BIR World Recycling Convention (Round-Table Sessions) in Amsterdam (23 - 25 October 2016)

Non-Ferrous Metals Division:

Focus on global copper and aluminium market

After its successful meeting in Berlin, the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division under the presidency of David Chiao of Uni-All Group (USA) will continue to offer an engaging format for their plenary session in Amsterdam, which will take place on Monday, 24 October 2016 at 14.00 at the Okura Hotel.

A panel of three guest speakers will be discussing the global copper and aluminum market trends after short individual guest presentations by each speaker.

• Christian Schirmeister has been a senior member of the Client Liaison team of Amalgamated Metal Trading (UK) since the beginning of May 2016. AMT is a leading LME broker with a client base which is active in all aspects of the metal business and in many countries of the world. AMT provides market-making and brokerage services to the metal industry from its head office in London and through its Representative Office in Shanghai. AMT is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amalgamated Metal Corporation PLC (AMC), a worldwide supplier of raw materials and intermediate products, with a focus on non-ferrous metals, steel and construction materials for a broad range of applications.

Mr Schirmeister started his professional career in 1979 as an apprentice at Metallgesellschaft AG in Frankfurt, Main (Germany). After years in Cologne and London he joined the Copper Department in Frankfurt and was finally appointed one of the four members of the All Commodities Managing Team. In 1992, he moved to London, spent 2 years trading physical metals before becoming part of the brokerage business team of Metallgesellschaft Ltd. As Head of Client Liaison worldwide he experienced the company’s transition into MG plc, Enron Metals, Sempra Metals, RBS Sempra and finally J.P. Morgan from where he left as an Executive Director. Prior to joining AMT, Mr Schirmeister also acted as a senior consultant to the London Metal Exchange. He has been active in various international advisory bodies, associations, held numerous directorships and since 2008 has been the current Chairman of the LME Copper Committee.

The title of Mr Schirmeister’s presentation will be: “Trading at the London Metal Exchange (LME)”

• Holger Ellmann is a founding partner of Argentum Metal Management (DEU), established in 2014, offering a range of services (best practice metal procurement, supply chain management etc.) for industrial clients and trading companies across a variety of sectors within the global metals and recycling industries. Mr Ellmann looks back at a 30-year career in the international aluminium and metals industries, with positions such as senior trader at Preussag AG, various managerial trading and industrial roles at MRI and Alaska Metals, CEO of Scholz Aluminium as well as a Member of the Board of Directors of Scholz, Commercial Director (Europe) at Aleris Recycling, Board Member and Shareholder at Trimet AG (1993-2003), Germany’s largest private aluminium producer. He is also a long-serving member of the LME Aluminium Committee and was elected President of the German Aluminium Recyclers and Remelters Association (VAR).

Mr Ellmann will speak on "Aluminium Outlook - Rosy future driven by strong fundamentals or continuation of an oversupplied global market ?".

• Mark Lewon of Utah Metal Works (USA) is among the 4th generation of his family to work in the scrap metal industry. In the summers between high school years, and also college years, he worked for his family’s business, Utah Metal Works, in Salt Lake City, learning to sort metal. After graduating from Northwestern University, Mr Lewon took the position of non-ferrous metal buyer at LMC Corporation, which was bought by Sims while he was working there. After two years, Mr Lewon rejoined the family business in Salt Lake City. Today, he is the President of Utah Metal Works, and national Chair of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the US trade association of the scrap recycling industry.

During the divisional plenary meeting, Mr Lewon will give his views on copper and aluminium supply and demand.

The subsequent panel discussion will be moderated by Jurgen van Gorp of Metallo-Chimique NV (BEL).  The plenary meeting will also feature an overview of the international recycling markets presented by Alexandra Weibel-Natan of Manco (FRA).