Paul White
International Nickel Study Group

Nickel/Stainless - Speaker


Paul White is Secretary-General of the International Copper, Nickel, and Lead and Zinc Study Groups all of which are based in Lisbon, Portugal. These groups are intergovernmental organizations whose main purpose is to improve transparency in the base metal markets and promote cooperation between governments and the mining and metals industry.

Before joining the Study Groups, White worked as a physical metals trader in London. He has a degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the universities of Surrey and Warwick in England.

Edward Meir
ED&F Man Capital

Nickel/Stainless - Speaker


Edward Meir has been in the commodities business for more than 35 years. Most recently, Meir's firm, Commodity Research Group (CRG), has been retained by ED&F Man Capital as a senior base metals research consultant. CRG provided similar services to StoneX and to MF Global prior to that.

Meir was named as the most accurate price forecaster among his peers for all the LME base metals in five of the last 10 years as ranked by Fastmarkets APEX poll. He obtained a top-five ranking in precious metals in five of the past seven years. Prior to becoming involved in research full-time, Meir engaged in nonferrous trading both as an independent agent and also as a trader with UK-based Trans-World Metals.

Meir obtained his BA in Economics from Montreal's McGill University and his MBA from New York University.

Dave Bestwick
Dominion Nickel Alloys

Nickel/Stainless - Speaker


David Bestwick has been with Dominion Nickel Alloys for 12 years and has been involved with ISRI’s Empire Chapter for the past eight years. Prior to working for Dominion Nickel, Bestwick was a manager in the melting department of a mill in Western Pennsylvania. Bestwick has two children and volunteers a great deal of his time in his community. Currently, he is the Fire Chief for a volunteer organization that oversees two fire stations and responds to over 600 emergency calls a year.

Chris Greenfield
Federal Metal

Copper - Moderator


Chris Greenfield serves as Vice President of The Federal Metal Company, a 109-year-old brass on bronze ingot maker based in Cleveland, Ohio. His responsibilities include buying and selling non-ferrous recyclable materials, selling brass and bronze ingot, and managing risk. He has served in this position since 2007.

Tim Strelitz
California Metal-X

Copper - Speaker


Tim Strelitz and his wife Karen co-founded CMX in 1979. They consider themselves to be modern day alchemists, transforming copper and other elements into alloys used to produce beneficial products for mankind.

John Gross
The Copper Journal

Copper - Speaker


John Gross is President of J.E. Gross Consulting, Inc. a metals management and consultancy firm he established in 1987 to assist companies in their procurement of metals, recycling, and price risk management. In addition to his consulting activities, Gross has worked with global leaders in the metals industry since 1973. He is a graduate of Hofstra University, and is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran.

Gross is publisher of The Copper Journal, an industry newsletter that launched in 1987, and has written extensively about copper, commodity markets, and industry issues. He was a Director of the American Copper Council, and also served as a member of the Comex Advisory Committee.

Uwe Schmidt
Montanwerke-Brixlegg

Copper - Speaker


Uwe Schmidt holds a degree in mechanical engineering. For more than 25 years he has managed various positions in the copper value chain, including residues processing, recycling and ingot trading. From 2006 to 2018, he was responsible for the metal business of the brass rod and strip mills of Diehl Metall in Europe. Since 2018, he is a Board Member of the Copper refinery Montanwerke Brixlegg AG in Austria and responsible for all commercial activities.

Colin Denihan (ISRI Young Executive)
Metal Source

Aluminum - Moderator


Colin Denihan is the President of Metal Source and began his career as a college intern. He was instrumental in diversifying the different alloy programs and growing the capacity with adding furnaces. Colin is the current President of the Indiana ISRI Chapter and was recently elected Co-Chair for the Council of Chapter Presidents by his peers.

Greg Wittbecker
CRU Group

Aluminum - Speaker


Greg Wittbecker is a 37-year veteran of the aluminum business. He has held senior leadership positions with Cargill Metals, Wise Metals, Koch Supply & Trading, and Alcoa. Presently, he serves in an advisory capacity to CRU, the largest ferrous and nonferrous analyst in the market. Wittbecker also works with individual clients on commercial and risk management solutions.

Over the span of his career, his responsibilities have included directing major aluminum physical risk positions, directing supply chain execution, coordinating price risk management, and developing recycling strategy.

Josephita Harry
Pan American Zinc LLC

Aluminum - Speaker


Josephita Harry is Vice-President of Sales in the Non-Ferrous & Electronics Scrap division at Pan American Zinc, located in Miami, Fla. Harry graduated from the University of Madras with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Instrumentation. She has over two decades of experience with 10 years in the metal recycling industry.

Harry's passion for recycling began with a school project in 1995 called “Clean Up India” with a focus on recycling/waste management that led her to participate at the national level as a young child scientist. Today, Harry oversees all trading of all nonferrous recyclables for Pan American Zinc and develops nonferrous metal ingot sales.

Adam Dumes
Cohen Recycling

Ferrous - Moderator


Adam Dumes is the Executive Vice President of Cohen Recycling, founded in 1924, and the President of Cobalt, Cohen’s ITAD subsidiary. He earned a B.S. in Biology and Anthropology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After completing his education, he joined the family business, representing the fourth generation.

Dumes started in the nonferrous operations and managed outside projects until becoming a ferrous buyer. He then became a general manager, spearheaded Cohen’s marketing efforts, and helped found Cohen’s e-waste recycling division. The electronics division was rebranded as Cobalt and launched a subsidiary of Cohen. Dumes oversees the commercial side (buying and selling) of multiple Cohen products and services, including ferrous metals.

He has been active in ISRI for over 10 years and currently serves at the chapter and national levels. He is an Ohio Valley Chapter board member, and holds the titles of National Director-at-Large, Vice Chair of the Ferrous Division, and member of the Challenges and Opportunities committee.

Dumes is active in the community and supports sustainability organizations and projects such as Green Umbrella and The Greater Cincinnati Green Business Council (GCGBC). Other interests include golf, playing guitar, and parenting 11-year-old Jake, and 9-year-old Sam.

Sean Davidson (ISRI Young Executive)
Davis Index

Ferrous - Speaker


Sean Davidson is the CEO of Davis Index, a price reporting agency covering global metal, paper and plastics markets. Davis Index's team of 65+ experts based in the US, Canada, Mexico, Spain, India, Ukraine and Singapore deliver over 1,300 price indexes from across the world. Sean is also the founder of Nyteco, a venture studio through which he actively invests in growing companies that are building technology solutions for the recycling industry.

At the start of this decade, Sean reinvigorated scrap coverage across the Metal Bulletin Group as global editor of raw materials at American Metal Market, Metal Bulletin and Steel First, based out of New York. During his time at AMM/MB, Sean launched the index for America’s first scrap futures contract: the CME busheling contract.

In 2015, Sean moved to Houston to build and launch Argus Metal Prices as its global editor, a role he exited in early 2019. Since then he has focused on building Davis Index into an industry leader for recycled metals and alloys market intelligence. Prior to his roles in commodities, Sean served different journalistic and entrepreneurial roles in the United Kingdom, Middle East and India. His career has spanned print, online, television, recreation, hospitality and technology.

Bob Mullaney
CEO, IT Asset Partners Inc

The Future of EV/Battery Recycling - Speaker


Bob Mullaney is the CEO of ITAP, (IT Asset Partners) a global technology company in the reverse logistics industry. As CEO, Mullaney is responsible for running all facets of the company. He has a proven executive management track record and over 25 years of driving sales growth in the technology industry. Prior to becoming CEO at ITAP, Mullaney held multiple VP positions at large technology companies. He was also the CEO of another startup company that he built to over $25 million in three years.

For the last year, ITAP has been building and expanding into the lithium-ion battery market. The company has become the largest repurposer of product in the U.S. ITAP's battery business is growing at a strong rate and is adding Fortune 100 companies to its portfolio. Today, ITAP is working with over half of the car industry and their dealers on returns for lithium-ion batteries. A global operation, the company is currently adding a 125,000-square-foot space in South America.

Chih-Hsuan (Sandy) Pierce
PADNOS

The Future of EV/Battery Recycling - Speaker


Sandy Pierce is a Commodity Trader at PADNOS where she manages and trades precious metal containing recyclables such as electronics, catalytic converters, electronic vehicle (EV) batteries, and other automotive related commodities. Pierce holds a degree in Mathematics and enjoys analytical work and commodity trend studies. Outside of her work, she is passionate about mentoring others. Pierce currently serves as a co-chair of ISRI's Women in Recycling (WIR) Council, is a board member for a local scouting organization, and is a volunteer at the local Sheriff Office.

Blake Hurtik
Argus Media

The Future of EV/Battery Recycling - Speaker


Blake Hurtik is a Texas-based editorial manager at Argus Media, where he oversees the group's North American metals, chemicals, and fertilizer editorial operations. For metals, he manages as 12-person team that covers the ferrous, nonferrous, steel, ferro-alloy, minor metal, and base metal markets. Prior to joining Argus, he was a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. He has a Bachelor's of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Guillermo Espiga
Vice President & Head of Business Development, Nth Cycle

The Future of EV/Battery Recycling - Speaker


Guillermo Espiga is Vice President & Head of Business Development at Nth Cycle. Espiga has 25 years of experience in energy and infrastructure project development and financing. Prior to his current role, Espiga served as a Project Finance banker with Credit Suisse. He has held leadership positions in successful development companies such as InterGen and Poseidon Water. Espiga has led and executed projects that are greater than $4 billion.

Jeff Snyder
Rumpke Waste & Recycling

MRF


Jeff Snyder – Director of Recycling, Rumpke Waste & Recycling

Jeff started his career with WestRock in 1991 where he held several positions in the mill and converting side of the business. Jeff joined WestRock’s recycling division in 2008 where he ran several recycling plants in Indianapolis, In., Chattanooga, Tn., Huntsville, Al., and Columbus, Oh. Jeff oversaw the building of 2 Single stream MRF’s -- one in Chattanooga, Tn and the other in Cobb County, Ga.

In 2014 Jeff joined Pratt Industries as the Midwest Mill Buyer & Operations Manager. He oversaw the sourcing of 50,000 tons a month of fiber for both Valparaiso, In & Wapakoneta, Oh. Paper mills. He also ran and managed 2 recycling plants and mill fiber operations.

In 2020 Jeff joined Rumpke as the Corporate Senior Recycling Manager. In September of 2021 Jeff was promoted to Director of Recycling at Rumpke Waste & Recycling.

Jeff graduated from North West Missouri State University with a degree in Business Management. Jeff lives in Cincinnati with his wife Jackie.