Expert Speakers

Paul Baruya is the Director of Strategy and Sustainability at FutureCoal.

Paul joined FutureCoal in 2022, where he supports advocacy for advanced coal technologies in a carbon neutral future and the strategic role of coal in developing economies.

He comes with a background in environmental consultancy at AEA Technology (now Ricardo), where he devised the New Entrant Reserve CO2 allocation for new power plants and industrial facilities and was involved in numerous projects involving end-user energy efficiency and CO2 reduction campaigns.

He also has experience in long-term forecasting and modeling of global coal and gas markets at the former IHS Markit, and energy use and emissions from power generation, steel, cement, and transport sectors.

Previous to FutureCoal, Paul was a senior analyst at the International Centre for Sustainable Carbon, a Technology Collaboration Programme of the IEA, studying the cost structures of mining, coal and gas competition in Asia, energy in Africa, and global biomass resources.

Matthew Boyle is the Head of Analytics at Ashon International DMCC, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ashon and its sister company Mizzen conduct trading and logistics operations in the coal, iron ore and petcoke markets. Matthew has over 20 years’ experience in the dry bulk commodity marketing, research and analytics space, and currently leads a team of six analysts and data scientists. Previously, Matthew worked for Goldman Sachs, Vale, Oldendorff, S&P Global and Wood Mackenzie, as well as contributing to the establishment of thermal coal coverage at CRU. Matthew has an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree specialising in Economic Geography from the University of Sydney and has completed iron and coke making courses at McMaster University in Canada.

Economist from Universidad Javeriana, with a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs and Citizen Participation. Their extensive professional career includes holding high-level positions in both the public and private sectors, demonstrating their expertise and competence in the field. For eight years, he served as a highly effective union leader in the National Association of Businessmen (ANDI), where he excelled as Vice President. In this role, he skillfully managed the operation of the Sector Chambers, expertly negotiated trade agreements with Europe and Korea, and developed innovative regulatory strategies for each sector of the economy.

He also demonstrated his exceptional leadership skills as Co-President of the Business Council of the Pacific Alliance during its constitution and negotiation. Furthermore, he made significant contributions to the OAS in peace negotiations with self-defense groups. From 2002 to 2004, he served as the Anti-Corruption Czar. This impressive track record showcases his expertise and leadership in various fields. Currently, he is an active and esteemed member of the Advisory Council of PROCOLOMBIA, the Institute of Political Science, and the National Trade Council. He has also served on the Board of Directors of prestigious institutions such as CESA, Seguros Colmena, Banco Caja Social, and Clínica de Country, among others.

Economist specialized in Finance with a master’s degree in government and public Affairs. He has extensive experience in mining resource governance. He has served as Technical Director of Mines, Director of Mining Formalization and Vice Minister of Mines of Colombia. He has also been a member of the boards of directors of the National Mining Agency and the Colombian Geological Survey, as well as a member of the International Council of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Consultant on issues of Transparency of the extractive industry, Human Rights and Business, community relations and prior consultation with ethnic communities working for various entities such as the International Financial Corporation IFC of the World Bank group and the Intergovernmental Forum on mining, minerals, metals and sustainable development IGF. Currently, he is the Executive President of the National Coal Producers Federation, Fenalcarbón.

Bachelor´s degree in Civil Engineer from Universidad De Los Andes (Colombia) and  MBA degree from Rotterdam School of Management + Esade Business School  in Spain (Exchange Progamme). More than 15 years experience in mining and coke industry, with emphasis in finance and commercial issues. Current Board Member of Fenalcarbon (Federación Nacional de Productores de Carbón) and CEO of Carbones Andinos SAS. 

Kelsie Clarke, originally from Jamaica, currently lives and works in South Korea as a member of the KCH Energy Co., Ltd purchasing team. With four years of experience within KCH, she is a valued member of the purchasing team whose job scope currently includes contract negotiation, market research & sourcing. Over the past year, her job focus has shifted to researching CV markets as KCH works to expand their supplier portfolio to drive growth. Committed to excellence and innovation, Kelsie continues to hope to play her role in the growth and development of KCH Energy Co., Ltd.

Pablo Cuevas is a Marketing and Logistics Administrator from the University de la Sabana, with training in charter parties and bill of lading from the University of South Hampton.

His professional background spans over 5 years at Seaboard Overseas, a grain trading company, where he initially worked in operations and later transitioned to become a trader handling grain sales for animal feed in Colombia.

On 2014 Pablo joined Deep Blue Ship Agency, where currently serves as the Vice President. Deep Blue is a maritime agency dedicated to attend ships of all cargo types in Colombia’s main ports, is widely recognized within the industry as one of the country’s leading agencies, preferred by its clients for tackling challenging operations by offering innovative solutions with a high level of excellence.

Daf Davies built his career in trading at organisations including Goldman Sachs and Trafigura. At Trafigura he served in multiple trading roles across Europe, Asia and the Americas and, before retiring from the business he was as Head of Trading for Africa. He pivoted to trading technology, founding ventures exploring new uses for blockchain, the cloud, mobile, IoT, machine learning and Generative AI. Daf is the founder and director of Deus AI, which provides AI solutions for commodity companies and a partner at Poseidon Commodity Partners which offers full-service commodity origination and trade finance.

Daf has used these combined skills to build commodity trading businesses that leverage available technologies to derive a competitive edge generating revenues, minimising costs and driving efficiencies in physical commodities trading.

With over 12 years of experience in coal and energy industry management and advisory roles, Byron has
a rich background spanning the private sector and government. He played a key role at Minas La Aurora, the largest mining company in Norte de Santander, Colombia, overseeing 9 mines and the production of thermal and metallurgical coal. Byron served as the Secretary of Mines in the region, responsible for its mining sector, which includes phosphorus coke and coking coal. Following this, he worked as the Commercial Manager for Carbomax de Colombia, handling exports of coke and thermal coal. Currently, Byron operates a company connecting producers with the market, specializing in low phosphorus coke and coking coal exports. In addition to his industry expertise, Byron is a University Professor, covering subjects like SCM, CRM, sales, forecast, finance, HR, projects, and the manufacturing industry. His knowledge extends to coal markets in Central America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, fostering strong connections with thermal, steel, and cement plants. Byron excels in strategic planning, leadership in action plans, shipping operations, trade rules, customs regulations (Incoterms), and possesses skills in systems management, including programming, cloud, data analysis, business intelligence, and IT tools.

Francisco Garcia joined Drummond Coal Sales 5 years ago to manage the American region -North, Central and South America-, sourced from the mining operation in Colombia, the biggest in the country. It’s a fully integrated low sulfur mine supplying a diverse portfolio of customers worldwide.

Before joining Drummond Francisco spent more than 30 years in the energy sector including oil and gas, downstream, and thermal coal. In the coal market he has played different roles including finance and planning, marketing coordinator, marketing manager, sales director and Vice President of sales. His career started with ExxonMobil an includes stints at Cerrejon and CMC.

Francisco was born in Colombia and holds a degree in Economics, a master’s degree in Economic Development and courses in strategic planning and maritime shipping and freight. Other than Colombia he has lived in Belgium and the US where he currently resides.

Studied Business at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá with an exchange program focused on Strategy at NEOMA Business School in Rouen, France. Major in Finance from Colegio de Estudios Superiores en Administración (CESA). 

In the year 2013 worked at Cemex Colombia on the retail business of the Group, Construrama, supporting the marketing strategy.  

Co-founder of Fútbol Xpo Colombia, an entrepreneurship in the soccer industry in Colombia (2014-2016).

Business Director at Grupo Trinity in the year 2016, supporting the analysis and execution of new investment opportunities.

Since the year 2017 till the date, seven years working at Grupo Coquecol performing as the logistics manager (two years), chief financial officer (three years) and during the last two years as the chief commercial officer, in charge of the sales of the company and the commercial strategy.

Leon has worked in the coal industry for more than 25 years, starting as metallurgist at a coke plant in South Africa. He joined the mining division, procuring coking coal and coke for the steel mill as well as marketing coking and thermal coal globally. In 2006 he joined the Vale project team establishing the Moatize coal mine in Mozambique focusing on product definition and beneficiation. During the commissioning phase he was involved in the introduction of the mine and its products to the international market. Currently he is responsible for technical marketing for Vulcan Commodities, the new owners of the Moatize coal mine. Other positions over the years included coal marketing and trading for various mining entities as well as managing a coal and carbonisation laboratory.

After studying law and economics with a focus on corporate management, maritime law and commodities, Bruno started his career in emissions trading, building and managing a global portfolio of emission reduction projects. He followed this with developing the coal trading business at EnBW and entered the company into the dry bulk shipping market.

In his free time, Bruno enjoys travelling, good food and water sports.

For over twenty years, as energy efficiency specialist and project manager, I’ve dedicated myself to improving energy efficiency in industries like thermal power, cement, and steelmaking. My goal? To optimize processes, boost profits, and reduce environmental impact, especially for coal users. I’ve worked on projects across the Americas, Europe, and the Mediterranean, earning awards for excellence and driving profitability. Now, recognized as a Top Energy Management Voice on LinkedIn, I’m committed to making a difference.

Let’s work together to build a more sustainable future. By optimizing processes and embracing innovation, we can create a greener world for generations to come. Join me in reshaping industry standards and championing a brighter tomorrow—one project at a time.

As a Business Intelligence Officer at Goba Capital, I drive strategic growth initiatives for our Miami-based finance boutique, expanding our global footprint to Colombia, Australia, Singapore, the US, and many others. We engage stakeholders worldwide, growing our client base within the 5-100 million USD financing range. Identifying and seizing emerging opportunities, we tailor our services to evolving client needs and market trends. Goba actively finances thermal and met coal globally, offering unparalleled flexibility and responsiveness in providing customized financial solutions, free from ESG, industry, or product constraints.

Dr. Sırrı Uyanik studied Economics, Public and Business Administration, Energy and Environmental Economics in Turkey, England and the US. Having formerly worked in the public sector, he has been working with STEAG and Isken (Iskenderun Enerji is an affiliate of STEAG-Germany and OYAK-Türkiye) since 2000. He is presently the CEO of the company which owns and operates ISKEN-SUGÖZÜ  1320 MW coal-fired Power Plant, consuming 3,5 millions tons of steam coal annually, one of the biggest of such facility in Turkey.

He is also Board Member of Electricy Producers Association and  member of Energy Business  Council of  Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. His areas of expertise and interest include coal-fired plant development, Energy Project  and Contract Management and Operations, Energy and environmental economics,  Management of regulatory and permitting issues, Governmental, Public and Community Relations and communications in large scale projects.

Jiao Yong（James), the Executive General Manager of Sales of China Risun Group, joined Risun Group in 2007, after his graduation from Beijing Institute of Technology, with a master’s degree on English Language and Literature. 

During his 17 year service in Risun, he has worked as translator, manager of customer service, manager of company operation, manager of coke import and export, manager of chemicals import and export, etc. Now he is in charge of the sales for China Risun Group, both for the domestic market and the international market.

José Vicente Zapata is a Partner in Holland & Knight’s Bogotá office and has more than 30 years of experience in the energy and natural resources sector (oil and gas, mining, environmental, renewables). He focuses his practice on corporate, contractual, regulatory, environmental, energy (eolic, solar, geothermal, energy storage) and commercial matters, with a strong focus in structuring of complex transactions, foreign direct investment, spin-offs, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Zapata co-chairs the firm’s Venezuela Focus Team, is Reputation and Brand Development Leader for the Energy and Natural Resources Industry Sector Group and leads one of the most important natural resource practices in Latin America. He has experience with corporate compliance matters, including the definition of ethics programs, ESG, and has acted as legal counsel in complex liability cases and class actions, as well as international commercial and investment disputes. Mr. Zapata’s clients include electric, oil, gas, mining, agrochemical, and manufacturing companies throughout Latin America.