In any new strategy and associated business ventures relating to the commodities sectors, the following issues can be considered:

• Clarification of the new potential business opportunities for your company which can be viewed from both banking and engineering standpoints;
• Since each requirement is a special case, the scope and breadth of the risk profile which needs to be identified in accordance with your management requirements;
• The nature of the mining/metallurgical and hydrocarbon upstream/downstream/chemical processing sectors which continue to underpin many of the emerging market business opportunities at this time and represent Solens' main fields of activity;
• Optimization of resource allocation which can result in the development of bankable business opportunities.

Company Management

Mark Hodgson, Director, received his BSc (Eng), in Mineral Processing, and PhD, which focused on kimberlite alteration and diamond extraction, from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College. He later attended the Henley Business School where he obtained an MBA from Brunel University, University of London. He took up research and process engineering posts firstly at INCO in Canada and subsequently at BP Minerals in London. After transferring to technology evaluation for BP, he subsequently went on to UBS where his experience of the mineral and petroleum sectors was applied in the development of various structured trade and project finance transactions worldwide. He later moved to KBC as Vice President responsible for the Former Soviet Union and Mongolia before setting up SCL.  Mark is a Chartered Engineer registered with FEANI, has authored 14 scientific and financial papers and is a Member of the Institution of Materials, Minerals and Mining as well as of the Energy Institute.

Fiona Murray, Director, received her BSc in Computer Science from Westfield College, University of London. Fiona played a major role in the implementation of the Companies News Service (now RNS) as the London Stock Market moved from paper to electronic trading. She has since undertaken contractual projects at LIFFE, O2 and the AA specializing in contractual risk issues, operational risk and communication technology. She is currently involved in quantitative risk overviews featuring SCL’s QVS system which provides quantitative measures of default and risk reward profiles in addition to developing methodologies for collating research data to facilitate the assessment of risk in structured finance transactions.

Partners/Alliances

Cass Business School - the internationally renowned business university - SCL provides input to courses on commodity and trade finance

DRUM Risk Management - focuses on due diligence/risk appraisal and collateral management/inspection: SCL provides technical advice and credit analysis

Global Trade Review - SCL provides input on the area of quantitative risk assessment which is especially topical given the developments involving Basel II

LTP Trade - providing comprehensive solutions to banks, companies and other institutions involved in international trade finance.