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Francois-Xavier Saint Macary
It can’t be easy hauling a whole commodities division overseas, but SG CIB veteran Francois-Xavier Saint Macary has big ambitions. By Oliver Holtaway
Checking outside the box
Companies often use checklists to evaluate their IT buying requirements. But these rarely address what the firm actually needs. Brett Humphreys discusses how over-reliance on checklists may lead to poor software buying decisions
Making a connection
Addressing both sophisticated multi-asset trading and physical asset optimisation – while complying with stringent new regulation – are challenges few software firms claim to have the entire solution to. Oliver Holtaway reports
Swiss Re to launch emissions desk
Global reinsurance firm Swiss Re will set up an emissions desk in within a month, says Chris Walker, New York-based managing director of the greenhouse gas risk solutions team at the company.
GFI launches oil and gas broking in London
Inter-dealer broker GFI has opened a London desk to broke crude and gas oil derivatives, including options, the company announced yesterday.
Evolution to open Calgary office in July
Energy broker Evolution Markets will open an office in Calgary, the centre of the Canadian energy-trading markets, in early July.
Nord Pool names new head of financial markets, launches new contract
Oslo-based electricity exchange Nord Pool has made two new appointments and is about to launch a new contract for hedging the power price difference between the German and Nordic power markets.
New carbon brokerage targets non-power-sector SMEs
Three senior players in the European emissions trading market have launched Carbon Capital Markets, a broker-dealer service that targets small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) outside the power sector.
Sharon Brown-Hruska
The CFTC’s Sharon Brown-Hruska believes in minimal market interference, even, as she tells Joe Marsh , when it comes to hedge funds
Getting it together
The US Committee of Chief Risk Officers is proposing an energy data hub to improve price transparency in the natural gas market, but index publisher Platts is concerned over some aspects of the initiative. Joe Marsh reports
UBS expands energy group and starts trading oil in Canada
UBS Commodities Canada moved into larger Calgary offices in May to accommodate its expanding energy-trading team, including a shift into crude oil. The firm, part of investment bank UBS, has hired its first crude oil trader, its first options trader and…
ABN Amro expands commodity-trading team, opens Singapore office
Dutch bank ABN Amro has made several commodity trading and marketing hires in London and New York, and opened an office in Singapore.
TFS continues expansion with Arc Oil purchase
Connecticut-based broker TFS is in fierce expansion mode: yesterday it announced its purchase of oil broker Arc Oil, an oil broker headquartered in Houston. This follows TFS’s recent opening of a Houston office and re-entering US coal and emissions…
All bases covered
In 1997, Norwegian energy firm Statoil implemented an enterprise-wide risk management system with the help of Goldman Sachs. Eight years on, few energy companies can rival its approach. Joe Marsh discovers why
Icap-Hyde hires Toyne to head tanker FFA broking
Icap-Hyde, a London-based joint forward freight and shipping derivatives-broking venture between broker Icap and shipping broker JE Hyde, has added to its team. Simon Toyne has joined as director of tanker forward freight agreements (FFAs), responsible…
Nord Pool hires ex-Natsource brokers, eyes power spread contract
Nordic power exchange Nord Pool has hired brokers from the Oslo office of energy broker Natsource, which would fit with rumours that Natsource is closing its Scandinavian business. Natsource president Jack Cogen declined to comment.
Germany’s closed shop
Despite six years of liberalisation, Germany’s gas market is still virtually closed to outside competition. Writing from Germany, Stella Farrington looks at whether new regulation is finally about to bring change
Hanging on at the top
This year’s User Choice Awards demonstrate that quality counts. In a fast-changing market, the top vendors and packages have managed to stay ahead of the pack. But the winners cannot rest easy. With IT budgets deflated, it’s a competitive market, and…
Greenpeace protesters storm IPE
Open-outcry trade in Brent and gas oil futures at London’s International Petroleum Exchange was halted for over an hour on Wednesday afternoon after 50 to 60 protesters from environmental group Greenpeace stormed the building.
New heads for RWE Trading and RWE Power
Brian Count will leave his post as chief executive of RWE Trading, the trading arm of German utility RWE, as of July 1, when he will be replaced by Peter Terium, head of RWE group controlling. And Jan Zilius is expected to take over as chief executive of…
Evolution expands gas and power desk
US broker Evolution Markets has hired two brokers for the North American natural gas and power desk it launched in October. Corey Geraghty and Trenton Davis now broker gas and electricity options from the company headquarters in White Plains, New York.
Caught short
Given the difficulty China Aviation Oil is having closing its remaining illiquid positions, its derivative trading losses may be greater than first thought. James Ockenden and Stella Farrington report