Programme of Activities

Ms. Johnson is a former director of the National Association for Business Economics and the NABE Foundation, and was named a NABE Fellow in 2014.  She is a member of the American Economic Association and serves on Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ Board of Economic Advisors.

Juan Carlos Rodado is the Head of Natixis Latin America Research since 2013. He has over 10 years of working experience on Emerging Markets. Prior to building his research team in New York, he served as Senior Economist for EM Europe at Natixis’ headquarters in Paris. Juan Carlos has covered more than 40 Emerging Markets including Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and Hungary and developed investment strategies in the FX, bond and equity markets. He began his career in 2006 as EMEA Economist for IXIS-CIB in Paris. Juan Carlos earned a Master degree in International Economics from Paris-Dauphine and a Ph.D. in Financial Macroeconomics from Paris-Sorbonne under the direction of Patrick Artus, one of Europe’s most influential economists. Juan Carlos was a professor of economics at INSEEC from 2009 to 2012 and has lectured in numerous universities.

Arlindo Filho Eira is a partner at McKinsey & Company, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is considered one of the leaders in the area of infrastructure in San Pablo and of McKinsey in Latin America, an area that includes airports, ports, highways, railways, water and sanitation, urban mobility, heavy construction and housing market. Arlindo joined McKinsey in 2003 through Cleveland headquarters in the US and in 2004 he moved to Brazil. Arlindo has a Degree in Economics and Law in Brazil and has a MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at the Northwestern University, obtaining the Siebel Scholar Award and the Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School, Harvard University. He has a wide experience in the diverse range of infrastructure assets in Latin America, providing services to governments, regulators, planners and operators leaders.

Keith Tan is senior managing editor for steel and raw materials at S&P Global Platts, having joined in 2007 after earlier stints at petrochemical market information provider ICIS and DaimlerChrylser. Initially covering the Asian petrochemical markets out of the company’s Singapore office, Keith joined the metals group in 2010 and was part of the team that built the benchmark Iron Ore Index. He relocated to Shanghai in 2015 to expand the team’s coverage of Chinese steel exports and pricing. Keith graduated with first class honors from the National University of Singapore.

Geologist Engineer graduated from the Ouro Preto Federal University, Minas Gerais, Brazil (1982). Graduate studies in geostatistics and mining planning (1989). Further graduate studies in Subsoil Resources Valorization from the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine, France (1993). Began in the iron ore sector in 1986. Currently responsible for the South America Vale Iron Ore Sales and Commercial Administration, including the areas of follow-up steel projects with Vale ownership, governance and new business in the iron ore sector. Previous experience in iron ore mining companies, namely, Manabi, MMX, Vale, Samarco, and Samitri, in Brazil and abroad. Worked in iron ore sales, commercial management, technical customer assistance, economic evaluation of mineral assets, mining operation and mine planning, geological research, iron ore deposits modeling, iron ore resources and reserves estimation.

Adam Hersh is a Senior Economist focusing on economic growth and inequality in the United States, China, and the global economy. Adam co-authored the report “The American Middle Class, Income Inequality, and the Strength of Our Economy: New Evidence in Economics,” and publishes and is cited regularly in both academic and popular venues. Adam is a frequent commentator on economic and economic policy issues for a variety of media outlets, including NPR, CNBC, BBC, and Al Jazeera, and advises policymakers and civil society leaders in the United States and around the world. Adam travels frequently to Asia and has been a guest lecturer at dozens of universities in China as well as a visiting scholar at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Adam taught macroeconomics and monetary and financial economics, and worked with the Asian Development Bank, the Political Economy Research Institute, the Center for Economic and Policy Research, and the Economic Policy Institute. Adam earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a B.A. in international political economy at the University of Puget Sound.

Mr. John Johnson is a well-known expert on the global steel, metals and mining industry, having been researching and consulting on these industries for over 20 years. He is also an authority on China, where he resides today, and his views on the Chinese metals industry are sought by executives around the world. He joined CRU London in September 1989. Between 1989 and 1994 he was a consultant in non-ferrous metals.  Since 1994 he was Research Manager of the Steel team, and went on to lead CRU’s Steel Group Business. In 2000, Mr Johnson was responsible for developing the CRU steel price index. In 2004, he was appointed as CRU’s Manager in China, responsible for CRU Group affairs. He regularly presents on the Chinese and Global commodities industry, and is a committee member of the Global Mining Association of China.

Gregory J. Spak is the Chairman of the International Trade Group of the global law firm, White & Case.  Mr. Spak has extensive experience representing clients in the steel industry in the United States and in other jurisdictions.  He has handled antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard cases for Latin American steel producers exporting to the United States, and he has advised several Latin American governments on aspects of their steel trade policy.  He also has assisted steel industry clients obtain trade remedies in instances of misappropriation of trade secrets, and on issues involving customs regulation, government procurement, and economic sanctions. In recent years, he has gained significant experience handling disputes before the World Trade Organization (WTO), serving as lead counsel in several proceedings before WTO panels and the Appellate Body. Mr. Spak is a 1984 graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and a 1987 graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center.

Keiji Inoue is Senior Economic Affairs Officer of the International Trade and Integration Division the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). He began his career at the United Nations in 1995 when he served as fiscal policy expert at ECLAC. Later, he was in charge of macroeconomic analysis of the region in the Policy Analysis and the Development Division at the United Nations headquarter in New York and was coordinator of the Working Group to analyze the Millennium Goal number 8. He earned his Master in International Trade and Development at the Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and his BA from Tufts University in the United States.

Graduate in Economics at the University of Rio de Janeiro. Specialist in Economic Engineering and Industrial Administration from COPPE/UFRJ, in Financial Management from the Getulio Vargas Foundation and Management of Program and Projects of the Administration Institute of the University of Sao Paulo. He has worked in the Brazilian public sector, being Secretary of Production Development at the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Superintendent of the Manaus Free Zone, Secretary of Industrial Policies and Secretary of Metallurgical Industries, respectively, in the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Jose Carlos Martins is President of the Brazilian Chamber of Construction Industry since July of 2014. It is a civil engineer from the Federal University of Parana. He was president of the Association of Business Leaders of the Housing Market of Parana – Ademi PR – between 1998-2001, and Vice-President of the Union of Civil Construction Industry of the State of Parana, Sinduscon-PR, from 2001 to 2004. Then, between 2010 and 2012 he was President of the National Commission of Technological Development of the Housing Ministry of the Brazilian Cities and was Vice President of the Brazilian Chamber of the Construction Industry between 2001-2014.

Current Director General of worldsteel. Mr Basson began his career in the banking industry to later join the steelmaker Iscor Ltd., where he was Chief Economist and Unit Manager of the Flat and Coated Steel Division. In 2004, he joined Mittal Steel (now ArcelorMittal) where he was Vice-President in charge of Commercial Coordination, Marketing and Trade Policy. PhD in Economics from the University of Pretoria, where he was also a senior lecturer and researcher.

Becky is a global steel industry professional who has served as an equity analyst, project finance and mergers and acquisitions investment banker, cost modeling expert, industry trend macro and micro consultant, expert witness and C-level strategic planning consultant. In 2012, she formed Steel-Insights, LLC, a strategic consulting firm focused on the steel, metals and manufacturing industries. Prior to Steel-Insights, Becky was a Managing Partner of World Steel Dynamics Inc., the world’s leading steel information firm run by Peter Marcus, where she worked for almost a decade tracking and forecasting trends in the global steel industry. While there she created a number of products including the Steel Thermometer (now Steel Scorecard) and the Steel Cyclone (detailed cost modeling reports for both integrated and mini-steel mills producing both flat rolled and rebar in the USA, Europe, China and the Middle East).

José Ignacio Giraudo is the Executive General Director (CEO) of Acindar Arcelor Mittal since 2012. He joined Acindar in 1979 in Corporate Planning and worked in various finance positions. In 2006 he was appointed Executive Director of Administration and Finance and was responsible of Planning and Management Control, Accounting and Taxes, Finance, Treasury, Credit and Collections, SGR and Informatics. Currently he is also Vice President of the Acindar Foundation, President of the Argentine Chamber of Steel (CAA) and a member of the Board of Alacero. He has a degree in Economics from the University of Morón (Argentina). He also attended several graduate courses in Argentina and abroad (IAE - IEBusiness School - Business INSEAD Executive Education). He specializes in capital market and debt restructuring.

André Bier Gerdau Johannpeter is the CEO of Gerdau since January of 2007.  At the beginning of 2008, Mr. Gerdau became also a member of Gerdau’s Administrative Council. He has 29 years experience in the organization and, before being appointed CEO, led the global areas of Marketing and Sales, Metallics, Supplies, Logistics, Personnel Management and Organizational Development.  Prior to that, he was Vice President of the Executive Committee and COO of Gerdau Ameristeel – company responsible for the operations in Canada and the United States.  He is a member of the Administrative Council of Gerdau Ameristeel since 2002.  He also worked in the areas of Information Technology, Sales, Human Resources, and Strategic Planning.
He graduated in Business Administration at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.  He complemented his academic studies with courses in General Business Administration at the University of Toronto, Canada, Marketing at Ashridge, England, and Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, United States.

Executive Chairman, Ternim México. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Ferrasa in Colombia. He has held several other executive positions since joining the Techint Group in 1992, such as Director of Ternium Mexico’s international and steel purchase operations, Commercial Director and Export Manager of Sidor and Commercial Planning Manager of Siderar. Currently is Vice President of Nuevo Leon’s industry chamber and Vicepresident of the Mexican iron and steel industry Chamber. B.S. degree in industrial engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires and a M.S degree in Management from Stanford University.