• WPC 2024
  • March 18-22, 2024

Anthony Potter

S&P Global Commodity Insights

Vice President - Chemicals, Derivatives, Plastics & Materials

Tony Potter has over 40 years experience in the chemical industry in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and currently serves as Global Vice President – Chemicals, Derivatives, Plastics & Materials in S&P Global’s Commodity Insights business. Tony joined Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI) in March 2006 as Director of Olefins – Europe, Middle East & Africa. In 2009, Tony moved to Dubai as Managing Director, Middle East & India, IHS Chemical Consulting, where he led numerous studies, serving many of the major oil and chemical companies in the Middle East. These have ranged from project-feasibility through acting as market and technical consultant to lenders; market and competitive analysis; cost and profitability analysis; benchmarking, organizational design and strategy development. Tony transferred to Singapore at the beginning of 2013 as Vice President, Asia Pacific, leading the business development activities of the Chemical business until his return to Europe in April 2018 as Global Head of the Specialty Chemicals Insight business.

Tony began his career as a graduate recruit with Exxon Chemical in 1983 in the UK. He held a number of plant supervision, project management and planning management positions before transferring to Exxon’s European head office in Brussels, where he held investment planning and industry analysis positions for the Basic Chemicals business group. Tony has a B.Eng in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London.

Sessions With Anthony Potter

Wednesday, 20 March

Thursday, 21 March

  • 08:00am - 09:30am (CST) / 21/mar/2024 01:00 pm - 21/mar/2024 02:30 pm

    Olefins in a Time of Turbulence

    Finding growth opportunities and managing energy transition through an industry trough
    The olefins and derivatives market is going through challenging margins currently. However, even amdist the industry trough, there are growth opportunities for some key geographies to capitalise on and emerging technologies to manage energy transition issues. 

    8:00 AM: Welcome Remarks - Tony Potter, Vice President - Chemicals, Derivatives, Plastics & Materials, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    8:05 AM: A Leading Player's View on the Future of the Olefins Industry - Edward Stones, Business Vice President, Energy and Climate, Dow
    8:30 AM: Global Ethylene Overview: Viewing the Energy Transition from the Trough - Walt Hart, Olefins Americas Lead, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    Although ethylene markets are currently in a margin trough, the industry will eventually recover, and operating rates will improve. Meanwhile, Energy Transition and Sustainability developments are very dynamic, making future success a moving target. Despite recent adversity, it is important to position for the future upcycle market reflecting demand growth trends, effects on feedstocks and other market influences while many countries decarbonize. This presentation will review the current ethylene market situation and discuss some of the uncertainties impacting the recovery.
    8:45 AM: Global Propylene Overview - How do you solve a "problem" like on-purpose production steps? - Larry Tan, Chemicals Insight, APAC Lead, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    What is the status and role of on-purpose propylene production steps in the current challenging times of over-supply and low margins, especially in China ? Are there solutions in managing through the industry trough?
    9:00 AM: Global C4s and Butadiene Overview - Will China be the next “game changer” ? - Bernd Helbing, Director, C4s & Elastomers, Lead, S&P Global Commodity Insights 
    “Second wave” of new BDE extraction units.
    9:15 AM: Q&A