Gareth Griffiths Gareth is a senior marketing and trading specialist with 30 years’ experience in the mining / extraction sector, predominantly in the thermal and metallurgical coal market. He worked in numerous senior positions with the large international mining company Anglo-American during 2000-15. Gareth started and developed his career at the coal division of Shell International Petroleum between 1985 and 2000. Gareth holds a Materials Science BSc 2:1 degree from Sheffield University in the UK.
Binod Singh JSW Steel. Chief Business Development Officer
Guillaume Perret, the founder and director, of Perret Associates a research company established in 2007 with offices in London and Switzerland, specialising in the analysis and forecast of the international coal, electricity, gas, freight, iron ore and steel markets.
Mr Perret has 30 years of extensive experience in coal and commodities trading.
Before establishing his own company, Mr Perret set up and developed the coal and freight trading desk for the German utility RWE in London and traded grains for the international trading house Louis Dreyfus.
Drawing on his extensive hands-on experience in front offices, Perret Associates provides a very comprehensive and unique portfolio of analysis and forecast covering the entire curve.
Mr Perret has earned an MBA from the London Business School including an exchange programme with Northwestern Kellogg School of Management (US).
He has also a master's degree in engineering (biology, geology) from ENSAIA Nancy (French “Grandes Ecoles”), after completing the French Preparatory Classes (Math Sup Bio and Math Spe Bio) at Lycée Champollion Grenoble.
Jin Yu Cheong, Head, Baltic Exchange Asia Jin is Head, Baltic Exchange Asia. Prior to this, he has been with SGX for 8 years where his responsibilities included development and enhancement of commodity products across the steel value chain as well as carbon. Before joining SGX, he was a trader at Pavilion Gas and Hartree where he covered LNG and FFAs. He started his career at Glencore in 2003 where he was on the graduate trader programme in the London oAice before being transferred to Singapore as a gasoline trader. Jin has an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University.
Jonathan Lim, Counsel and Associate Director, K&L Gates Jonathan is a member of the energy, infrastructure, and resources practice area. His core practice involves international arbitration, dispute resolution and advisory work in the areas of construction, energy, shipping, and international trade and commodities. He has advised and represented clients on a wide range of matters, including offshore oil and gas disputes, charterparty and cargo claims, commodities disputes, construction claims, complex commercial arbitrations, and offshore-related service contracts. He is also an Accredited Specialist in Maritime and Shipping Law by the Singapore Academy of Law.
Keith Whitchurch, BE(Hons), MEngSci, FAusIMM, CP(Min), RPEQ, PERHAPI, CPI, IPU., ASEAN Eng., APEC Eng. President Director at SMG Consultants CAREER OVERVIEW
Keith holds a comprehensive set of qualifications, including a BE (Hons), MEngSci, affirming his excellence in the field.
As a Competent Person (Mining) and RPEQ, Keith's credentials extend to Registered Professional Engineer in Queensland, underlining his commitment to professional standards.
He is a distinguished FAusIMM, reflecting his active involvement in the industry's professional community.
Internationally, Keith's affiliations include PERHAPI (Perhimpunan Ahli Pertambangan Indonesia) and CPI (Competent Person Indonesia), illustrating his standing as a recognized professional in Indonesia. His groundbreaking achievements are further highlighted by his status as the first foreigner registered as a Professional Engineer Indonesia (PII) and the attainment of the Executive Professional Engineer (IPU) Certificate. On a broader scale, Keith's recognition extends to the ASEAN Engineering Register (AER) and APEC Engineers Registered (ER), showcasing his standing as a qualified and reputable professional within the ASEAN and APEC regions. Keith boasts an illustrious career in open-cut and underground mining, spanning almost four (4) decades, marked by a continuous and profound engagement in mining innovation and mathematical techniques for modelling and optimization. Specializing in mine transformation, he excels in geological modelling, reserves evaluation, pit optimization, mine design, equipment selection, scheduling, backfill design, and project costing. Keith holds a pre-JORC code Master's degree in Geostatistics and Resource Classification, showcasing his early dedication to academic excellence. As an avid early adopter of cutting-edge technology, his groundbreaking contributions include the presentation of the first peer-reviewed paper on artificial intelligence in mining at APCOM in 1996. Since 1985, Keith has played a pivotal role in global Resource and Reserve estimation across diverse commodities. Over the past 30 years, he authored reports underpinning transactions exceeding USD 15 billion, demonstrating his significant impact. Serving as an expert witness on three continents underscores his credibility.
Dr. Lars Schernikau – With over two decades immersed in the energy andcommodity industries, his journey began at The Boston Consulting Group(USA and Germany) from 1997 to 2003, shaping his deep understanding ofglobal markets. He also managed a Germany based wind farm from 2003 to 2006.
As a co-founder, shareholder, and former board member of the supervisory board at both HMS Bergbau AG (www.hms-ag.com) and IchorCoal NV –German-based, publicly listed, international commodity marketing and mining companies – His experience spans across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. He founded, steered, and advised enterprises across the global raw material sector, leaving a lasting imprint.
Lars now directs his expertise towards further enhancing HMS’ global commodity operations and driving energy and commodity marketing across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Indian subcontinent. HMS has been a key player in coal, fuel, ore, and cementitious product markets since 1995 and develops and operates various logistics and mining assets.
Lars is a renowned energy economist and keynote speaker at global energyand commodity forums globally. His counsel on macro and energy economics extends to governments, banks, educational institutions, and conglomerates, shaping energy policies. With published books, scientific research, and press articles on energy policy and raw materials, his insights are held in high esteem.
His latest book, “The Unpopular Truth… about Electricity and the Future of Energy,” available in 7 languages in your favorite bookstores discusses the “energy transition” and how to meet global growing energy demand from an energy economic point of view.
Learn more here – www.unpopular-truth.com
Lars studied Finance at New York University, received his MBA from INSEAD in France, and earned his doctoral degree in energy economics at the Technical University Berlin, Germany. He currently resides in Switzerland and Singapore.