Masterclass Serie: Commodity trading 101
Sign up now!
Masterclass Series: Commodity Trading 101
FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS FROM ANY UNIVERSITY: Join the Masterclasses series: Commodity Trading 101. Curious about how global commodities are traded, analyzed, and turned into profit? Join this masterclass series and step into the world of commodity trading from the inside out. From understanding the business model of a trading house to building market views, managing risk, and generating P&L, this four-part series brings together top industry experts to guide you through the fundamentals, tools, and strategies of successful commodity trading. Whether you're a student, aspiring trader, or industry enthusiast, this is your gateway to mastering the core elements of a high-stakes, high-impact industry.
Receive a certificate of participation if you attend all masterclasses.
- The Business Model of a Trader (Tue 28 Oct; 16:00–19:00)
Location: Theil CT-1
In this masterclass you will gain 360 degree overview of commodity trading markets, the physical versus the futures markets, the role of a commodity trader and the types of traders/desks. Content:
- History of commodity trading
- Business model of a trading house
- How desks are organized
- Types of traders
- Commodity markets 101
- Spot versus futures + basis risk
- Trading Strategies
Speaker Profile: dr Wouter Jacobs
Dr. Wouter Jacobs is the founder and director of the Erasmus Commodity & Trade Centre (ECTC) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, a dedicated thinktank supported by an endowment of 14 partners from the commodity trading industry. The mission of the ECTC is to nurture ideas and talent for tomorrow’s trade via academic education, executive training and applied research. Wouter initiated and leads the international executive programme Leadership in Commodity Trade and Supply Networks at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Wouter is a member of the advisory council of J.P. Morgan Centre for Commodities at the CU Denver business school of the University of Colorado and for over 12 years he has been involved as senior research fellow at Erasmus UPT. Wouter teaches MSc courses on commodity trade and supply chains at the Rotterdam School of Management and Erasmus School of Economics. Wouter is involved in applied research projects, including the security of supply of critical raw materials commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and for which he recently initiated a Roundtable of industry executives from trading, logistics and investments. Wouter has a PhD in Management from Radboud University Nijmegen (2007), based on an international comparison of port competition strategies in Los Angeles-Long Beach, Rotterdam and Dubai.
- The Analyst: Understanding the markets (Tue 4 Nov; 16:00–19:00)
Location: Theil CB-2
In this masterclass you will become the analyst. Vito Turitto will share his extensive knowledge on analyzing, synthesizing and developing a coherent market view. Explore to the necessary analytical building blocks of a commodity trader and how these come together into a cohesive market view and trading strategy. Content:
- Fundamental analysis
- Technical analysis
- Understanding volatility
- Understanding risk
- Developing a cohesive market view
- Case Studies
Speaker Profile: Vito Turitto
Vito Turitto is a quantitative strategist and researcher with over 15 years of experience within energy, commodity and shipping markets specializing in volatility modelling/forecasting, options analytics, price forecasting and quantamental analytics. He has worked as derivatives trader, options trader and for one of the largest market data and price assessment agencies in the world. Vito is a python enthusiast and has made extensive use of python modules like NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-Learn, statsmodels, SciPy, Plotly, Matplotlib and Keras. Vito has extensively used also external technologies like TensorFlow, SQL and PySpark to build machine and deep learning models as well as database queries. Vito Turitto is passionate about extracting meaningful insights and enjoys building models to forecast and quantify risk in commodities (both derivatives and physical) and shipping markets. Vito produced several quantitative researches on commodity volatility and commodity portfolio management, some of which have been published on prestigious academic journals like the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities’ Global Commodities Applied Research Digest (GCARD). Vito Turitto is also a recurring keynote speaker at numerous commodities conferences, has presented his quantitative researches globally and he is invited as a guest to business and finance TV channels such as ClassCNBC, LeFonti.TV and has also been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal (Oil Market’s Wild Swings Subdued by Options Trading).
- The Trader: Becoming the PnL Generator (Tue 11 Nov; 16:00–19:00)
Location: Theil CB-2
In this masterclass you will become the trader. You will work be introduced to the core concepts a trader encounters. You will apply hedging in practice, position management and maybe the most important thing for a trader: how to become a P&L generator. Content:
- Hedging in Practice
- Position Management
- How to become a P&L generator
- Arbitrage
- Premium Hedging
Speaker Profile: Samuel Basi
Samuel Basi has over 15 years of experience in the metals derivatives and physical markets. He has been a metals trader at Trafigura and a derivatives trader at Greenwich Metals. He is a passionate and driven professional who thrives on delivering value and results to clients and organizations. His core competencies include building and managing trading desks, developing and executing quantitative and systematic strategies, and providing market insights and risk management solutions. In November 2023, Samuel leveraged his extensive trading experience to found Perfectly Hedged LLC, a consultancy and training firm dedicated to demystifying hedging. Recognizing that hedging is often viewed as overly technical and is frequently misunderstood—leading to avoidable and costly mistakes—Perfectly Hedged was created to simplify and clearly explain these critical concepts. He is the author of "Perfectly Hedged: A Practical Guide To Base Metals", a comprehensive guide to hedging in commodity firms. Unlike traditional industry literature, the book is specifically targeted toward middle and back office staff and uses real-world scenarios that employees commonly face in their daily roles. As an Expert Witness specializing in physical and derivative metals trading, Samuel provides independent opinion and analysis in commercial disputes involving pricing, logistics, trade execution, and contract interpretation. Drawing on his hands-on experience across trading desks, operations, and risk management, he brings practical industry knowledge to legal teams, arbitration panels, and courts. His background spans base metals, structured trade flows, hedging strategies, and international trade logistics, enabling him to offer clear, commercially grounded insights in complex cases. Samuel enjoys working with a diverse and talented range of traders, brokers, analysts, and managers. He remains committed to learning new skills and sharing his expertise with others.
- Managing Complex Risks in Commodity Supply Chains: A Leadership Journey (Tue 18 Nov; 16:00–19:00)
Location: Van der Goot M1-19
Commodity trading is, at its core, the art of managing risk. The global, physical nature of commodity supply chains makes this a uniquely complex challenge—one that demands strategic thinking, deep market understanding, and agile decision-making. In this masterclass, you’ll gain firsthand insights from industry leaders in the commodity trading industry. Through real-world case studies, they will explore the intricacies of risk management across agricultural supply chains and share how they navigated their own career paths in this dynamic and high-stakes field.
Speaker Profile: Robert Horster
Robert served as the global Sustainability Leader for Cargill’s Agriculture and Trading Enterprise and the Head of Environmental Markets until December 2024. Prior to these two roles, he led trading, sourcing and sustainability for Cargill’s global edible oils group. In parallel, he also served as Managing Director for Cargill’s oilseeds crush business in EMEA. Before that, he held regional trading roles in the company’s edible oils group. Between 2007 and 2012, Robert headed up Cargill's grain and oilseeds trading for Greater China and Korea, and subsequently energy trading for Asia. Before relocating to Asia, he was the commercial manager for Cargill’s oilseeds crush and animal feed ingredients activities in Benelux. In this capacity, he was involved in setting up non-GM supply chains for soybeans and served on the Kramer-commission, an advisory body to the Dutch government on sustainable biomass. Robert has served on the board of several organizations, including Tract, a pre-competitive digital venture for transparency in commodity flows; the Land Innovation Fund for Sustainable Livelihoods; and the Fats and Oils industry organization for The Netherlands (MVO). Currently, he is Senior Research Fellow at the Erasmus Commodity & Trade Centre at Erasmus University Rotterdam and strategic advisor to Meridia, a venture in sustainability data verification and validation, and CIED, an AgTech start-up.
Speaker Profile: Michiel van der Bom
Michiel van der Bom is a senior leader in global agribusiness with over 24 years at Cargill. Currently serving as VP Product Line Cocoa & Chocolate Europe – West Africa, he leads portfolio strategy across cocoa, chocolate, gourmet, and compound products, while overseeing sustainability initiatives and operations in origin countries.
Throughout his career, Michiel has held a series of strategic and commercial leadership roles, including Global Product Line Director Cocoa, Commercial Director Chocolate, and Trading Manager Tropical Oils. He has successfully led multi-national teams, managed P&Ls, developed global pricing and trading strategies, and driven growth across diverse product lines and geographies—from Europe to Southeast Asia.
Masterclass 1: 28 October 16:00-19:00, Theil CT-1
Masterclass 2: 4 November 16:00-19:00, Theil CB-2
Masterclass 3: 11 November 16:00-19:00, Theil CB-2
Masterclass 4: 25 November 16:00-19:00, Van der Groot M1-19 (Athene)