The commodity markets have never been more volatile than at present. Massive price movements across energy, agricultural products and metals have attracted interest from the investment and banking sectors. Both possess a healthy risk appetite and clients with a need for protection from price fluctuation. Expansion in commodities has been universal, from bulge bracket investment banks and entrepreneurial trade houses, to oil majors looking to capitalise on their physical market presence, to financial institutions gaining physical commodity exposure through asset investments. Money is pouring into commodity indices from the real money sector which is looking for a breadth of risk.

The structure of the commodity markets has also changed markedly in recent years. We have seen a departure of the US energy merchants, an unprecedented level of new banking entrants with aggressive growth plans, a significant influx of new commodity hedge funds, and a desire to take physical commodity risk in traditionally derivatives-driven businesses. Agricultural products, once relatively less significant, are now the subject of keen interest and, not surprisingly, media scrutiny.

The enormous potential of the Chinese and Indian economies has prompted substantial hiring in the Asian time zone and most trading institutions are actively marketing their services in that region. The US natural gas and power markets continue to challenge even the most experienced traders.

Principal Search's Energy and Commodities practice has made well over 200 senior front office placements in the last ten years into banks, trading houses, oil majors and commodity hedge funds, throughout the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The team is run by Nick Williams and Paul Chrispin in London.  They are supported by Jason Magnus in New York, with strong research teams in all  locations.