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Agenda

Pre-Summit Conference: Risks Your Company is Facing

If the past eighteen months has taught us anything it is there is risk all around us which we need to deal with on a timely basis. There are supply chain, commodities shortages and price surges, inventory challenges, price risks associated with the volatility from events beyond our control, and we now have forces outside of North America who are probing your computer systems looking for ways to interrupt of cease your operations.

The 2022 SMU Steel Summit Conference will begin by dealing with some of these issues on Monday morning with three “Pre-Summit Workshops.”

09:00 - 09:45
Introduction to Carbon Offsets: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Decarbonization is a theme that will be winding its way throughout the conference, and it is a subject that your company will need to deal with in the future. There are companies who are already selling “carbon neutral” steel. This program will give you more information about identifying your carbon footprint, liabilities, identification of the right carbon offsets, and the mechanics of how your company can do that.
Speaker:
Andrew Lichter, Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Development, Mobius Risk Group
Bradley Clark, Director, Flack Global Metals






10:00 - 10:45
Managing Price Risk

Dealing with price volatility has been a key issue for companies for many years now. This program will attempt to look at how to use futures effectively in markets where prices are moving either higher or lower.
Speaker:
Alex Alcantara, Manager Metals Products, CME Group
Jeremy Flack, CEO, Flack Global Metals
Daniel Bain, Managing Partner & Principal, Ferrosource LLC / Ferrometrics LLC
Moderator:
Spencer Johnson, Ferrous Trading Manager, StoneX Financial Inc.
Speaker:
Phillip Killicoat, Steel Trader, Goldman Sachs






11:00 - 12:00
Cyber Security: Steps to Protect Your Company

Recently, the president of a mid-sized manufacturing company informed Steel Market Update of the hacking of their company’s computer systems. The hack effectively shut down their operations. Fortunately for this company, they were able to get back up and running without paying the hackers.

With the war between Russia and Ukraine - and the positions taken by the United States, Canada, and most of the rest of the world - the risks associated with cybersecurity are growing and cannot be ignored. We are working with Crowe to provide some answers to the questions you might have about how to protect your company from those wishing to harm or destroy your company’s systems.

  • Preparation (how to build a cyber-security team)
  • Mitigation (how to minimize the impact of an attack and manage the process)
  • Continuous Improvement (how to make security a core part of your company)

Speaker:
Tony Barnes, Managing Principal, Crowe
David Branscome, Global Partner Solutions - Cloud Security Architect, Microsoft
Jay Reid, Partner, Crowe






13:00 - 13:30
Beginning of Conference – SMU Data Opening: It's a great time to be in the steel industry

We will open with a “bang” (as we always do), and then we will provide insights from Steel Market Update's proprietary products to put the beginning of the conference into perspective.
Moderator:
John Packard, President and CEO, Steel Market Update
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






13:30 - 14:30
Gene Marks: Issues Impacting Your Growth Over the Next Few Years

Gene Marks, CPA is an author of five books on business management specifically geared toward small and medium sized companies, a columnist for The Hill, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine and The Guardian, he appears regularly on MSNBC, Fox News, The John Batchelor Show and SiriusXM’s Wharton Business Channel, and is a well-known keynote speaker.

Gene will set the stage for this year’s conference as he discusses inflation, labor issues, political and legislative and other issues affecting your business now, and into the future.

Speaker:
Gene Marks, Author, Columnist, Keynote Speaker, Business Expert, The Marks Group






14:50 - 15:40
The Meltdown and Reconstitution of the Global Steel Industry

Covid, the war between Russia and Ukraine (and the involvement of the rest of the world), tariffs, decarbonization, and many other issues have transformed the global steel order. It is important to understand what has happened, what might happen going forward, and how these issues will impact the North American steel markets.
Speaker:
Michael Setterdahl, Senior Advisor, GFG Alliance
Johnny Sjöström, President/CEO/EVP, SSAB Special Steels
Panos Kotseras, Principal Analyst, CRU
Moderator:
John Packard, President and CEO, Steel Market Update






15:40 - 16:30
Fireside Chat with Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President & CEO - Cleveland Cliffs

As the leader of Cleveland-Cliffs, Lourenco Goncalves is well versed in iron ore, DRI, scrap, as well as flat-rolled and plate steelmaking. Cliffs is the largest flat-rolled steel producer in the United States and the largest supplier to the automotive industry. Mr. Goncalves is known for being frank about the industry, and we look forward to his comments.
Speaker:
Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman President and CEO, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
Moderator:
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






17:30 - 19:00
NexGen Community and NexGen Leadership Award Reception

This will be the first meeting of the SMU NexGen Community, an organization dedicated to those 40 years of age and younger who are associated with the greater steel and manufacturing industries. Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President & CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs will address those attending.






08:00 - 08:15
Conference Opening - Meet the Steel Market Update Team

Opening of Conference with Celebration as the Conference Theme
Moderator:
John Packard, President and CEO, Steel Market Update
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






08:15 - 09:00
General Motors View on Their Move to Electric Vehicles

This will be a fireside chat as Mr. Hosea and Michael Cowden discuss supply chain shortages, General Motors commitment to electric vehicles and self-driving vehicles and what does this mean for the steel industry.
Speaker:
Thomas Hosea, Executive Director, GPSC Central Operations, General Motors
Moderator:
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






09:00 - 09:45
How to Trade Steel Successfully in a Very Volatile World

This roundtable discussion will look at international trading from the trader's perspective. How have the challenges associated with supply chain snarls, tariffs, political uncertainty, and decarbonization impacted the flow of steel around the world and specifically into North America?
Speaker:
Lewis Leibowitz, Trade Attorney, The Law Office of Lewis E. Leibowitz
Jerry Richardson, President, CSN LLC
Jose Gasca, Managing Director, Metrading International AG
Murat Askin, Founder and CEO, StaalX LLC
Moderator:
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






10:15 - 11:00
Keynote Address: It’s a Great Time To Be in the Steel Industry

Paul has always been well-received by our attendees as he tackles pertinent topics from a contrarian perspecitve. He has challenged conerns about overcapacity while also warning of high scrap costs due to the expansion of the electric arc furnace footprint in North America.
Speaker:
Paul Lowrey, President, Steel Research Associates, LLC






11:00 - 11:45
The Future of the Trucking Industry

The trucking industry is undergoing transformational changes because of the lack of drivers and because of new technology, equipment, and changes to the rules of the road. This panel will discuss electric trucks, fuel-cell vehicles, driverless trucks, and other changes that are transforming the industry. Nikola, a manufacturer of EV trucks, will have one of their vehicles outside of the convention center for you to view.
Speaker:
Gregg Troian, President, PGT Trucking, Inc.
Pablo Koziner, President, Energy & Commercial, Nikola Motor Company
Dr. Çetin Meriçli, CEO & Co-founder, Locomation
Moderator:
David Schollaert, Senior Analyst/Editor, Steel Market Update






13:00 - 13:45
Construction, Energy and Auto Forecasts

This panel will provide automotive forecasts, construction forecasts for the balance of 2022 and into 2023, as well as energy forecasts for solar, wind and other renewable projects that use steel products.
Speaker:
Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, Associated General Contractors of America
Bernard Swiecki, Director, Research, Center for Automotive Research (CAR)
Frank Frederickson, Vice President, Customer Experience, Minnesota Power
Moderator:
David Schollaert, Senior Analyst/Editor, Steel Market Update






13:45 - 14:30
NexGen Metals Community Steering Group Program with Presentation of NexGen Leadership Award

The NexGen Metals Community Steering Group will be providing insights on how a company can develop culture, benefits, and practices that attract and retain the next generation in the Metals Industry. Get an inside look at what youth may consider as they assess placement or hiring options.
Speaker:
Philip K. Bell, President, Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA)
Eric Daniel, Director of Supply Chain, NIM Group
Ping Liang, Marketing Manager, ArcelorMittal
Ciara Bunch, Customer Success Team Lead, Reibus
Meredith Meade, NAFTA Steel Purchasing Manager, Tempel Steel
Colin Serling, Business Development Manager, Quality Metal Stamping
Jacob Benjamin Snyder, Founder, J. Benjamin Recruitment, Inc






14:50 - 15:40
Steel and Commodity Price Forecasts

Always a popular program, our panelists will provide their insights and forecasts for steel and scrap for the balance of 2022 and for 2023.
Speaker:
Timna Tanners, Managing Director, Wolfe Research
Josh Spoores, Principal Analyst - Steel, CRU
John Anton, Director, S&P Global Market Intelligence
Moderator:
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






15:40 - 16:30
Fireside Chat with Mark Millett, President and CEO – Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI)

Mark and John will once again roll up their sleeves and have a no-holds-barred discussion of the flat-rolled steel industry from SDI’s perspective. SDI's new sheet mill in Sinton, Texas, and other new projects will be high on the list of items to be discussed along with decarbonization, trade, and scrap.
Speaker:
Mark D. Millett, President, CEO & Chairman, Steel Dynamics
Moderator:
John Packard, President and CEO, Steel Market Update






08:30 - 08:45
Opening Comments & Announcements


Moderator:
John Packard, President and CEO, Steel Market Update
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






08:45 - 09:45
Service Center Panel: Supply Chain, Inflation & Other Issues Affecting Distribution

Supply chain issues, high inflation, new supply, changes in trade policies, decarbonization are all issues facing the steel distributors. This panel will hold a round table discussion on the most important topics affecting steel distributors today, and into the future.
Speaker:
John Ganem, CEO, Kloeckner
Pam Heglund, CEO, Mill Steel
Edward J. Lehner, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ryerson
Moderator:
David Schollaert, Senior Analyst/Editor, Steel Market Update






11:15 - 12:00
Fireside Chat with Alan Kestenbaum, CEO, Stelco

This will be the first time Stelco's CEO has spoken at the SMU Steel Summit Conference. Mr. Kestenbaum is known for his candor and for “telling it like it is.”
Speaker:
Alan Kestenbaum, CEO, Stelco
Moderator:
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)






13:00 - 13:45
The New Carbon Frontier: Challenges and Opportunities

Europe has been leading the world when it comes to decarbonization policies and directives. It is important for the US to understand what Europe is doing, and then what will decarbonization mean for the domestic steel industry and ultimately the distributors and end users here in the United States?
Speaker:
Kevin Dempsey, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
Philip K. Bell, President, Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA)
Moderator:
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)
Speaker:
Matthew Poole, Divisional Director, Consulting, CRU






13:45 - 14:30
Automotive and the Move to Electric Vehicles


Speaker:
Stephen Williamson, Research Manager, Aluminium, CRU
Stephan Weng, COO, A2MAC1
Moderator:
Michael Cowden, Senior Editor, Steel Market Update (SMU)
Speaker:
Stephen Brown, Senior Director, Corporate Ratings, Fitch Ratings