus on finance and economics from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2000.

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.

Leonardo Mancilla Executive Director, Polyolefins Americas Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Leonardo Mancilla is an Executive Director of Polyolefins Americas with the Polyolefins group at Chemical Market Analytics.

Leonardo Mancilla is a member of the Americas Polyolefins Team and the executive director for polyolefins in North and South America. He has been involved with Chemical Market Analytics for the last ten years and has conducted petrochemical market research in Latin America since 2011. He supports the team with his extensive petrochemical industry background and thorough understanding of all the phases of plastics production, from oil and gas to finished resins. He also provides expertise on supply chain, logistics, and supply chain issues.

In his current role, Leonardo is responsible for the daily follow-up of the polyethylene and polypropylene markets in the Western Hemisphere. He contributes insights and analysis to all Global Plastics and Polymers Report issues. He is also primarily responsible for the regular updates of Latin American balances published in the World Analysis. In addition, Leonardo stays connected with our clients through regular talks and market updates on the North and Latin American polyolefins markets.

Before starting to work in market research and consulting, Leonardo worked for petrochemical producers like the state petrochemical company Pequiven in Venezuela and The Dow Chemical Company. He brings his team fundamental experience in manufacturing, supply chain management, and business planning. He also has experience in maritime logistics and shipping as an Operations Manager for companies managing isotank fleets like ITT (Intermodal Tank Transport) and Flexitank.

Leonardo holds a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University in Kingsville, TX.

Kaushik Mitra Executive Director, Europe Plastics & Polymers Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Kaushik Mitra is the Executive Director of Polyolefin for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Chemical Market Analytics.

Kaushik Mitra is the Executive Director of Polyolefin for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He steers the Polyolefin Insight and Research practice for Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, A Dow Jones Company. Kaushik is a key resource within the business for understanding and insight into the olefins sector of the petrochemical industry. He was pivotal in conceptualizing, developing and executing the Chemical Market Analytics’ Circular Plastics studies.

Within the EMEA region, Kaushik works closely with the value chain comprising Polymer producers, Brand owners, Converters, Distributors, & Resellers, providing support and guidance throughout the Polyolefins value chain. Kaushik’s current area of focus includes the European Plastics & Polymers Report, providing critical IP for EMEA and input and insight for the World Polyethylene Analyses.

Kaushik gained diverse career experience working at top Global companies, steering business management, market development, market intelligence and strategy functions in leadership roles. His interests are in pricing, strategy and market intelligence. He joined Chemical Market Analytics in 2016 with over 26 years of experience in petrochemicals. Previously, with petrochemicals giant SABIC, Kaushik led the global business strategy team for the polymers business, shaping long-term ambitions regarding growth, business improvement, innovation and pricing. Kaushik was instrumental in designing and executing growth and differentiation strategies and played a key role in M&A and benchmarking.

Kaushik holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology and an MBA in marketing from the Indian Institute of Management.

Joel Morales Vice President, Polyolefins Americas Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Joel Morales is the Vice President of Polyolefins Americas at Chemical Market Analytics.

Joel joined the company in March 2013 to cover Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) in North America. He began his career in 1999 with polyolefins manufacturer Solvay Polymers, which later became Ineos, in technical services and product development before he moved into field sales. After five years at Solvay Polymers, Joel moved into resin distribution sales for both Muehlstein and then United Polychem as a Product Manager, where he managed and sold polyethylene and polypropylene resins into various customer segments. In his most recent role before joining Chemical Market Analytics (CMA), Joel was a purchasing manager for Silgan Plastics, a major blow-molding and injection molding plastics converter. He has brought a wealth of industry knowledge to Chemical Market Analytics through multiple stints along the plastics value chain.

Joel works closely within the Americas with resin producers, converters, and third parties covering the polyolefin markets. Joel speaks regularly around the world as a polyolefin market expert. He is the service leader of three market advisory subscription services: The Global Plastics and Polymers Report, the North American PE Report and the North American PP Report.

Joel graduated from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in psychology.

—

—

Greg Mulholland CEO & Co-Founder Citrine Informatics

Gregory Mulholland is the founder and CEO of Citrine Informatics, the first artificial intelligence platform enabling the faster development and deployment of the next generation of materials and chemicals. He is an internationally recognized leader in both materials technology and digital transformation and has led Citrine to work with some of the world’s largest and most innovative materials and chemicals companies to create greener, less expensive, more performant products. He has been honored as a Technology Pioneer at the World Economic Forum, won the Start Up and Scale Up challenges at the World Materials Forum, and been awarded over a dozen other start-up and business awards.

Javier Ortiz Executive Director, Global Engineering Resins Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Javier Ortiz is the Executive Director of the Engineering Resins market at Chemical Market Analytics.

Javier Ortiz is the global lead for the Global Engineering Resins service at Chemical Market Analytics, with product coverage responsibilities in North and South America for ABS and polycarbonate.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Ortiz led methanol market coverage in the Americas for Chemical Market Analytics from 2019 to 2024. He began his consulting career at CMAI (Chemical Market Associates, Inc.) in 2007 as a research analyst for the North and South American synthetic fibers market, primarily focusing on the polyester and nylon supply chains. He was subsequently appointed global leader of CMAI’s senior research analyst group while taking over consulting coverage of the nylon raw materials markets in the Americas.

Before joining the IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics) Methanol team, Mr. Ortiz was part of its Plastics group for nearly a decade, where he led coverage of the Latin American polyolefins market, directed the QuiMax Latin American consulting service, and was also responsible for polystyrene market research in the Americas.

He holds a degree in industrial engineering and a minor in business administration from Texas A&M University, US.

Anthony Palmer Vice President, Global Circular Plastic Sustainability Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Anthony J. Palmer is Vice President of Chemical Market Analytics (by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company), where he is responsible for the Circular Plastics & Chemicals Sustainability business within the Base Chemicals & Plastics group. In this role, he coordinates research and insight activities related to carbon emissions and plastics reuse, reduction, and recycling. His work focuses on mechanical and chemical recycling technologies and economics, plastic waste supply and logistics, company ESG initiatives, and strategic responses to sustainability, as well as broader macro-industry implications.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Palmer managed the Chemical Consulting Group at IHS Markit, where he led engagements for clients with interests in the business, technical, and financial aspects of the energy, chemicals, and related process industries. His expertise includes strategic business management, financial and acquisition analysis, technology assessment, capital project planning, manufacturing strategy, international project development, expert witness and litigation support, and material supply strategy.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Palmer worked at CMAI (acquired by IHS Markit in 2011), CPI Consulting Associates, Chem Systems, and Exxon Corporation. He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College, as well as a Master of Business Administration in Finance and International Business from Fordham University in New York, U.S.

In addition to his professional roles, Mr. Palmer is an Adjunct Professor of Management at Connecticut State University’s Ancell School of Business Administration, where he teaches courses in Strategic Management using the case analysis approach.

Zack Patterson Global Exxtend™ Marketing Manager ExxonMobil Product Solutions Company

Zack Patterson is the Americas Market Development Manager of the Polypropylene, Vistamaxx and Exact (PVE) global business unit at ExxonMobil Product Solutions Company, located in Spring, Texas. He is responsible for developing and executing strategies supporting high-value performance polymers while interfacing with value chain partners in meeting their commercial and sustainability goals.

Prior to his current role, Zack has served as a Senior Account Manager supporting the automotive, appliance, and hygiene industries within PVE, as well as a Global Market Developer in the Hydrocarbon Fluids business supporting the launch of the Mobil EV™ suite of products.

Zack received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Ohio State University with a minor in Business Administration in 2007.  After college, Zack accepted a position with ExxonMobil in Customer Technical Support at the Akron, Ohio office. Over the course of his career, he has served in a wide variety of roles in sales, manufacturing, technology, and marketing across the ExxonMobil Product Solutions Company.

Adam Peer Lead, Plastics Sustainability Team American Chemistry Council (ACC)

Adam Peer leads the Plastics Sustainability Team at the American Chemistry Council, advocating for policies that enhance the sustainability and circularity of plastic products and packaging. He previously led legislative and regulatory efforts for the physician assistant profession and helped enact professional employer organization legislation in 11 states. Peer has advised key leaders of the Wisconsin assembly and was elected as the youngest member of the county board, where he chaired the public safety and justice committee. He holds an accounting degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is pursuing a master’s in sustainability at Harvard University extension.

Preeti Sriram Director, North America (Crystalline Plastics – POM/PBT/Nylons) Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Preeti Sriram is the Director of Crystalline Plastics in North America with the Engineering Resins group at Chemical Market Analytics.

Preeti has been with Chemical Market Analytics (previously IHS Markit) for over ten years. Preeti specializes in PBT, Nylon 6, Nylon 66 and POM polymers. She is responsible for producing market analysis of the supply, demand, costs, prices, capacity, operating rates, imports and exports in the North American marketplace within the Chemical Market Analytics Plastics organization.

Preeti works with many teams across the globe. Through her work experience spanning over 17 years, Preeti has contributed to and/or authored single-client and multi-client studies on various petrochemicals. She has been a speaker at the Global Plastics Summit. Preeti, a chemical engineer with an MBA, has been involved in several Chemical Market Analytics (previously IHSM) publications, including the Chemical Economics Handbook, World Analyses reports and Focus pieces.

Alexandra Tennant Director, Global Recycled Plastics Service Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Alexandra Tennant is the Director, Global Recycled Plastics Service at Chemical Market Analytics (by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company).

Alexandra is responsible for content regarding market dynamics for recycled plastics within the Base Chemicals & Plastics group. As service lead for the Global Recycled Plastics Service, Alexandra monitors momentum across the recycled plastics value chain in areas such as supply, demand, pricing, regulations, and brand strategies.

Ms. Tennant joined Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS in 2025 and brings over 15 years of experience across the energy and chemicals industry. She is recognized for her expertise in recycled plastics and PET/RPET markets. She has held positions in finance and consulting, including ExxonMobil, Wood Mackenzie, and, most recently, McKinsey & Co.

Alexandra graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with dual degrees in Economics and the History of Art; she later earned her MBA from the School of Management at Yale University.

Nick Vafiadis Vice President, Global Plastics & Polymers Team Lead Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Nick Vafiadis is the Vice President of the Plastics & Polymers business at Chemical Market Analytics.

34 years, including critical roles in sales, sales management, product management, and business line management in the plastics, surfactants, and consulting industries.
Nick is a 30+ year chemical and plastics industry veteran and manages Chemical Market Analytics’ global plastics practice. Nick’s daily responsibilities include analysis, consulting, and reporting on the global polyolefins market and managing global operations associated with producing and developing various plastics reports. Concurrently, he contributes to single-client projects and studies related to the polyolefins industry. In his earlier assignments, he was responsible for consulting duties associated with the Chlor-alkali and vinyl product chain. He has contributed to the Monomers Market Report, the Chlor-Alkali Market Report, and the Global Plastics & Polymers Market Report.

He has been with Chemical Market Analytics and its predecessor companies since 2002. Before 2002, he spent twelve years with Vista Chemical Company, where he held assignments in marketing, product management, and sales management in the vinyl and surfactant business areas. Mr. Vafiadis holds a Management BBA from The University of Texas at Austin, United States.

Jeremy Wallach Partner Mckinsey & Partners

Jeremy Wallach is a partner in McKinsey’s Boston office in the Chemicals Practice. He is a leader in McKinsey’s work on chemicals sustainability, including circularity and decarbonization, and helps lead the firm’s chemical insights microeconomics group. He has more than 20 years of experience advising management teams across regions on topics linked to strategy, growth, M&A, and sustainability.

Jeremy leads the firm’s work on plastic recycling in North America, including helping clients build businesses and evaluate opportunities in sustainable polymers. In particular, he has extensive experience in plastic circularity and chemicals sustainability. He has published perspectives and led speaking engagements in these areas in addition to providing client support on market demand, economics, feedstock availability, green premiums, system-level scaling opportunities, steps to reduce leakage into the environment, and carbon impact.

Marcelo Wasem Director, Americas Purified Terephthalic Acid | Polyethylene Terephthalate Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Marcelo Wasem is the Director of Americas Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) at Chemical Market Analytics.

Marcelo Wasem is the director of PET and PTA in North America at Chemical Market Analytics. Throughout his tenure with the company, he has shouldered diverse responsibilities spanning various product categories. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Marcelo is a pivotal asset within the organization, offering invaluable understanding and insights into the aromatics sector of the petrochemical industry.

In the North America region, Marcelo collaborates closely with the petrochemical and plastic industries and brand owners, providing support and guidance across the entire petrochemical chain. His primary focus is managing the Global PET Stream reports, which delve into the Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) markets. Additionally, he plays a role in developing World Analyses for PTA/DMT and Polyester, conducting supply and demand analyses, and offering price forecasts for both the short and long term.

At Chemical Market Analytics, Marcelo previously covered the orthoxylene market and polyurethane feedstocks, such as propylene oxide and polyether polyols. Throughout his career, Marcelo has held various roles within the petrochemical industry, encompassing work with feedstocks, energy, and the commercialization of petrochemical products. He also worked on a project to recycle waste tires using a pyrolysis process.

Marcelo holds a bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering and specializes in business finance.

Robin Waters Executive Director, Circular Plastics & Chemicals Sustainability Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Robin Waters is the Executive Director of Chemical Market Analytics.

Robin is responsible for content development for the Circular Plastics business for the Base Chemicals & Plastics group.

In this role, Mr. Waters manages the Research & Insight for the Circular Plastics Service, which covers the dynamics and implications of the plastics transition from a linear to a circular economy. His responsibilities cover a broad spectrum of the circular plastics value chain, including regulations and policies, mechanical- and chemical-recycle technology and economics, plastic waste supply and disposition, price and margin projections, strategic responses to sustainability, evaluation of new business models and macro-industry implications. He also serves as a subject matter expert for other market advisory services, single-client projects, and polyolefins and plastics sustainability studies.

Mr. Waters joined Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS on June 1, 2022, following the acquisition of IHS Markit Base Chemicals, having joined IHS Markit in September 2012 as Director of Polyolefins North America. He brings over 30 years of industry experience with DuPont and LyondellBasell in various commercial management roles in the polyolefins, specialty polymers and plastic films industries.

Robin received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Georgia and an MBA from the University of Miami.

Alan Wei Executive Director, China Polyolefins Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS

Alan Wei is the Executive Director for China Polyolefins at Chemical Market Analytics.

Alan is a result-oriented professional with more than 16 years of experience in Sales & Marketing, Technology, and Product Development, and, finally, assuming the role of analyzing and researching the fundamentals of Supply and Demand for the China Polyolefins market. Proven track record as a versatile Senior manager with demonstrated ability to drive the achievement of results in challenging market environments.

In China, he works closely with key partners across the value chain of the petrochemical industry, keeping track of industry evolution and offering insightful studies. His current focus includes overseeing the ‘China Polyolefins Mandarin Report’ and the newly initiated ‘China Polyolefins English bi-weekly Report’ to serve English-speaking audiences globally.

Strength in connecting with customers & relationship management with key decision makers, grasping end-use demand commercially and technically. He worked for several top global suppliers and distributors previously. Mr. Wei has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from East China University of Science and Technology.