Rocky Christenberry

Executive Vice President
Priefert

Vice President, Rocky Christenberry, has over 40 years experience in the Manufacturing industry. The experience has led to an extensive knowledge base in steel processing equipment. He is the primary lead in the planning and purchasing as well as implementation of all equipment and buildings for the growth of the company. He has been showcased by several media outlets including Gone to Texas podcast by Dave Quinn and the Mt Pleasant Economic Development Corporation. Rocky is often invited to speak and share industry insights at conferences throughout North America.

Outside of work, his hobbies include running in his spare time. He has run eleven marathons in the last four years and continues to train. He also enjoys working with intricate parts, spending time with his wife, Shari, his kids and grandkids.

David Stickler

Chief Executive Officer
Hybar

David Stickler is the Chief Executive Officer of Hybar, a company that built and operates a technologically advanced environmentally sustainable steel rebar mill in northeast Arkansas. Dave has over thirty years of experience developing, building and operating steel mills in North America and elsewhere in the world. Prior to founding and leading Hybar, Dave founded and led Big River Steel prior to its ultimate sale to U. S. Steel and Nippon.

Dave began his career on Wall Street where he was noted for raising large amounts of capital for steel company clients.

Sean Cleary

CEO
Strategic Resources

Sean Cleary is CEO of Strategic Resources Inc. since 2023. Prior to this, he co-founded BlackRock Metals and as Chairman/CEO merged it with Strategic Resources to develop the BlackRock Project in Quebec partnering with government and private equity. Before BlackRock Metals, he co-founded People Corporation, as Chairman during its formative years and prior to its acquisition by Goldman Sachs. He has also been Senior Vice-President at Quest Capital (now Sprott Resource Corp.) and CFO at the Caratax Fund, a mining and metals fund. He holds a BA Degree from UWO and an MBA from UWO’s Ivey School of Business.

Catherine Cobden

President & CEO
Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA)

Catherine Cobden is the President & CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, representing Canada’s primary steel, and pipe, and tube industry. Member companies produce 13 million tonnes of steel, pipe, and tube products and support over 123,000 jobs in Canada. Ms. Cobden has over 25 years of industry association, regulatory, and advocacy experience in Canada’s national capital of Ottawa. Prior to taking the helm of the CSPA, Ms. Cobden was President of Cobden Strategies Inc. where she provided strategic advice to many private and public sector clients in the areas of forestry, manufacturing, mining, construction, and renewable energy. Ms. Cobden also spent 13 years at the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) where, as Executive Vice President of FPAC, she played a key role in developing the sector’s long-term transformation strategy in response to changing market dynamics and the evolving expectations of civil society. Ms. Cobden is a strong advocate for climate leadership and a founding member of Nature Canada’s “Women for Nature” initiative. In 2021, she was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Lobbyists by The Hill Times. She is a Chemical Engineer from the University of Toronto and is on the Board of Directors of COREM –— a world- recognized innovation organization for Canada’s mining sector. Ms. Cobden lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children. 

Lynn Lupori

Head of Consulting - Americas
CRU

Geoff Gilmore

President & CEO
Worthington Steel

Geoff Gilmore is president and CEO of Worthington Steel (NYSE: WS), a standalone public company that completed its separation from Worthington Industries in December 2023. With nearly 30 years of metals industry experience, Geoff leads Worthington Steel’s operations and strategic growth initiatives, including the company’s recently announced intent to acquire Kloeckner & Co., a global steel service center and metal processing leader that would expand the company’s scale and geographic reach. Prior to his current role, Geoff served in leadership positions across operations, sales and corporate functions, including executive vice president and chief operating officer of Worthington Industries. He also serves on the boards of Worthington Steel, the American Iron and Steel Institute and Valparaiso University.

Timna Tanners

Managing Director, Equity Research
Wells Fargo

Timna Tanners is a Managing Director covering 20 equities in the Americas Metals and Mining sector in addition to forecasting relevant commodities at Wolfe Research, a premier equity research firm. She is a regular speaker at steel industry conferenced and hosts frequent events for clients with corporates and industry experts. Her insights have been featured regularly on business media, such as CNBC and Bloomberg News, including the trademarked term Steelmageddon®. Timna has been ranked #1 in Institutional Investor's All America Poll for nine consecutive years. Prior to October 2021, Timna covered Metals and Mining and Bank of America Securities for over 10 years, and covered the sector for over eight years previously at UBS Investment Bank.

Timna holds an MBA from UCLA, a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern University, and a BA in Politics from Pomona College.

Gaurav Chhibbar

Chief Operating Officer
Friedman Industries Inc

Gaurav is the Chief Operating Officer at Fridman Industries. In his 15-year steel industry career, he has worked in different roles ranging from trading, sourcing to management advisory roles covering risk management, strategy.

Phillip Bell

President and CEO
Steel Manufacturers Association

Philip K. Bell is president of the Washington, DC-based Steel Manufacturers Association, the largest steel industry association in North America.

Before joining SMA as president in 2013, Phil served as director of external communications and public affairs for Gerdau North America, based in Tampa, Florida. He has held executive-level positions with the SGL Carbon Group and Qualitech Steel Corp.

Mr. Bell serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Advisory Committee on Steel (ITAC 11), advising the Secretary of Commerce and United States Trade Representative on trade policy, trade agreements, and other trade related matters that benefit U.S. businesses, workers, and the economy.

He is a member of the National Association of Manufacturing (NAM) Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA) and the Association of Iron & Steel Technology.

Phil has a master’s degree in global strategic communications from the University of Florida.

Rob Simon

Chief Executive Officer
JSW Steel USA

Mr. Simon is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. He began his professional career as a Production Manager, and eventually as General Manager for Oregon Brass Works. He held several key positions at Evraz North America’s Rocky Mountain Steel Mills such as Vice-President & General Manager, and Executive Vice-President for the company’s Tubular Division. His career then expanded to Steel Dynamics, taking the role of Vice-President of Structural Products. He then became the Chief Executive Officer for Bayou Steel Group. Prior to joining JSW USA in March of 2024, he was a consultant for several companies based in Colorado. Mr. Simon has also served on the Executive Committee and as Chairman of the Steel Manufacturers Association, and as a Board Member of the American Institute of Steel Construction.

Matt Bell

President
OmniSource

Matt Bell is the Vice President of Metals Recycling for Steel Dynamics and President of OmniSource.

With more than 25 years of experience in the metals recycling industry, Matt has held senior roles spanning commercial strategy, operations, and business development.

Prior to his current appointment, he led Omni’s ferrous purchasing and sales strategy as Vice President of Commercial and previously held leadership positions with Commercial Metals Company and Scrap Recycling Services.

Drew Gross

President and COO
Alliance Family of Companies

Drew Gross serves as the President and COO of the Alliance Family of Companies, which includes Alliance Steel, Alliance Fabrication and Manufacturing, Alliance Tubular Products, and Alliance Processing Corporation. Drew has proudly led this growing family of companies for the last three years. Before taking the helm as President, Drew served as Corporate Vice President, Vice President of Sales, and Director of Business Development and Marketing. With over 17 years of experience at the company, Drew has played a pivotal role in driving its exponential growth, helping Alliance evolve from a small toll processor into a comprehensive steel provider.   Celebrating over 25 years, Alliance has established itself as a trusted supplier, coil processor, material distributor, fabricator, and manufacturer of structural and mechanical tube products, serving the diverse manufacturing needs of industrial sectors. Drew leads a team that shares his dedication to customer service and constantly innovates to develop custom supply chain solutions that meet the ever-changing demands of the manufacturing landscape.

Nathan Fraser

President
Nucor Sheet Group

Nathan Fraser is President of the Sheet Group at Nucor Corporation.

Nathan began his career with Nucor in May 1999 as a Metallurgical Engineer at Nucor Steel Arkansas. In June 2002, he transferred to Nucor Steel Decatur and held various Melt Shop production positions through the brownfield start-up. In January 2006, he transitioned to the Material Handling Manager position and served in that capacity until April 2012, when he became the SPS IT Manager for the Sheet, Plate and Structural Groups. After six ERP implementations over a few years that felt like ten, he returned to Decatur as the Cold Mill Manager in October 2014.

In January 2018, Nathan was named General Manager of Nucor Tubular Products and was elected a Vice President of Nucor in January 2020. In January 2021, he was named Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel Indiana, where he served until being named to his current role in May 2023.

Nathan holds a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and completed Wharton’s two-year Executive Education General Management Program in 2024.

John Ganem

CEO
Kloeckner Metals

Ganem transitioned to CEO from the position of Executive Vice President, Corporate Purchasing where he managed a procurement organization with an annual spend in excess of $2.5 billion. His responsibilities included long-term strategic planning, networking capital management, supplier relationships, and the development of supply chain efficiencies through digital innovation. Ganem held the same position with Macsteel Service Centers USA prior to Kloeckner’s acquisition of the company in 2011. He started his career at LTV Steel in 1991 as an automotive account manager before joining Macsteel International Corporation as Vice President, Flat Products Trading in 1996. Ganem has served on the Kloeckner Metals Corporation Board of Directors since 2014. Ganem has also been appointed to the Management Board of parent company Klöckner & Co as of August 1, 2019.He is a graduate of Brown University and holds degrees in both Business Economics and Organizational Behavior and Management.

Abey Abraham

Managing Principal
Ducker Carlisle

Abey is a Managing Principal at Ducker Carlisle where he leads Ducker’s automotive and materials practice, specializing in transportation, mobility, and electrification related client needs. Abey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Michigan State University. He has over 20 years of experience in the automotive materials space, understanding key drivers and strategic elements of lightweighting, materials substitution, and joining, and expertise in metallic and non-metallic materials. Clients value Abey’s expertise and leadership in pursuing growth strategies (organic and inorganic) to optimize solutions to address dynamic mobility and lightweighting trends and its supply chain. Abey serves on the executive board of the Society of Automotive Analysts and is on the editorial advisory board for Lightweighting World Magazine. He is also an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Michele Arbaugh

Metals Procurement Expert.
Tesla

Staff Supply Chain Manager, Raw Materials Steel Team Lead, Tesla. Michele Arbaugh is an experienced procurement professional specializing in the management of both carbon and stainless steel across the NA region for the past 13 years.  She leads her team focusing on key activities such as strategic sourcing, relationship management, negotiation, risk mitigation, product cost, market analysis and sustainability. Michele continues to successfully demonstrate her deep understanding of the steel industry and expertise in commodity management.  She is known for her passion, commitment and continuous pursuit of excellence, making her a highly respected leader and mentor in the industry. Michele holds an MPA, Environmental Concentration and a BA in Political Science, minoring in Spanish and is a member of AWMI.

Barry Zekelman

Executive Chairman and CEO
Zekelman Industries

Barry Zekelman, born in Windsor, Ontario, assumed leadership of Atlas Tube in 1986, at only 19years old, after his father’s unexpected passing. Under Barry’s leadership, the company grew from$1.5 million to $1.2 billion in revenue by 2006 and pioneered advances in manufacturing excellence.

Today, Zekelman Industries has capacity to manufacturer more than 3.3 million tons of steel pipe and tube annually, employs 3,200+ people, and generates over $4billion in sales. As Executive Chairman and CEO, Barry continues to champion innovation and fights furiously for the future of domestic manufacturing.

Alex Hacking

Equity Research Analyst
Citi

Alex Hacking has been an Equity Research Analyst at Citi since 2004.  He covers steel & mining stocks across the Americas region including the US, Canada, Brazil & Mexico.   Alex has an M.Eng from Cambridge University and an MBA from UC Berkeley.    

Lewis E. Leibowitz

Principal
The Law Office of Lewis E. Leibowitz

Lewis Leibowitz practices law, concentrating on international trade policy, administrative proceedings and litigation. He represents international and domestic clients handling complex international trade matters involving proceedings in the US and abroad.  He also advises foreign and domestic companies on trade opportunities and challenges in the United States and around the world involving trade restrictions and other trade problems.  He speaks frequently on international trade legal and policy issues and writes extensively on legal and policy issues.  Lewis is conversant with a wide variety of industries and issues, including the steel and automotive industries, textiles, energy, and technology. The new trade order and trade agreements are key features of his current practice, including strategic advice on political and legal issues involving trade.

Jeff Moskaluk

Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer
SSAB Americas

Jeff Moskaluk is Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of SSAB Americas, a leading steel plate producer in North America. Jeff joined SSAB (formerly IPSCO) in July 1990 with increasing responsibilities in the areas of sales, operations, marketing, trade, communications, government relations, and business planning. In September 2011, Jeff was promoted to the role of vice president and chief commercial officer. In October of 2017 he was named senior vice president. Jeff's current responsibilities include oversight of SSAB Americas commercial activities, marketing and trade portfolio, and SSAB Americas' business unit teams. Jeff attended Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and graduated with a bachelor's degree and a graduate diploma in Business Administration.

Greg Lovelace

Senior Vice President of Marketing & Business Development
Port Tampa Bay

Greg Lovelace is Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Port Tampa Bay and is responsible for new business development for the Port of Tampa. He is also responsible for managing the port tariff, maintaining port statistics and trade data and is involved with strategic planning for the Authority. Mr. Lovelace began his career with the Port Authority in March of 1996. He received a BS Degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina in 1985 and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of New Orleans in 1994. Prior to his employment with the Port Authority, he was employed for ten years with Evergreen, one of the largest container shipping lines in the world. Greg serves on the Executive Committee of the Gulf Seaports Marine Terminal Conference, an association of U.S. Gulf ports authorized to discuss, fix and regulate rates, and previously served as their Chairman.Greg also serves as the President of the CSCMP Central Florida Roundtable and previously served on the Board in various capacities.

Dan Brown

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
U. S. Steel

Daniel Brown leads advanced steelmaking technology for U. S. Steel and serves as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Big River Steel Works. With over 31 years at U. S. Steel, Dan has held leadership roles across domestic and international operations, including Serbia and key U.S. facilities. He oversees operations at Big River Steel and the company’s new mill in Osceola, Arkansas. Dan holds a B.S. in Business Logistics from Penn State and an MBA in Finance from Duquesne University.

Alan Price

Partner and International Trade Group Practice Chair
Wiley Rein LLP

Alan Price is a partner at Wiley and co-chair of its International Trade Practice, named “Practice Group of the Year” by Law360 for 13 years.

With over 35 years of experience, Alan advises clients on complex international trade regulatory matters, including litigation involving public and government relations.

He represents domestic steel producers on trade and tariff issues, Section 232 national security, antidumping and countervailing duties, trade legislation, customs, export restraints, and climate-related trade matters.

For nearly two decades, Chambers USA has recognized Alan as one of the nation’s “Leading Lawyers” in international trade.

Josh Spoores

Principal Analyst, Steel
CRU

Josh Spoores has spent over 20 years in market research and analytical roles in the wider steel industry. Joining CRU in 2012 as a Principal Analyst after 8 years of experience at a steel service center and a mill, Spoores is now CRU’s steel subject matter expert.

In this role, he works closely with clients, prospects, and the wider industry in leveraging CRU’s market-leading data to enhance strategic insights and improve decision making.

Ethan Bernard

Managing Editor
Steel Market Update

Ethan Bernard is a Reporter and Editor for Steel Market Update.  He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM's monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015-2017.  With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University.

Michael Cowden

Editor-in-Chief
Steel Market Update

Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief of Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube as well as aluminum.  Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago,  the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh.  He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

David Schollaert

Deputy Editor in Chief
Steel Market Update

David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his experience and expertise is within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service.  Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metal buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers