The HC Commodities Podcast

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 digital world. Geir Robinson, former CRO of BP’s Integrated Supply  & Trading business joins us to discuss.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/ 

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 trading and its talent? Jeff gives us a concise and compelling argument and a call to action.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

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 - and our guest, Simon Hodgkinson, the former Group Chief Information Security Officer for BP, gives ample insight into why that should change.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/  

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 impact on power grids, to infrastructure, to market participants and to supply chains. Will your car manufacturer or a utility be your next power provider? Arcady guides us through why EVs are taking over, the interplay of customer behaviors and infrastructure and how this could lead to the biggest disruption in the energy word since the industrial revolution. We explore.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host  Paul Chapman,  you can find him at  www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

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 they doing this? Can it lead to a lasting competitive edge? Or should we be skeptical given the monumental costs and challenges in applicability and implementation. What does this mean for the role of a commodity trader?Alex Chandy, former energy trader and now CEO of 2DA, a data analytics software firm in commodities trading, gives us his insight.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/    

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 compliance in the commodities world with Frank Hayden. What it is, what it means and how digitisation is changing how organisations, and regulators, manage it. Frank is VP Compliance at Calpine, a member of CFTC’s Market Risk Advisory Committee and Chair of the Energy Compliance Discussion Group with over 60 compliance professionals as members.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

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, and legal exposure. In this episode, we talk to Milena Lopez, CEO of Keops Consulting, which provides advisory services around sustainability - projects, origination, and financing - in the commodities sector. Lopez explores what is driving and changing the landscape, what the risks are, and how you can create a plan.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

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 (www.discoverhydrogen.com), whose technologies are revolutionizing Clean Hydrogen delivery at the retail level within transportation. Cody brings 30 years of experience in Hydrogen technologies including work with Nasa and the US Department of Energy.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

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.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/

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 insight and must listen for all those interested in, or contemplating investing in, the hydrogen economy. Proton Technologies is a Calgary based technology company which produces clean hydrogen directly in the hydrocarbon reservoir.To find out more about HC and our talent advisory services in the energy & commodities sector visit www.hcinsider.comTo connect with our host Paul Chapman, you can find him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulchapmanhc/