Achieving business agility through CTRM systems

Don’t miss a new webcast by Energy Risk and Openlink on the business benefits of commodity trading and risk management (CTRM) software.

Today’s narrow margins mean that utilities and energy traders need to cut costs and improve efficiencies across the board. Standardizing business processes is key to lowering operational costs. Being nimble enough to move quickly into new markets and launch new products is also essential for small start-ups and larger incumbents alike. A firm’s choice and selection of a CTRM will be crucial in the battle to become as agile as possible. It is this business agility that will sort the winners from the losers.

In this webcast, panelists discuss how the industry is responding to these new pressures and what still needs to change. Topics include:

• Industry standardization: What’s been achieved and how much more can be done?
• Consolidation of legacy systems: Is it always practical?
• Accelerator packaged solutions that offer pre-built configuration of standard business processes: How useful are they?
• Benefits of cloud deployment.
• Automated testing services to speed up new product testing prior to launch: What is available and what can be achieved?

Speakers

Stella Farrington

Senior Writer, Commodities Desk, Risk.net

Stella Farrington is a London-based senior writer on the commodities desk of Risk.net, covering risk management, trading and regulation in regard to companies in the energy and commodity derivatives markets. She has more than 15 years’ experience of reporting on the physical and financial energy markets. During that time, Stella has followed the development and evolution of the markets as they responded to the different influences of the time, from the 2001 collapse of Enron to the Gulf War in 2003 and the 2008 financial crisis, which spawned the current draft of derivatives regulation. Previously, Stella was the editor of Energy Risk for eight years, starting in 2005. Before that she was a reporter on the energy desk at Dow Jones Newswires for five years.

Brynne Parker

Partner, Baringa Partners

Brynne is a Partner in the Energy and Commodity Trading practice at Baringa Partners and has consulted in the trading sector for 16 years. His clients include many of the major Energy and Commodity Trading firms in Europe. He combines excellent end-to-end trading business knowledge with the experience to design and deliver the full range of Trading systems and functionality to support his clients in reaching their strategic targets. Brynne is valued by his clients for his ability to solve complex business and IT challenges and to manage contrasting and challenging stakeholder expectations. Brynne is often engaged by clients to lead the turnaround of challenging projects, or to define the IT strategy and roadmaps for future trading landscapes.

Matthew Wrigley

Engagement Director, Professional Services team, Openlink

Matthew joined Openlink in 2015 as an Engagement Director for the Professional Services team. Prior to joining Openlink Matthew was working as a Business Information Manager for RWE Supply and Trading; in his 22 year career Matthew has also worked at Centrica Energy, Accenture and American Express in a variety of project and programme roles. Matthew has spent the last 2 years of his career working with a wide range of clients across the energy sector extending the Endur footprint with the likes of Viridian, EP Trading and Mitsui. A graduate in Business and Logistics from the University of Aston, Matthew lives in Gloucestershire and is based in Openlink’s London office.

Jeremy Lock

Independent Consultant

Jeremy is an independent consultant and Non-Executive Director with 40 years’ experience in the energy sector working on behalf of companies such as British Energy and EDF Trading Ltd. An early career working in nuclear plant and power generation design, followed by a period supporting British Energy’s formation as a private Nuclear power generator/trader/retailer, he has spent the last 20 years leading business system information technology, development and operations in energy trading and retail supply, most recently (7 years) as CIO for EDF Trading Ltd.’s global commodity trading business. Jeremy has extensive experience of selection, implementation and business ownership of packaged ETRM systems, and the build and operation of equivalent bespoke platforms. He was a cofounder and recent chairman of the European Energy Trading CIO Forum, coordinating regular diverse agenda’s across the community of 14 energy trading businesses, and he was a Board member of the CpML standards board. He is a NED at ChargeSync Ltd a startup business seeking to bring battery storage and optimization to the B2C markets.