International fuel additives company Infineum on Thursday (3 October) announced the appointment of Mr. Rahim Oberholtzer as the new Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, effective 1 October.

Oberholtzer will succeed Mr. Philippe Creteur, who has retired at the end of September 2024, after 18 years of dedicated service to Infineum.

Oberholtzer, a seasoned finance executive with over 25 years of diverse experience, joins Infineum from Shell, where he has held various senior positions. His most recent role was Senior Vice President of Shell Finance for Chemicals and Products.

During his career, Oberholtzer has acquired extensive expertise in public accounting, investment banking, and trading. He began his professional journey at KPMG in San Francisco as an auditor. He then moved on to Merrill Lynch, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and equity offerings within the energy sector, ultimately serving as Head of Structured Finance at Merrill Lynch Commodities. 

In 2011, he joined Shell’s Mergers and Acquisitions team in the U.S., leading key projects such as the launch of Shell Midstream Partners and the Eagle Ford divestment. He subsequently managed finance teams in Trading & Supply, covering European Gas & Power, Global Crude, and Global Products & Operations.

Infineum CEO Aldo Govi, said: “We are deeply grateful for Philippe’s years of dedication and excellent contribution to Infineum. At the same time, I am thrilled to welcome Rahim to our corporate leadership team.”

 

Photo credit: Infineum
Published: 4 October, 2024 

Shipping pool player Tankers International on Wednesday (2 October) said it has appointed Stephen Robinson to head up its bunker desk. 

With decarbonisation and efficiency both high on shipping’s agenda, fuel procurement strategies are central to managing the energy transition and future proofing energy security.

Robinson will be UK-based and brings many years of experience to the business, having previously worked as managing director for both Bomin and Cockett Marine Oil. Over his career, he has developed an in-depth understanding of both the trading and physical supply of fuels. 

He has a solid technical background in terms of fuel procurement, management and hedging, and has long, established relationships with many physical suppliers - an advantage for Tankers International when developing and maintaining credit lines.

Matthew Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Tankers International, said: “Stephen Robinson brings with him a wealth of knowledge and strong relationships which he has developed over many years on both the trading and supply sides of the bunkering world. 

“With decarbonisation so high on the shipping agenda plus the emerging alternative fuels landscape, this has never been more important. 

“We’re excited to have someone of his pedigree supporting our pool, focusing on realising the growing competitive advantage that an effective fuel strategy has to offer, and adding true value to our partners when it comes to fuel procurement.”

Stephen Robinson, Head of Bunker Strategy & Procurement, Tankers International, said: “While Tankers International has always provided this service to pool members and has established solid credit lines, with the emergence of alternative fuels, the uptake of new ship technologies, and multiple regulatory changes, the time is right to supercharge its bunker desk offering. 

“Fuel constitutes a major portion of operating costs and fuel procurement is becoming increasingly complex. I am looking forward to working with pool partners to manage fuel strategies, realise efficiencies, and reduce costs.”

With the addition of Stephen Robinson, Tankers International expands another service offering, providing an additional source of knowledge and expertise that pool partners have ongoing access to. Partners also have access to its VLCC fixture app - the only publicly available source of fixture data for the global VLCC fleet.

 

Photo credit: Tankers International
Published: 3 October, 2024

Commodity trading firm Trafigura Group Pte Ltd (Trafigura) on Tuesday (1 October) announced the appointment of Andrew Starkey to the role of Chief Financial Officer Asia Pacific. 

Based in Singapore, Andrew assumes the role from Stephan Jansma who became Group Chief Financial Officer in July 2024.

Andrew has over 25 years of experience in the Asia Pacific natural resources, infrastructure and related sectors.

Before joining Trafigura, Andrew was an Executive Director at the investment conglomerate Provident Capital Partners and prior to this a Managing Director and Co-Founder of Keppel Credit, a private credit fund manager. 

Andrew is also the Chairman of Indonesian Stock Exchange listed Merdeka Copper Gold and Merdeka Battery Materials, in which Provident Capital Partners is a significant shareholder.

The announcement of Starkey’s appointment comes a week after Trafigura announced that Richard Holtum will become Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Trafigura, effective 1 January 2025 and will join the Trafigura Board of Directors from 1 October 2024. 

Related: Trafigura appoints Richard Holtum to succeed Jeremy Weir as CEO

 

Photo credit: Trafigura
Published: 2 October, 2024