Rory Macdonald is Product Development Manager for Freight Investor Services (FIS), based in London. Prior to that he was Director, eMetals for Platts, based in Singapore. He started his career as an Iron Ore Analyst at The Steel Index (TSI), based in London, before moving to Shanghai as Head of Iron Ore Operations. Between TSI and Platts, he spent three years with FIS in Singapore as a commodity derivative broker.

Martin Haller is Director of Haller Metals Economics a boutique consultancy specialising on the aluminium industry from bauxite to semi-fabricated products. Prior to that Martin spent 25 years in the industry, in research, consulting and banking. He started his career at CRU looking at aluminium semis and end-use markets. Later he moved to the brokerage side of Dresdner Kleinwort where he was manager of metals and mining equity research. He later worked in Billiton with the M&A team. Subsequently he spent 11 years at Brook Hunt/ Wood Mackenzie in research, strategy and modelling of aluminium assets.

Neil Banks worked for 14 years working for LME metals trading firms as head of the operational, compliance and finance functions. After he joined in 1989 as Director of Finance / Company Secretary and later as Director of Compliance. In 1999 he was appointed as Director of Operations with responsibility for all aspects of global physical delivery system and the trading floor. In January 2004 Neil was appointed as the first Director of Strategy and later as Director of Exchange Development. While at the LME, Neil was responsible for several strategic developments, including the concept, design and implementation of the exchange’s SWORD electronic warrant transfer system and the successful TAPOs and NASAAC contracts as well as the extension of prompt dates. He was also responsible for the feasibility, development and implementation of the LME’s plastics contracts and the initial feasibility study and design work on the steel contracts. Since his retirement in September 2007 Neil has worked on developing and delivering educational seminars and undertakes various technical consultancy roles. Neil Banks is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Ian Henry has over 30 years experience in automotive market analysis and research and specialises in European automotive production forecasting and supply chain analysis. His clients include BMW, Ford, GM, Lotus, Porsche, Tofas (Fiat), Toyota as well as Aisin, Autoliv, Denso, Faurecia, JCI, TRW, Valeo, Visteon.

Wolfgang Rohroff started his career as a management trainee with OEMs General Motors, Ford and the automotive supplier BOSCH. In 1970 he joined Volkswagen AG and worked within procurement positions abroad in South Africa, Yugoslavia, Austria, Nigeria, Czech Republic,Peoples Republic of China, and the Slovak Republic. In 1996 Mr Rohroff was appointed group executive. From 2000 to 2005 he initiated and managed various. In 2013 he was appointed as Chief Advisor for an international OEM located in China as well as an automotive advisor to the "National Agency for Technical Development" of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

David Howes has spent over 35 years in the domestic and international Steel Trading business. Following a recent spell with Trade Finance Partners [TFP], opening up opportunities for transactional trade finance in the steel space, he is currently consulting and lecturing on steel processes and international trade markets, whilst looking for new challenges in the steel sector. Prior to that he spent 20 years as Senior Steel Trader for Stemcor focused on bottom-line profits by building and developing long-term trading relationships with suppliers and customers. He has traded steel globally and has a long career in looking at opportunities in Africa. David is fully versed in all aspects of global trading activities including: supplier/customer negotiation, finance, shipping, logistics and documentation procedures. He is well versed in regional customs and business practices, negotiations of trades, clean execution and follow-up and has an extensive knowledge of steel-making processes and steel products. He is also a fluent French speaker.