We are a Swiss-based strategy consultancy advising Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies, investment banks and fund managers.
Our value proposition is based on our ability to view the economy through the lens of the chemical industry, which is proven to be the best leading indicator for the global economy:
- Our approach is data-driven, and we cover areas where the team has long-term expertise such as developments in China, oil markets, geopolitics, as well as chemicals/plastics themselves and their key end-uses – autos, housing and electronics.
- Our privileged position as advisers to investors and corporates enables us to operate in a ‘sweet spot’ where we can help investors to better understand companies’ key priorities, and help companies to understand investor needs.
- Having successfully forecasted the 2008 subprime crash, we were able to use the analysis in our 2011 book, ‘Boom, Gloom and the New Normal’ to identify how changing demographics mean that businesses need to move from being supply-driven to being demand-led.
- Via our analysis of the need “to do more with less”, we were also one of the first to identify the importance of the waste plastics/circular economy issue, and how sustainability is replacing globalisation as a key driver for the future.
THE NEW NORMAL TEAM
Paul Hodges
Is a trusted adviser to major companies and the investment community, and has a proven track record of accurately identifying key trends in global marketplaces. He is chairman of New Normal Consulting and a Global Expert with the World Economic Forum.
His consulting work focuses on the major paradigm shifts taking place in the global economy in Demand Patterns, Reshoring of Supply Chains, Renewable Energy, Circular Economy, Advanced Manufacturing and Financial Markets. He is a regular speaker at international and industry conferences.
Paul also serves as Advisory Board chairman for Infinity Recycling and non-executive Chairman of NiTech Solutions, and is an Advisory Board member for the Buildings & Cities journal. Prior to moving into consulting in 1995, Paul spent 17 years with Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in the UK and USA. He held senior executive positions in petrochemicals and chloralkali, and was Executive Director of a $1 billion ICI business.
Daniël de Blocq van Scheltinga
Was the first foreigner to be granted permission to run the finance company of a top-tier Chinese State Owned Enterprise, when establishing and managing ChemChina Finance Company. Previously, Daniël held a variety of senior positions in corporate and investment banking, including as Asia Pacific Head of Chemicals and Asia Head Asset Based Finance for ABN AMRO.
He moved to Hong Kong in 2001, and continues to spend much of his time in China, advising both international and Chinese firms, as well as leaders in the public and private sectors. Daniël is a graduate of Leiden University, the Netherlands, with a Master of Law degree with a specialty of International law.
David Hughes
Is an expert on the Middle East, having lived and worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for 5 years after leading SABIC’s global business redesign programme in 2009. He has held a range of senior executive positions with SABIC, Huntsman and ICI, where he led a range of global $1bn+ businesses based in the Middle East, Europe and the USA. He also served on a number of industry bodies, including as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Petrochemicals Europe, the Asian Clean Fuels Association and the Methanol Institute.
Dr Paul W Satchell
Has worked in the chemical industry as an equity analyst with some of the world’s leading investment banks, and directly with chemical companies. For 21 years to 2017, he covered the global chemical industry for banks including ING, Merrill Lynch and Investec, making market recommendations and undertaking advisory work in M&A and lending. He was particularly well known for his development of the Chemicals Volume Proxy, a unique real-time monitor of chemicals demand. Before this, he spent 16 years in the industry itself, mainly with BP/BP Chemicals. He has recently served a 4-year term as Honorary Treasurer of the Royal Society of Chemistry and previously chaired its Investment Committee.
Richard Carter
Richard gained extensive experience in senior executive positions with BASF in General Management, Procurement and Global Key Account Mgt (Home & Personal Care) in Germany, Portugal and the US. He moved to the UK in 2016 as MD where he focussed on Brexit, implemented divestments/carve-outs and initiated the Future of Work transformation. He is bilingual (German/English).
Paul Henderson
Paul was previously Director, Strategic Accounts with Univar, and specialises in the distribution and logistics sectors. He has a proven record of achieving significant performance improvement in a wide range of businesses.
He is based in Switzerland and is fluent in French, German and Spanish – and proficient in Italian – in addition to English.
Jens Utecht
Jens Utecht is an experienced business leader, having worked in business management, marketing and sales. He has a broad background in the sustainability and M&A areas, and wide-ranging international experience, including several years in Latin America.
Previously, Jens was director of Light Olefins and Industrial Gases in Europe for BASF, chairman of the CEFIC sector group, and an executive member of the European REACH consortium. He speaks German, English and Portuguese.
Jennifer Lovell
Is a commercial leader in the chemicals and oil & gas industries, following a career in Shell that spanned procurement and supply, sales and product management, strategy development, and execution. She has broad experience in global roles driving integrated delivery, transformation and sustainability. She was previously General Manager Contracting & Procurement Global Functions. Jennifer is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, and lives in London, UK.
Hans Rovers
Hans Rovers helps companies to improve their sustainability profile in line with shareholders long term ambitions.
Hans has Board and Executive Committee experience with large multinationals and smaller enterprises. He also has extensive industry association experience and has led several cross-discipline industry initiatives.
Previously Hans was Global Director, Sustainability at LyondellBasell and a board member of Quality Circular Polymers – an innovative circular plastics business in the Netherlands – and Ethylene Pipeline Sud in Germany. He led many of the LyondellBasell businesses at some point during his career.
George Smith
George Smith has over 30 years’ experience in the oil, gas and chemical industry with BP and BOC.
Since leaving BP in 2008 he has undertaken a number of consulting projects covering NGL’s, refining and chemicals advising on strategy, M&A and investment opportunities.
He is a Chartered Chemical Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers UK.
Dave Stanworth
Dave is an experienced commercial manager who has worked across a number of international and UK B2B publishing market sectors.
He has extensive experience of managing digital and print publishing products with different business models, and was previously Commercial Product Director with Reed Business Information.
Bob Townsend
Bob Townsend specialises in the lower olefins, principally ethylene and propylene, and in polyolefin plastics.
Previously, Bob worked for Shell Chemicals, covering a range of commercial roles in basic petrochemicals and polyolefins, including as Business Manager, Lower Olefins, for Shell Chemicals Europe. He played a fundamental role in the consolidation of Shell Chemicals basic chemicals business during the severe recession of the early 90’s, and led the negotiations with Himont on monomer issues that led to the formation of Montell. He also has considerable global experience, having worked for 5 years in the Middle East, and for 3 years in Asia.