Philip K. Bell

Philip K. Bell is president of the Steel Manufacturers Association, the largest steel industry association in North America when it comes to the number, capacity, production, investment, workforce and economic impact of its members. 

Phil previously served as director of external communications and public affairs for Gerdau Long Steel North America. He has held executive-level positions with the SGL Carbon Group and Qualitech Steel Corp. 

He is a member of the International Trade Advisory Committee on Steel (ITAC 12), the National Association of Manufacturing (NAM) Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA) and the Association of Iron & Steel Technology. 

Phil has a master’s degree in global strategic communications from the University of Florida.

Kevin Dempsey

Kevin Dempsey is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Iron and Steel Institute, a leading advocacy group representing electric arc furnace and integrated American steel producers. He previously served as senior vice president of public policy and general counsel to the Institute during which AISI achieved landmark policy successes on trade, tax and infrastructure, and successfully showcased the steel industry’s sustainability accomplishments and steel innovations in the auto and construction markets.

Mr Dempsey received his Juris Doctor Degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Washington University in St. Louis.

Rick Marabito

Mr. Marabito is responsible for providing the vision and strategic leadership for the organization by working with the board of directors and the executive management team to establish goals, strategies and policies. Mr. Marabito is also the primary interface between Olympic Steel and its shareholders, investors and the public.

Mr. Marabito joined Olympic in 1994 as Corporate Controller and served as Chief Financial Officer from March 2000 through 2018. He also served as Treasurer from 1994 through 2002 and again from 2010 through 2012. Prior to joining Olympic Steel, he served as Corporate Controller for a publicly traded wholesale distribution compa-ny and was employed in the audit department of a national accounting firm.

Mr. Marabito received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting in 1985 from the University of Mount Union. He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in the state of Ohio. He also completed the MSCI executive education pro-gram at Washington University.

Mr. Marabito is Chairman of the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI). He served as a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana chapter from 2006 until 2018 and also served as the Chair of its Northeast Ohio Regional Board. He also served for 10 years on the Board of Trustees and was the Treasurer for Hawken School in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Marabito was a board member and Audit Committee Chairman for Hawk Corporation (ASE: HWK) from 2008 until Hawk was sold in November 2010.

Rick and his wife Polly reside in Gates Mills, Ohio. They have two adult children. State CodeOH

Karla Lewis

Karla Lewis started her career as a certified public accountant with Ernst & Young (Ernst & Whinney). In 1992, Ms. Lewis left EY to join Reliance as the company’s first Controller. She was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 1999. In 2017, Ms. Lewis further undertook operational responsibility of a number of Reliance subsidiaries and in January 2021, she was promoted to President and appointed a member of the Reliance Board of Directors. Ms. Lewis was named CEO & President of Reliance effective January 1, 2023. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Metals Service Center Institute since 2009 and has served on the Board of Directors of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. since 2021. Ms. Lewis earned a BS degree in Business from The Ohio State University.

Lourenco Goncalves

Lourenco Goncalves has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs since August 2014. He designed and led the company through a major strategic initiative transforming Cleveland-Cliffs into a leading player in the U.S. steel industry, starting with a complete financial turnaround, followed by growth initiatives in the metallics market and the entry into the steel business. In 2017, Cliffs started the construction in Toledo, Ohio of the world’s most modern Direct Reduction plant, which started operations in November 2020. Mr. Goncalves led the acquisition of AK Steel in March 2020, followed by the acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA in December 2020. With these two major acquisitions, Cleveland-Cliffs is now the largest flat-rolled steel company and the largest iron ore pellet producer in the United States and in North America, holding an industry-leading market position in automotive steel. With the Toledo plant, Cleveland-Cliffs became the sole producer in the Great Lakes region of hot briquetted iron (HBI), an environmentally friendly metallic feedstock designed to reduce GHG emissions.

Prior to Cleveland-Cliffs, Mr. Goncalves served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Metals USA Holdings Corp., a leading American manufacturer and processor of steel and other metals, for over 10 years. Prior to Metals USA, Mr. Goncalves served as President and Chief Executive Officer of California Steel Industries, Inc. for 5 years. Prior to that, he was employed by Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), a major steel and mining company in Brazil, where he held several positions in operations and sales. From October 2011 to April 2014, Mr. Goncalves was a board member of Ascometal SAS, a manufacturer of special steel headquartered in Paris, France.

Mr. Goncalves serves on the Board and is Vice-Chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute. Mr. Goncalves is a Distinguished Member and Fellow of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST). He received AIST's “Steelmaker of the Year” Award for the year 2021. Also in 2021, S&P Global Platts presented Mr. Goncalves with the “CEO/Chairperson of the Year” Global Metals Award, which honors a leader who is highly respected by both peers and competitors, admired and followed by employees, trusted by investors and welcomed by the community. Under Mr. Goncalves’ leadership, Cleveland-Cliffs was awarded by S&P Global Platts the top Global Metals Award as the “2021 Metals Company of the Year” and the “2021 Deal of the Year” Global Metals Award. Mr. Goncalves was also presented with the 2021 “Steel Advocate of the Year” Award, from Fastmarkets. In 2022, Mr. Goncalves was presented with the Willy Korf/Ken Iverson Steel Vision Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the steel industry while promoting goodwill and integrity.

Mr. Goncalves earned a Master of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and a Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Military Institute of Engineering in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Dr Anirban Basu

Soft landing?  Something harder?  Whither inflation?  This presentation will supply in-depth analysis of the major factors shaping economic outcomes, including central bank policymaking, worker attitudes, business confidence, and geopolitics.  It will then turn toward a forecast for the year to come, highlighting the major risks that economic stakeholders will likely encounter. Anirban Basu is Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., a Baltimore-based economic and policy consultancy he founded in 2004.  He serves the Chief Economist function for many organizations, including the Maryland Bankers Association and Associated Builders and Contractors.  The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.  In 2022, he entered the Daily Record newspaper’s Circle of Influence.  He is the Distinguished Economist in Residence at Goucher College, where he teaches History of Economic Thought.  He holds four graduate degrees, including a J.D. and a Ph.D.

Conrad Winkler

Conrad was appointed President of North Star BlueScope Steel in 2022. Prior to joining North Star, he was President and CEO of Evraz North America, a diversified steel company producing more than three million tons annually from operations in Western Canada and the United States. Conrad was a partner at Booz Allen and Hamilton, served as CEO for Ardagh Glass Packaging, North America, and founded a Covid-19 testing company, Shield T3. Conrad is an MIT-educated Mechanical engineer and served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submariner aboard fast attack submarines.   

Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller started his career in the scrap metal industry in 1978 at Luria Brothers in Cleveland, OH.  Over the last 40 plus years, he has worked in all capacities in the trading business.  He has had positions in both domestic and international scrap trading.  In addition to scrap, Miller was at the forefront of the pig iron trade and established a pig iron distribution company under the name of Ferrosource, Inc.  Most recently, Miller has concentrated on the scrap export market and regularly does consulting for several companies in the industry.  

Wade Elliott

Wade Elliott joined Port Tampa Bay in 2003 and has over 30 years of port business development, marketing and research experience working with clients across the globe, including exporters, importers, ocean carriers, terminal operators and cruise lines. He was previously Executive Director of the Halifax-Dartmouth Port Development Commission.   

Mr. Elliott is a graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he also worked as Research Associate conducting economic and policy research in the maritime sector.  He began his career working at sea aboard a variety of ships, including container, bulk, tanker, offshore supply and seismic survey vessels.  

He is the Chairman of the Tampa Foreign Trade Zone, and serves on the boards of the Tampa Port Ministries Seafarers’ Center and the Central–North Florida District Export Council.

Jeremy Flack

In 2010, Jeremy Flack founded Flack Global Metals (FGM) with the mission to reinvent how metal is bought and sold. Thirteen years later, FGM has evolved into a hybrid organization combining an innovative flat-rolled metals distributor, a financial services firm supported by the most sophisticated ferrous trading desk in the industry known as Flack Metal Bank (FMB), and an investment platform focused on steel-consuming OEMs called Flack Manufacturing Investments (FMI). As CEO, Jeremy has successfully created the first business platform to combine physical material distribution with financial futures, all with the goal of creating certainty for its customers as well as FGM itself.

Drew Lichter

Drew serves as VP of Strategy and Corporate Development at Mobius Risk Group, where he leads the Metals, Mining, and Environmental Products Practices. Drew joined Mobius from AK Steel, where he was responsible for the build out and leadership of AK’s financial hedging and risk management functions. In addition, Drew led multiple acquisitions and divestitures, financial oversight of subsidiaries and international operations, and served on the Boards of several metals processing and service center businesses. Prior to AKS, Drew spent 15 years as a commodities trader and executive, including leading both renewable power and carbon trading desks.

Michael Cowden

Michael Cowden is a senior editor for Steel Market Update (SMU). Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He has since 2014 specialized in flat-rolled steel but has previously reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube as well as aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago - where he was involved in launching AMM’s daily hot-rolled coil index, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Jerry Richardson

Jerry Richardson is the Executive Director of CSN LLC, the U.S. based subsidiary of Brazilian steel and mining conglomerate CSN. He is responsible for all domestic and import activities of CSN LLC, including financial, commercial and operational management of the company. In June 2018, he led the $475 million sale of CSN’s steel processing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana; a facility which CSN had bought in 2001 for $55 million. Through his guidance and leadership, the company grew from $250 million in revenue to over $900 million at its peak of commercial activity in 2018. He is currently the head of CSN Trading, a company specializing in the importation and distribution of steel products.

Over the last 30 years, Mr. Richardson has developed a command of the steel industry while working for international trading companies focused on metals including Duferco SA, Preussag International Steel Corp., Mannesmann Pipe & Steel and C. Itoh & Co. His broad experience with all types of carbon steel products and international trade gives him a unique view of the world market from a U.S. perspective and his finance background, commercial experience and affinity for operations gives him a unique skill set as a recognized leader in the industry.

Since 2008 he has served on the board of the American Metals Supply Chain Institute (formerly American Institute for International Steel) and has been a featured speaker and presenter for numerous industry events and conferences over the last 10 years. Jerry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1985. 

John Anton

- John Anton is a Director in the IHS Markit Pricing and Purchasing Service (now a part of S&P Global). Mr. Anton’s primary focus is as head of the ferrous metals team.

- He is a steel industry expert and regularly speaks at industry conferences and internal meetings, including at Fortune 1000 company supply chain annual planning sessions.

- Mr. Anton joined IHS Markit in 1995. Prior to that time, he was in the private practice of law. Before attending law school, Mr. Anton worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as an Economist/Statistician.

- He received a B.S. in economics from Florida State University and a J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary

Tony Barnes

Tony Barnes is a Principal for the Microsoft Cloud Solutions team at Crowe. His experience includes helping companies across the metals supply chain evaluate operational and information technology to support business transformation. In this role, he works with leaders across the firm to sell and deliver industry-specific technology, advisory, and accounting solutions to the metals industry.  

Alex Alcantara

Alex Alcantara has been with CME Group for over 5 years and is based in Chicago, IL. He manages the Industrial Metals Products business line covering the Americas.

Dr. Alan Beaulieu

With a reputation as an accurate, straightforward economist, Alan has been delivering award-winning workshops and economic analysis seminars in countries across the world to thousands of business owners and executives for the last 30 years.

He is co-author of Prosperity in the Age of Decline, a powerful look at how to make the most of the US and global trends over the next 20 years. Alan also coauthored Make Your Move, a practical and insightful guide on increasing profits through business cycle changes, and noted by one reviewer as “simple, yet awesome.”

As the result of his years of work with domestic and international associations, it has been remarked that Alan’s “insight into our business, a track record of accurate forecasting, and unparalleled knowledge of global markets has earned him the respect and appreciation of key business leaders in our industry.”

Pronouncements from ITR Economics™ and/or Alan have appeared in/on: the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Knight Ridder News Services, Business Week, Associated Press, The Washington Times, and numerous other outlets.

Timna Tanners

Timna Tanners is a managing director covering 20 equities in the Americas Metals and Mining sector in addition to forecasting relevant commodities at Wolfe Research, a premier equity research firm.  She is a regular speaker at steel industry conferenced and hosts frequent events for clients with corporates and industry experts. Her insights have been featured regularly on business media, such as CNBC and Bloomberg News, including the trademarked term Steelmageddon®.  Timna has been ranked #1 in Institutional Investor’s All America Poll for nine consecutive years. Prior to October 2021, Timna covered Metals and Mining and Bank of America Securities for over 10 years, and covered the sector for over eight years previously at UBS Investment Bank.

Ben Abrams

Ben Abrams is the President and CEO of Consolidated Scrap Resources, Inc (CSR).  CSR is based in Southcentral Pennsylvania and is a leading, regional full-service processor and supplier of ferrous, non-ferrous, paper and plastic scrap to domestic and foreign mills, foundries, and smelters.  CSR also provides a comprehensive range of scrap management and collection services to commercial and industrial businesses.  It operates six processing facilities with a shredder, shears, and balers in Pennsylvania, and ships scrap via trucks, containers, and railcars to consumers across the Eastern United States.  In his role as president and CEO of CSR, Ben oversees all aspects of the company's trading, operations, and business development.  He also currently serves as Chair of the Surface Transportation Board’s Rail Shippers Transportation Advisory Council.  He holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from Penn State's Dickinson School of Law, and an M.S. in Real Estate Finance from New York University.    

Josh Spoores

Josh Spoores joined CRU in 2012 as Principal Analyst and editor of CRU’s Steel Sheet Monitor and Steel Sheet Market Outlook. During that time, Mr Spoores forecast prices, demand, production and trade of sheet and plate products for both Canada and the US for CRU's Steel Sheet & Plate Market Outlooks. Today, he heads up steel analysis and forecasting for the wider Americas region. Prior to joining CRU, he was a Senior Marketing Analyst at Severstal North America, founder of Steel Reality, a forward-looking market analysis firm using a models-based approach for flat rolled and plate steel. He was also the Market Research Manager at Majestic Steel USA, one of the largest flat rolled service centres in the USA. He has a BSc in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University.

Scott Waletzko

Scott Waletzko is a Commodity Manager at John Deere where he leads strategic sourcing activity for steel in North America and Europe.  Scott’s team manages sheet, plate, bar, and tube flowing directly into Deere factories and into the metal fabrication supply base.  Scott has spent his 20+ year career at multiple Deere locations with experience in metal fabrication manufacturing engineering, operations, and several roles in supply chain. 

Joseph C. Pickard

As the Chief Economist and Director of Commodities at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Joe Pickard conducts research and analysis on the latest commodity and recycling market developments and the key economic role that recycling plays both in the United States and abroad. Mr Pickard regularly provides economic and market updates to ISRI members, policymakers, the press, and the public. Previously, he served as the economist for the International Copper Study Group and as a research analyst at Slayton & Associates. Mr Pickard holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Maryland.

Ira Kreft

Ira is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America Business Capital and National Metal Industries Executive. His office is in Chicago; and, he leads the metal industries effort in North America. In this capacity, he collaborates with Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s general industrial and metal industries middle market and large corporate investment banking coverage; metals and mining equity and debt research; commodity metals strategy and research; and commodities hedging. He serves as a Subject Matter Expert in Metals for Global Commercial Banking. He comes by the metal industries naturally as his father spent his career with U.S. Steel.  

Ira has been with Bank of America Merrill Lynch for over 25 years in leveraged cash flow and asset based lending, providing financing to mining operations, scrap metal recyclers, steel and aluminum mills, metal service centers, fabricated metal manufacturers, metal intensive end-product manufacturers and transportation and logistics companies serving the industry.  He regularly speaks at industry conferences, serves on the Affiliate Committee of the Metal Service Center Institute and is active in the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Association of Steel Distributors, North American Steel Alliance and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.  

Prior to his time in lending, Ira worked in the audit and consulting groups of PricewaterhouseCoopers. He received his B.S. in Accounting from Central Michigan University and M.B.A. from Michigan State University. He also holds Series 7, 24 and 63 securities registrations.

David Schollaert

David Schollaert is a senior analyst and editor for Steel Market Update (SMU). David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his experience and expertise is within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers.

Lynn Lupori

Gene Marks

A past columnist for both The New York Times and The Washington Post, Gene now writes regularly for The Hill, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Washington Times, and The Guardian.

Gene is a best-selling author and has written 5 books on business management, specifically geared towards small and medium sized companies. His most recent is Want More Cash? 100+ Ideas And Strategies For Increasing Your Company’s Cash Flow This Year.

Nationally, Gene appears regularly on Fox Business, MSNBC, as well as CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor and SiriusXM’s Wharton Business Channel where he talks about the financial, economic and technology issues that affect business leaders today.

Through his keynotes and breakout sessions, Gene helps business owners, executives and managers understand the political, economic and technological trends that will affect their companies and—most importantly—the actions they can take to continue to grow and profit. Gene owns and operates the Marks Group PC, a highly successful ten-person firm that provides technology and consulting services to small and medium sized businesses.

Prior to starting the Marks Group PC Gene, a Certified Public Accountant, spent nine years in the entrepreneurial services arm of the international consulting firm KPMG in Philadelphia where he was a Senior Manager.

Edward J. Lehner

Edward J. Lehner is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ryerson, a global industrial metals supplier and processor with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. Eddie began serving as Ryerson's CEO in June 2015 after having served as Ryerson's executive vice president and chief financial officer from July of 2012 thru May of 2015. Prior to joining Ryerson, Eddie served as the chief financial officer of PSC Metals, Inc., a diversified metals company, and before that, as the chief financial officer of SeverCorr, LLC., a primary steel manufacturing company headquartered in the southern United States. Eddie's career also includes senior general management, operational, financial, accounting, tax and consulting roles for Nucor, Birmingham Steel, Inc., Laurel Steel and Deloitte & Touche. Eddie has served as Board Chairman of the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI), Board of Directors of Modumetal Inc., and The Mississippi State Workforce Development Board.

Kenneth E. Jaycox

Kenneth E. Jaycox joined U. S. Steel in September 2020.  In his current role, Mr. Jaycox leads U. S. Steel's commercial functions and is responsible for customer value creation in the areas of sales, commercial support and marketing. Prior to joining U. S. Steel, Mr. Jaycox advanced through increasingly responsible roles with Sysco Corporation, International Traders Inc./First American Carries, Compass Group North America and The Coca-Cola Company. Mr. Jaycox is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and holds a bachelor's degree from Saint Louis University in St. Louis.

Rishie Kumar

Rishie is an Executive Director with JPMorgan based in New York, and has responsibility for the bank’s North American corporate metals franchise.   During his 13-year tenure with JPMorgan he has helped structure and execute commodity hedges and financing arrangements for hundreds of corporate clients—working with the C-suite, treasury, and procurement professionals.  Rishie has specifically spent considerable time within the ferrous space and has been instrumental in the growth of steel-related derivatives market—namely hot rolled coil, iron ore, and scrap.  Prior to JPMorgan, Rishie traded equities with Roberts & Ryan Investment, and prior to this he earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance at Carnegie Mellon University.  Rishie is originally from California and enjoys spending time with his growing family, surfing, and golfing.

Lewis Leibowitz

Lewis Leibowitz practices international trade and Customs law in Washington, D.C. He has more than 40 years’ experience in handling international trade legal and policy matters involving US and international issues. He advises foreign and domestic companies on trade opportunities and challenges in the United States and around the world. He speaks frequently on international trade legal and policy issues and writes a weekly column on international trade legal and policy issues.

Lewis handles trade issues involving the steel and automotive industries, textiles, energy, technology and many other areas of business. He provides strategic advice on presidential and congressional issues involving trade, as well as U.S. and international administrative and judicial proceedings. 

He is a past Chairman and Board Member of the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones (NAFTZ) and assisted in the creation of the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO), a global organization of Customs free zones, special economic zones and related trade and investment ideas. He focuses on foreign trade zone matters that raise important trade policy and investment issues. 

A well-known champion of “consuming industries,” he has worked to guide coalitions aimed at reducing trade barriers, whether imposed by government action.

Rocky Christenberry

Priefert Manufacturing is headquartered in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and is one of the largest farm, ranch, and rodeo equipment manufacturers in the world. Vice President, Rocky Christenberry, has over 40 years’ experience in the Manufacturing industry. The experience has led to an extensive knowledge base in steel processing equipment. He is the primary lead in the planning and purchasing as well as implementation of all equipment and buildings for the growth of the company.

Outside of work, Rocky is an avid runner. He has run eleven marathons in the last four years and continues to train. He also enjoys working with intricate parts, spending time with his wife, Shari, his kids and grandkids.

Becca Moczygemba

Becca Moczygemba is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has been in the steel industry since 2017, specializing in flat-rolled products, and is a member of the AWMI Texas Chapter. Prior to joining SMU, she held positions at Mitsui & Co. and Kloeckner Metals. Becca has a BA in Organizational/Corporate Communication from the University of Houston and an MBA from Norwich University.

Jeffrey Moskaluk

Jeff Moskaluk is senior vice president and chief commercial officer of SSAB Americas, the most sustainable steel plate producer in North America. SSAB operates two steel mills in Montpelier, IA and Mobile, AL, and three cut-to-length facilities in Houston, TX; St. Paul, MN; and Toronto, ON.   During his 33 years at SSAB, Jeff has held various positions, with increasing responsibility, in both Commercial and Operations.   Jeff's current responsibilities include oversight of SSAB Americas’ commercial activities, business unit teams, trade, and operations planning and scheduling.     Jeff is located at SSAB Americas’ corporate office in Mobile, AL.

William Van Meerbeke

Bill Van Meerbeke is a Director on Fitch's Metals & Mining team and leads Fitch's North American Steel coverage. His coverage as primary analyst includes Nucor, Steel Dynamics, Commercial Metals, U. S. Steel, Cleveland-Cliffs and metals service centers Reliance and Ryerson. His responsibilities include corporate credit analysis and research within the Metals & Mining sector. Bill earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a CFA charterholder.

Blake Jones

Blake Jones is an Account Executive on the Commercial Team at Felux, the managed marketplace built for the steel industry. Blake joined the steel industry and the Felux team in July 2020. He is responsible for growing manufacturer relationships and driving efficient supply chain solutions.

Blake started his career in software sales where he worked with Fortune 500 corporations helping them understand the user experience of their digital solutions. He learned the importance of strong relationships and building trust with new contacts. He’s carried this learning into the steel industry.

Blake has a passion for mentoring and helping young sales professionals develop. He Co-Founded The Denver Revenue Collective group, an organization focused on providing a collaborative community for go-to-market teams.

Blake graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2015.

Grant Bordine

Grant Bordine is Co-Founder and Director of Commercial at Felux, the managed marketplace built for the steel industry. Grant has been building Felux since their inception in May 2019. He is responsible for managing the commercial sales team and growing relationships with suppliers and buyers of steel.

Grant started his steel career in 2009 building distribution and manufacturing supply chains and is passionate about the future of steel.

Grant is a long-time supporter of industry organizations. He has served as a board member for the Northern Ohio MSCI chapter, AWMI, and the ASD/FMA.

Grant graduated from Miami University in Ohio in 2008.

Barry M. Zekelman

Barry was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario. He received his early education in Windsor and later attended York University in Toronto, Ontario.

His University education was interrupted in 1986 with the sudden passing of his father, the late Harry Zekelman, when the ownership of Atlas Tube Inc. was assumed by Barry and his two brothers. Atlas Tube has grown from 2000 tons in 1986 to over 1.3 million tons today. In October 2006, John Maneely Company, a maker of steel tubing that was owned by private-equity giant Carlyle Group announced a merger with Atlas Tube Inc. creating the largest independent tubing company in North America. In March of 2011 the Zekelmans’ purchased back Carlye’s 55% interest in JMC. Then, in June of 2016 the company was renamed Zekelman Industries.

Today, Zekelman Industries, the parent of Atlas Tube, American Tube, Wheatland Tube, Western Tube, Energex, Sharon Tube, Picoma and Z modular produces over 2.4 million steel tons per year in 17 plants, and employs over 2400 people throughout the United States and Canada. Zekelman Industries maintains the #1 market position in North America in HSS, Standard pipe, Electrical conduit and Electrical fittings. Barry is currently the Chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries and is responsible for taking the company to new heights. 

Cameron Gibson

Cameron Gibson is the Business Development Manager for the Port of New Orleans, specializing in breakbulk and project cargoes. Before coming to New Orleans, he held chartering and project cargo positions at G2 Ocean in Atlanta. He is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and received an MBA from the University of Georgia. Passionate about solving complex logistics issues, he is excited to assist shippers and partners with their cargoes at the Port of New Orleans.

Gregg Troian

Gregg Troian has more than 40 years of transportation experience, with the majority of those years spent at PGT Trucking. Throughout his career, Gregg has held multiple roles in Operations, Business Development and Leadership, including President and CEO of a large 3PL company. Gregg has played a major role in the growth and development of PGT Trucking, and he continues to lead the company through the Future of Flatbed®, revolutionizing transportation with the use of innovative technology and zero-emissions equipment.   Gregg is a member of the 2023-2024 Research Advisory Committee for the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and a recipient of the 2022 Heavy Duty Trucking Truck Fleet Innovator Award. He also serves on the Pennsylvania Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and the Ryder Carrier Advisory Board, and he maintains memberships to American Trucking Associations (ATA), American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI), Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST), Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI), Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA), and Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). 

Mustafa Zafar

Mustafa Zafar is an accomplished Senior Director of Enterprise Applications at Kloeckner, boasting an impressive career marked by 20+ years of strategic leadership in the realm of technology and business integration. His tenure is characterized by a relentless pursuit of operational excellence, wherein Mustafa has orchestrated the seamless convergence of advanced technology and strategic imperatives. He has consistently championed the development, deployment, and optimization of mission-critical enterprise applications, playing a pivotal role in elevating Kloeckner's competitive edge. Mustafa's visionary acumen and innate ability to bridge intricate technical complexities with overarching business goals have positioned him as a transformative force within the organization. His expertise continues to shape Kloeckner's technological landscape, optimizing processes and propelling the enterprise into new dimensions of success.

César Jiménez

César Jiménez is CEO of Ternium México, one of the leading steel companies in Latin America.

He has 37 years of experience in steel companies, starting his career in 1986 at Hylsa. In 1992, he joined IMSA Group, acquired by Ternium in 2007, where he served as Order Manager Director, and later as Industrial Sales Director.

In November 2010, he was appointed CEO of Tenigal, a Joint Venture between Ternium and Nippon Steel, and in 2014 Commercial Vice President in Ternium México, position he held until March 2018 when he was promoted to the CEO position.

Currently, he is member of several Boards, and is President of the regional initiative Nuevo León 4.0. President of the Monterrey Competitiveness Center and Vice President of CAINTRA.

César has a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, holds a Master Degree in Information Systems Management from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, and attended the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Chris Garrett

Chris Garrett started his career in information technology in 1984 supporting small manufacturers and distributors in the Metro-Detroit area.  Mr. Garrett moved on to consult at tier one automotive suppliers as well as Volkswagen of America, later operating as in independent consultant.  He earned his degree as Bachelor of Science in Business with a focus on Integrated Supply Chain and Operations Management and subsequently an MBA from Ohio University, both late into his career.  He is active in his community, supporting Boy Scouts and serving on a neighborhood association board as Treasurer.  Mr. Garrett also supports Northeast Ohio Society of Information Management as well as the Industry Intelligence Committee of the Metals Service Center Institute. Mr. Garrett joined Olympic Steel in 1995 with IT operations at the Detroit division. He was later promoted to lead the IS operations supporting the Olympic Steel Automotive Region.  Today, as Vice President of Information Services, his primary focus is on solution delivery and optimization.

Tai Woo Cho

Tai Woo Cho is a Category Manager at TrinityRail (Trinity Industries, Inc.), a railroad car manufacturer. He manages procurement and supply chain of raw materials for Trinity.   Tai began his career with Hyundai Steel and served in sales and business development roles. He later joined Metal One, a global trading house, and served as international trader until he joined Trinity.   Over the course of his career, Tai has conducted businesses in multiple countries and various fields. And this unique blend of experiences has helped him develop uncommon perspectives.

Spencer Johnson

Spencer is a 14 year veteran in the world of steel futures, all of them with StoneX Financial Inc. – FCM Division. Over that time StoneX has worked with every type of market participant to formulate risk management and trading strategies for steel derivatives. StoneX has also worked tirelessly to grow liquidity and provide access to new ferrous markets for its clients. Spencer is also one of the longest serving members of the London Metal Exchange’s steel committee.

Geoff Gilmore

Geoff Gilmore was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Worthington Industries in August 2018. In September 2022, Worthington announced plans to separate its Steel Processing business to create a new standalone public company by early 2024. Gilmore will lead that company as president and CEO.

Gilmore joined Worthington in 1998 in sales for the Steel Processing segment, taking on roles of increasing responsibility over his 24-year tenure. He’s served in multiple leadership capacities including vice president of Purchasing, and as president of Worthington’s largest business segments, Steel Processing and Pressure Cylinders. He led each to record earnings, oversaw one of the Company’s largest acquisitions and enhanced a culture of safety and innovation. Gilmore earned his bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University and his MBA from The University of Michigan.

Daniel R. Needham

Dan Needham is Executive Vice President of Commercial for Nucor Corporation.

Dan began his career with Nucor in 2000 as Controller at Nucor Steel Hertford County. In 2002, he transferred to Nucor Steel Decatur, LLC as Controller. In 2004,Dan transferred to Nuconsteel as Manager of their Commercial Business Group. And in 2008, he transferred to Nucor Steel Utah as Controller.

In 2011, Dan was promoted to General Manager at Nucor Steel Connecticut, Inc. In 2014, he transferred to Nucor Steel Utah where he served as Vice President and General Manager until 2019, when he was named Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel Indiana. In 2021, he became Executive Vice President of Bar, Engineered Bar and Rebar Fabrication Products.

Dan was named to his current position effective May 15, 2022.

Danielle Niesner

Danielle graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s in Industrial Distribution and a minor in business in Fall of 2020. With the many external factors contributing to this year, Ryerson was flexible in committing to hiring new talent. After completing virtual and in person interviews, Ryerson showed that the metal industry could thrive in any environment and was constantly changing. After two years as an inside sales representative in Houston, Texas, Danielle transitioned to a remote position in supply chain to expand her professional goals as well accommodate her individual needs that led her to relocate to Austin, Texas. It has been great seeing two different perspectives of this industry, and she am looking forward to many more years here. 

Donald Bly

Donald Bly is a Senior Partner at Summit Strategy, a management consulting firm focused on delivering bottom line impact through financial and operational initiatives.  He is a trusted adviser to steel buying OEMs and industrial manufacturers across global industries including automotive, appliance, and packaging.  For steel buyers, Donald and the Summit team support organizations by developing & implementing sourcing strategies to optimize their steel spend and value chains.  Based in New York, Donald has spent more than 15 years in the consulting industry working with Fortune 500 companies, including interim executive roles, most recently as CPO at Mauser Packaging Solutions in 2022.