The HC Commodities Podcast

In this episode, Javier Blas and Jack Farchy join us to talk about their new book, The World for Sale . The book spans the history of the rise of the independent commodity traders, their phenomenal success, and their impact on the modern world. Our guests walk us through the big themes in the book, the events and participants in the last commodity super cycle, and the challenges that lie ahead for...

Measuring risk is at the core commodity trading and Value At Risk is its most common expression. However, as frequent outsized and unexpected losses, stop outs and personnel departures attest, all our tools, especially VaR, are imperfect. How is risk measured and why do we get it wrong? What makes a good risk framework and what is the future of capturing market and other sources of risk in a digit...

In this episode Jeff Currie, Global Head of Commodity Research at Goldman Sachs, walks us through the drivers and consequences of the coming commodity super-cycle. Over the next decade, redistributive policies, energy transition and the search for new sources of old and new economy commodities will drive a macro shift in prices across all verticals. What will this mean for the sector, commodity tr...

The commodities sector is rich, of strategic national interest, at the center of geopolitics, and environmentally impactful. Thus, it is a focal target for cyber-attacks from criminals, national actors, hacktivists and others. As the sector digitizes, the threat and potential risks are only increasing. The threat posed and the responses required is a board level conversation for many companies - a...

Our guest, Arcady Sosinov, CEO and Founder of Freewire Technologies, believes Electric Vehicles present the biggest industrial change and opportunity in our lifetimes. With most major automobile manufacturers announcing phasing out combustion engines by 2035, we have passed the tipping point. This transformation will have profound consequences and disruption for the commodities sector from the imp...

Commodities trading has always been about having an informational edge. About having better data. With digitalization, data is now produced in exponentially larger quantities and so has our capacity to process it. With digitalization, data is now produced in exponentially larger quantities and so has our capacity to process it. Traders are spending millions on collating and analyzing it. Why are t...

Energy and commodity trading is complex (consider both its physical and financial nature), and so are the rules and regulations surrounding it. Multiple regulators, jurisdictions and standards can apply to a single trade and much is left to the judgement of the actors. But the downsides to getting it wrong just once are enormous for organisations and individuals. In this episode we address complia...

Every business faces ESG risks. Those risks are heightened in a sector defined by natural resource extraction and consumption, but so are the opportunities. The key to addressing these risks is having a good plan. A good plan can lead to more – cheaper financing, better valuations, differentiation, and talent attraction.  Not having a plan can lead to exclusion from markets, departing employees, a...

In this episode we focus on Clean Hydrogen’s current and future role in transportation, from the aerospace industry, to shipping, to roads. What is the current state of the technology? Where will we see the biggest opportunities and change and what infrastructures will be required. Helping us to navigate the history and future of hydrogen in transportation is Cody Bateman, CEO and Founder of GenH2...

HC Insider Podcast host Paul Chapman, Managing Partner of Human Capital, looks back at this year’s episodes and discusses the key trends that were identified in 2020 in the commodities sector from a talent perspective. Looking forward, he predicts what will be the pressing themes of 2021 and who will be in demand. For more information and a detailed analysis of 2020 visit www.hcInsider.com To conn...

By 2030, we will have a vibrant hydrogen economy. However, much investment is required to get to that stage and businesses and entrepreneurs need to commercialize projects far sooner than that to attract investors. To that end, Calvin Johnson, Head of Commercial at Proton Technologies guides us through the various pathways available now to commercialize hydrogen along the value chain.  A unique in...

Commodities is risky business. Individual traders have lost billions, companies have been sunk by ill-timed asset investments, and sanctions and tariffs can change a market overnight. The commodity market presents some unique risks to its participants, which is also why it can be an extremely lucrative sector. Risk management is designed to protect businesses from taking on unknown or too much ris...

It has been a challenging couple of years for crude oil producers. Low prices, reticent investors over the impacts of energy transition and now COVID. Nick Allen, General Manager of Global Crude and NGLs at ConocoPhillips, joins us to discuss the state of the crude oil markets and the drivers behind the current trends from acquisitions and consolidation to the surge in returns from trading books....

Is sustainability another cost the commodity trading world must face or does it present one of the biggest opportunities for the sector over the next decade – bringing new products, new markets and new points of differentiation? And if investors, financiers and customers demand it, can participants afford to ignore it? On November 10, 2020, Paul Chapman hosted a panel at the Reuters Commodity Trad...

Will clean hydrogen be one of the most actively traded commodities in the next decade? Already exchanges are publishing prices and trading houses, shippers, utilities, and oil and gas producers are engaged in projects and building teams and regulators are discussing market structures. In this episode our guest, Erik Rakhou of Baringa Partners, walks us through the factors and steps it will take to...

Joining us to explain the why, what and how of hydrogen is Dr JJ Traynor, principal and co-founder of HydrogenOne Capital – an investment firm dedicated to the sector. JJ brings 30 years of energy and finance experience and walks us through the industry today and predictions about what (and where) it will be over the coming decades. Grey, Blue, Green and Turquoise, we cover it all. For related con...

Lower prices, lower volatility and increased transparency, led participants to exit and drive consolidation. Now that dynamic could be set to change as US production is under threat from low prices and weak investment and the US gas market goes global with LNG. Joining us to discuss the US Natural Gas market’s history and future is Peter Tumminello, Group President, Commercial Businesses, Southern...

2020 saw the creation of PipeChina to further streamline the market’s transportation and distribution. It is also a unique market with differences at the political, regulatory and market structure level (LNG is trucked around the country!). Is it the next big trading opportunity in natural gas? Will it go on to dominate LNG import market?  Joining us to discuss this fascinating market and its futu...

Joining us to discuss three big ways the market will change over the next 5 years is Simon Collins, CEO and Founder of TradeCloud, a Director at EdgePetrol and former Head of Bulk Trading at Trafigura. Simons uses his wealth of experience in running trading businesses and in launching, and investing in, technology centered solutions to the commodities sector to give us his take on where, how and t...

It has also brought losses as investors and investments have been challenged, and even surprised, by the risks in commodities. Furthermore, it may also be facing an industry reckoning of epic proportions in the shale industry. Joining us to discuss PE is David Port, a partner at TDI Capital advisors, and commodities market veteran. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search...

Often, energy and natural resource production is located in areas more prone to climate change, and frequently in emerging market nations, climate change risks highlight the protection/risk transfer "gap" that can lead to economic or political instability.    A recent Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) report highlighted the risks posed by climate change while urging the development of...

Will COVID-19 accelerate changes to how commodities are traded? Will we see more failures and further pull back of trade finance? Or will COVID-19 trigger a resurgence in opportunities for trading businesses with a retrenchment in globalization and a new concern of supply chain security. Craig gives us his insight and even some predictions. For related content and to find out more about HC Group,...

We look at the common attributes and behaviors required to be a successful trader. We examine how the environment of the trader can support or hinder performance. We look at how motivations and performance can change over time and what career paths are open to individuals. Finally, we look at how the skillset itself is changing as technology continues to evolve the role. For related content and to...

2020 has highlighted how trading platforms can protect natural resource producers price shocks and boost earnings through extracting more value from  the products and with better reach into the market place. Those oil majors with trading groups have significantly outperformed their peers without. With producers of natural resources around the world building or retooling trading platforms in respon...

Roy makes a compelling argument that all investors should follow the commodities sector and expands on the asset class' role in portfolio theory. Roy was involved in the creation of the first commodity index so we walk through some of the types of products available to gain exposure and express positions. We also look to the future.  With COVID, Energy Transition and host of new commodities becomi...