tradelab Learn more about trading today 2015 AGENDA COMMODITY TRADING WORKSHOPS physical commodity trading, shipping, trade finance and all related domains
tradelab Learn more about trading today A SERIES OF TRAINING WORKSHOPS DESIGNED FOR COMMODITY trading PROFESSIONALS Trade Lab is a series of practical training workshops about Commodity Trading, Trade Finance and Shipping, proposed by Ampersand World. We selected the best speakers among all the experts who make the Commodity Trading World, with one objective: providing valuable trainings to trading professionals, made by people from the field. Trade Lab workshops are known for being operational and concrete; the subjects we decided to treat are selected to bring expertise to professionals with a different level of knowledge, from beginners to experts. The courses Our workshops are designed to provide a very precise and from the field overview of the different professions composing the exciting world of commodity trading. From front office to operations, risk management, shipping and trade finance, each domain has its specific workshop. WE OFFER A various choice of themes Participants coming from various companies Practical and operational workshops Senior Speakers with high expertise The right answer for individual training needs
28 th jan, 2 nd, 4 th FEB 2015 from 6.15pm to 9.15PM RISK MODULE How to cover yourself to keep Risks as Opportunities in the fast moving world of Commodity Trading Speaker: Christian THURY Christian Thury has over 15 years of financial experience, including more than 8 years in the domain of credit insurance. Christian s finance career began in 1995, when he was employed by the finance section of Mercedes-Benz. Over the years he has held the position of Director for the French part of Switzerland until halfway through 2007. During the last 7 years, Christian was at the head of the Agency for Euler Hermes company. A company excelling at being the worldwide leader in credit insurance. Throughout his career, Christian has been able to take advantage from his significant experience. His abilities were highly enriched through the ability to handle credit insurance negotiations for multinational businesses and the development leverage businesses. Christian is currently working for AXA insurances. He is now an important role in the company where he is in charge of developing the international business area. Risk management is a daily task in a company, and is often considered as an opportunity in Commodity Trading. The key to success does not lie in managing the revenue anymore, but in the best possible protection of the company s money, reputation and endurance over long periods of time. A so-called good risk can quickly become the source of other problems. In this module adapted to Commodity Trading, we will show how to cover yourself from the most dangerous risks, how to identify and prevent the others, and we will provide a detailed focus on geopolitcal risks, studying how to turn risks into business opportunities area by area.
17 th, 19 th, 24 th, 26 th, FEBRuary 2015 from 6.15pm to 9.15PM TRADE FINANCE MODULE A global approach to the most famous products/services offered by key players in Trade Finance Speaker: Simone WIRZ Simone Wirz is an independent consultant with 10 years of banking experience in Commodity Trade Finance. She was Member of the Management with Credit Suisse and BNP Paribas in Geneva as well as with ABN Amro in New York. Simone held responsibilities in various positions in Commodity Trade Finance, such as Documentary Credits, Relationship Management of commodity traders, Relationship Management of correspondent banks (Banking Relations), Credit Risk Management and Syndications of Commodity Trade Finance risks. She is a regular speaker at banking conferences and seminars. Simone holds a Masters of Arts in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva (2003) as well as a Certificate in Credit Risk Analysis from the New York Institute of Finance (2012). Furthermore, she holds a Degree in Pedagogy from the Institute of Pedagogy of Berne Canton (1998). Our Trade Finance training session will focus on the following points: - Introduction and historic background - General questions on the international trade transactions - Financing types of international trade - Payment instruments used in trade transactions - Institutions playing a role in trade transactions - Roles and connections of Trade Finance departments in banks - Legal frameworks and rules
3 rd, 5 th, 10 th, 12 th MARCH 2015 from 6.15pm to 9.15PM SHIPPING MODULE Welcome to the world of Ocean Freight! Speaker: David ALACID David Alacid is a senior shipping operations manager with 25 years of commercial and operational management practice covering all aspects of the dry cargo and tanker markets from finance and commodity trade execution, to chartering, ship owning and vessel operations. His previous responsibilities included logistics, chartering, management of vessel operations and procurement teams as well as continuous process improvement & shipping system implementation at Cargill Geneva. David held different international leadership positions within the Cargill Group. He worked in Geneva and Singapore as Vessel Operations manager and in Eastern Europe to lead the development of new shipping operations offices. In 2009 he obtained a Certificate from the School of Business, University of George Washington in Project Management. After leaving Cargill, David joined DH Minerals Ltd. (Hanson group), a commodity trading and investment company, responsible for operations, logistics and shipping. David currently takes ICS examination to become a member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and also enjoys engaging in regatta sailing the Oslo fjord, participating in team cups in the summer. Our shipping training session will focus on the following points: - Shipping in global commodity trading - Ships types - Cargoes, trade routes & freight markets - Bills of lading - Dry Cargo Chartering Contracts - Important Financial Elements in Charterparties - Voyage calculation (profit and loss)
17 th, 19 th, 24 th, 26 th MARCH 2015 from 6.15pm to 9.15PM OPERATIONS MODULE The journey from contract to payment Speaker: Eric GROLIMUND Worked 10 years with SGS, the leading commodity inspection company, in inspection and commercial positions in Switzerland and South Korea. Also worked in Houston, U.S.A. as a field inspector on shore and on ships in the Energy Product. Worked 23 years with Cargill, a major multinational in the Agricultural, Sugar and Ethanol Business Units, as head of operations and contracts manager. He developed an audit program for Sustainability issues relating to the Sugar Cane producers. Held another position as Head of Operations for a Trading Company dealing with Ethanol, Biodiesel and Diesel Oil, in charge of monitoring operations and establishing contract terms and procedures. Worked over a year for a procurement company, supplying various raw materials (sugar, soya beans, wheat, and rapeseed) to their industrial counterparts in Bangladesh, as Head of Operations. Was elected as an Arbitrator at the Sugar Association of London. sessions are kept relevant and that candidates progress, our training sessions also cover more in-depth aspects of trading to give attendees the richest possible Our operational training session will focus on the following points: - Trading history and macro-economics: Understanding the context of the Trading Industry - Contract: Ensure proper protection from the outset - Insurance: Get the right cover for your specific transaction - Inspection: Independent eyes and ears to check your cargo - Storage: Is your cargo in the right hands? - Transport and shipping: The physical movement of your contract - Trade Finance: The key to a secure and profitable performance - Payment instruments: Did you choose the appropriate payment method for your transaction? - Shipping documents: There are procedures and technicalities for each one, do you know them all? - Dispute resolutions: Just like a marriage, you never think a contract can go wrong - Execution risks: The Road to Hell, if you are not careful
14 th, 16 th, 21 st APRIL 2015 from 6.15pm to 9.15PM TRADE LIFE CYCLE Discover all the professions composing the exciting world of Commodity Trading! A great overview of trading companies Speaker: Massimo GUIDI Massimo holds MSc in Commercial and Industrial Science, option Business Management and Finance, from the Geneva University. He has more than 19 years of professional experience, including 17 years in the International Trading Sector. He worked mainly for Koch Supply and Trading, Cargill International SA and Fosdyke. Massimo covered various positions and started as Trade accountant and Credit Analyst within Cargill. He occupied also an Accounting Manager position within Fosdyke, before getting back to Cargill to take over the role of International Credit Manager for the Energy Business Units (Petroleum Coal and Power) and for the Ocean Transportations Business Unit. In 2007 Massimo joined Koch Supply and Trading, and occupied till 2013 the role of Finance and Administrative Director. Massimo has significant experience in the implementation and development of various trade support departments and structures in Switzerland and abroad. Since October 2013 Massimo launched his own business as Co-Founder of G&G Trade Support, which main goal is to provide Consulting and Support services for Middle and Back Office functions for Trading Companies. The aim of this course is to explain the functioning of a trading company through the transaction life cycle of a trade. We will respond to the following questions: - What happens Behind the scene - Who is Behind the scene We will split the Life Cycle Course in 4 phases 1.Pre-trade : What needs to be done before signing a contract? 2.Trade is signed : Who steps in now? 3.Trade execution : Who executes the trade? 4.Trade Settlement : What are the remaining steps? In explaining how each department of the front, middle and back office is intervening at each phase of the process and their interaction between each other.
23 th, 28 th, 30 th APRIL 2015 from 6.15pm to 9.15PM FRONT OFFICE energy trading discover how traders supply worldwide demand Speaker: John KEANE John Keane has over 25 years general trading experience, including 10 years in top-level management. John s career trajectory has included positions in Shipping, Trading Operations and Trade Finance, in the field of oil products trading. John s trading career began in earnest in 1985 as a Traffic Controller at Tradax. Over the years he has held positions as a trader, Vice President Trade Finance Officer and Managing Director for international trading company such as Vitol, Sahara Energy, Sempra Oil and Mercuria Energy. Throughout his career, John has been able to draw on his banking experience to handle key finance negotiations and leverage business development. Key to John s success are vertical career moves, i.e. to similar, yet more senior positions. This has enabled John to enjoy a linear trajectory; the various positions held and skills required all complement each other and can be harnessed time and time again. Over time, John deepened his knowledge in three core fields: banking, trading and West African petroleum products. Our commercial training session will focus on the following points: - Introduction to the global oil market : origin of oil and its derivatives, historical uses (bitumen) - the role of oil as an energy - Market - wealth for companies in exploration, exploitation and marketing crude oil, necessary but a limited commodity (known as black gold) - Main Trading Market: world needs origins of crude oil - Upstream - Downsteam - Refineries - Stocks - Market players: Majors traders - oil product specifications - shipping companies - Strategy defining supply and demand - determining product according to optimal conditions and regional/global specifications shipping issues identifying key market players and applicable pricing structures - Commercial steps: introducing and registering a company to market players - financial information assessment for potential clients - respecting the KYC principle collecting economic data to understand transaction opportunity and possibility negotiating lead terms and risk hedging closing transactions - Strategies for defining, measuring and managing commercial, financial and operational risk from contract negotiation to payment
19 th, 21 th, 28 th MAY 2015 from 6.15pm to 9.15PM RISK MODULE How to identify, assess and prioritize risks and act to limit them at best. Speaker: Massimo GUIDI Massimo holds MSc in Commercial and Industrial Science, option Business Management and Finance, from the Geneva University. He has more than 19 years of professional experience, including 17 years in the International Trading Sector. He worked mainly for Koch Supply and Trading, Cargill International SA and Fosdyke. Massimo covered various positions and started as Trade accountant and Credit Analyst within Cargill. He occupied also an Accounting Manager position within Fosdyke, before getting back to Cargill to take over the role of International Credit Manager for the Energy Business Units (Petroleum Coal and Power) and for the Ocean Transportations Business Unit. In 2007 Massimo joined Koch Supply and Trading, and occupied till 2013 the role of Finance and Administrative Director. Massimo has significant experience in the implementation and development of various trade support departments and structures in Switzerland and abroad. Since October 2013 Massimo launched his own business as Co-Founder of G&G Trade Support, which main goal is to provide Consulting and Support services for Middle and Back Office functions for Trading Companies. Our Risk module will focus on how to identify, assess and prioritize risks and select appropriate control or counter measures to limit each risk. Trading companies are faced everyday with various risks, which can lead to catastrophic events if not understood, monitored, measured and controlled properly. Due to the wide scope and complexity of this topic, we will provide you with a practical and realistic overview of those risks. We will identify, and categorize them in 3 main groups: - Credit Risk - Market Risk - Operational Risks The Module will cover the following: - Define Risk - Categorize risks in todays trading environment - How are those risks identified - What kind of controls and measures can be implemented to minimize those risks
tradelab Learn more about trading today Follow our group Trade Lab Training in Commodity Trading For further information, please contact Trade Lab Team Ampersand World SA Rue de Lausanne 36 1201 Geneva