Angie Joe, vice president at Argus Media, leads the butadiene and crude C4 service. Her responsibilities include the price outlooks as well as supply/demand/trade balances. Angie’s expertise of almost two decades spans the entire value chain — from market analysis and forecasting to corporate development and project execution. Her previous roles include power provider and generator Entergy and Fusion Brokerage.
Mr. Hyde is a member of Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS a Dow Jones Company where he leads a group focused on analyzing markets related to C4 Olefins, synthetic and natural rubber, and tire raw materials. He has been consulting in this market since 2002. Hyde began his career with the Union Carbide Corporation in 1990 where he had various positions including production engineering, optimization, planning, and logistics. In 2000, he joined Texas Petrochemicals as a Business Analyst. In 2002, Hyde joined CMAI in the Olefins Consulting Practice with an emphasis on C4 Olefins and rubber, assuming responsibility for that practice in 2006. CMAI was sold to IHS in 2011 and later became IHS Markit. The Base Chemicals Group of IHS Markit, which includes the C4 Olefins and Elastomers Practice, was divested to News Corp in June 2022 and became Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS a Down Jones Company. He has published a number of papers on the Olefins and Elastomers industries as well as presented at numerous Olefins and Elastomers Conferences around the world. Hyde has B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from Tulane University.
Dave Witte is a senior executive and strategist with nearly 40 years of leadership across the global energy, chemicals, analytics, and industrial biotechnology sectors. As Co-Founder and CEO of BioVerde Tech LLC, he leads the company’s efforts for commercialization of methane-to-chemicals technology and has secured major federal awards and key technology transfers. Dave previously founded Witte Consulting, advising EPC firms, private equity investors, and analytics companies on growth strategy and energy-transition opportunities. His earlier career includes CEO of MBP Titan and a decade of executive leadership at IHS Markit overseeing a multi-billion-dollar portfolio. He is recognized for strategic insight, operational excellence, technological knowledge and unlocking commercial value in complex global markets.
Dr. Anil K. Bhowmick is a globally recognized authority in polymer science and engineering, with pioneering contributions to rubber technology, polymer nanocomposites, sustainable materials, and smart polymers. Educated at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and IIT Kharagpur, he advanced his research at the University of Akron before returning to IIT Kharagpur, where he rose to Professor of Eminence and held key leadership roles, including Director of IIT Patna. Since 2019, he has been with the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering. At the Cullen College of Engineering, Dr. Bhowmick’s research interests include polymer nanocomposites and nanomaterials, thermoplastic elastomers and polymer blends, molecular dynamic simulation of polymers, new and novel sustainable polymers from renewable sources, polymer modi cation, rubber technology, failure and degradation of rubbers, adhesion and adhesives, waste rubber recycling, sustainable polymers from renewable sources, and self-healing and smart polymers. Dr. Bhowmick is the first Asian recipient of the ACS Rubber Division’s George Stafford Whitby Award and Chemistry of Thermoplastic Elastomers Award and has earned numerous honors including the Fred E. Schwab International Education Award (2019) and the Syed Husain Zaheer Medal (2020). He is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, Indian National Science Academy, and several other prestigious institutions.
Dr. Soumya Vinod is the Executive Director of the Rice Advanced Materials Institute (RAMI), where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the institute’s vision and impact. In this role, she drives program development, spearheads innovative initiatives, and builds strong partnerships across academia, government, and industry. She has a wealth of experience in idea generation, team leadership, and research management across diverse technology readiness levels in both industrial and academic settings., Soumya brings a unique perspective from both industrial and academic environments. Previously, she served as Director of Research and New Products at Clarkson Aerospace Corp, managing a multi-year collaborative program involving over 20 universities and sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Materials Scientist at Baker Hughes, developing advanced materials and technologies for downhole applications. Soumya earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and NanoEngineering from Rice University and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her academic excellence was recognized with the prestigious Nettie S. Autrey Fellowship, and she has authored several impactful publications contributing to the scientific community.
Fellipe Balieiro, director for the Mobility and Energy Futures practice at S&P Global Energy, provides expert analysis on how the automotive ecosystem impacts fuel demand and influences the energy and automotive industries, as well as deep insight into broader mobility trends. Fellipe leads analysis of how changes in the automotive ecosystem translate into changes in fuel consumption of the light vehicle fleet, which includes insights on the impacts from alternative powertrain configurations, telecommuting, mobility services, and vehicle automation. In addition, he manages all analysis on the effects of decarbonization trends, mobility policy, and regulations on fuel consumption. Fellipe co-authors the Pulse of Change, a monthly report that tracks and assesses the electric evolution of the light vehicle fleet, and other reports relating to vehicle electrification, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and mobility-related topics that influence total light vehicle miles traveled. Previously, Fellipe led the light vehicle fuel demand analysis of the ground-breaking study, "Reinventing the Wheel (RTW): The future of cars, oil, chemicals, and electric power," a joint effort by the energy, automotive, and chemical teams at IHS Markit (now part of S&P Global). More than 30 companies in the automotive, energy and chemical industries participated in this year-long effort. RTW is now an ongoing service (Mobility and Energy Future) providing insight and context for how developing mobility trends impact the energy, automotive, and chemical industries. Fellipe holds a Chemical Engineering Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston. He is fluent in English and Portuguese, and conversational in Spanish.
John Sherwin is a Smithers Information Project Director located in North America. John has over thirty years of experience delivering market research in a variety of settings. Before joining Smithers in 2024 he spent six years with Ernst & Young’s Center for Business Knowledge, and 19 years at the Freedonia Group as a manager and a director of their Custom Research group. He has experience in market forecasting, consumer research, value-chain, and competitor analysis. John has worked on a broad range of industries with a focus on packaging, chemicals, construction materials and other industrial markets. In his current role, John helps clients gather a deep understanding of their business goals. This is accomplished by developing in-depth research programs to provide visibility into markets and niches, gather insights, and provide an unbiased view of the key market challenges. These efforts allow our clients to evaluate their strategic plans and make decisions based upon credible data and analysis, supported by robust research conclusions and recommendations. John holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and an MBA from Cleveland State University.
Michael Ulbrich is an independent strategic advisor and investor working with CEOs and senior executives in the chemical and synthetic rubber industries on situations where regulation, cost pressure, and market shifts directly affect competitiveness, capital allocation, and strategic options across regions. He supports leadership teams in translating regulatory and policy developments into second-order business implications — including margin impact, portfolio choices, supply-chain positioning, and investment priorities — particularly for asset-intensive businesses operating across the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Since 2024, Michael has advised IISRP on global regulatory developments and their strategic relevance for synthetic rubber producers worldwide. Michael brings more than 25 years of experience from senior roles at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Accenture, where he worked with global chemical and materials companies on restructuring, cost transformation, and strategic repositioning under volatile market and regulatory conditions. His work spans both growth and distress scenarios, with a strong focus on decision-critical trade-offs rather than compliance execution. In parallel, Michael is an active investor and board advisor to industrial and technology ventures, giving him direct exposure to how regulation, innovation, and capital discipline intersect in real operating and investment decisions. He holds an M.Sc. in Engineering from Technische Universität Berlin and an MBA from INSEAD.
Michael Weidokal is one of the world's most sought-after speakers and is renowned for his ability to clarify even the most complex economic, geopolitical and strategic issues. For over 25 years, Michael has been speaking and writing on issues ranging from the outlook for the global economy to how organizations can succeed in a rapidly changing world. Michael is also the founder and president of ISA (International Strategic Analysis), one of the world's leading economic and geopolitical advisory firms. The World's Leading Economic and Geopolitical Speaker Over 500 live speeches in more than 35 countries - Over 400 online speeches
Scott leads both applied Artificial Intelligence and Carbon Neutrality roadmap development at Solstice Advanced Materials, partnering with manufacturing teams to turn site data into measurable operational improvements. He builds Large Language Model (LLM) solutions that boost site productivity and develops traditional machine learning models that improve yield, reliability, and energy efficiency. He has a background in chemical engineering and has 9 years of experience in the chemical manufacturing industry, including plant operations, environmental compliance, decarbonization, and artificial intelligence. The American Chemistry Council named him a Future Leader in Sustainability in 2024. Scott is also the creator of SharperWithAI.net, a free resource that teaches professionals how to leverage AI to improve their work and personal lives.
Steve Williams is VP for C5 and Hydrocarbon Resins at Argus Media, Inc. Steve is responsible for overseeing the C5 consulting and editorial publications, including the monthly C5 and Hydrocarbon Resins Report and the Hydrocarbon Resins Annual Analytics. Steve has been with Argus since 2020 and has more than 40 years of experience in the petrochemical industry. He spent 28 years with The Dow Chemical Company (now Dow Inc.), a global petrochemical company, as well as seven years with Chemium International, a Houston-based petrochemical trading firm. Mr. Williams served in numerous roles at Dow, including sourcing feedstocks for ethylene production, managing NGL joint venture interests and managing the Americas aromatics and derivatives businesses. As a part of his aromatics business responsibilities, he interfaced with many C5 monomer suppliers and developed an extensive knowledge of feedstock, olefin and downstream operations. Steve is an expert in pygas-related co-products, including C5 monomers, DCPD and related aromatic processing co-products serving as feed for hydrocarbon resin production.