Program 2026
Our moderator
Jessica Schwarzer
Moderation and discussion
Jessica Schwarzer (51) has been writing about investments and finance for more than 25 years. Born in Düsseldorf, she worked for Handelsblatt for ten years, headed up the finance department at Handelsblatt Online and was most recently chief correspondent. In 2018, she set up her own business as a financial journalist and presenter.
Our keynote speakers
Erik Kirschbaum - Journalist, Los Angeles Times
USA under Trump. What can Germany and the world expect in years 2 - 4, especially with regard to commodity issues?
Erik Kirschbaum is an American journalist and foreign correspondent and a friend of open exchange. He has been working as a freelance journalist since 2015, including for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, he worked for Reuters for many years, including in Frankfurt and Berlin, focusing on reporting on politics and business.
Dr. Jürgen Michels - Chief Economist, BayernLB
Where are the economy and financial markets heading?
Dr. Jürgen Michels is Chief Economist and Head of Research at BayernLB in Munich and has held this position since October 2013. He previously worked at Citigroup in London, most recently as Lead Euro Area Economist (from 2008), after having worked there as an economist since 2002. Prior to that, he worked as an economist at Sal. Oppenheim and at the Institute for International Economic Policy at the University of Bonn.
Stefan Müller - CEO, DGWA
Germany and its raw materials situation
Stefan Müller is CEO of DGWA, a Frankfurt-based investment banking company active in the global commodities business. He has around 30 years of experience in the structuring, development and financing of raw materials and mining projects. He also works as a consultant for politicians, associations and global companies on the development of a German and European raw materials policy.
Philip Vorndran - Partner, Flossbach von Storch Asset Management
The current situation and gold: the asset manager's view
Philipp Vorndran has been a partner at Flossbach von Storch since 2021 and has been with the company since 2009. Previously, he was Global Chief Strategist at Credit Suisse Asset Management and CEO of Credit Suisse Asset Management Germany. He began his career at Julius Baer and studied business administration at the University of Würzburg.
Our speakers
Beresford Clarke - Managing Director, SFA Oxford
A complicated world: platinum metals and their future
Beresford Clarke is Managing Director (Technical & Research) at SFA Oxford. He studied at Imperial College London and, after a brief foray into the oil industry, has been a metals market analyst for over 20 years.
He led research projects on platinum group metals (PGMs), battery metals and other strategic raw materials along the value chain.
Ruth Crowell - CEO, London Bullion Market Association
Greeting on the state of the international precious metals trade
Ruth Crowell is Chief Executive of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and was appointed in January 2014. In her role, she is responsible for the strategic development of the industry association and represents its interests to members, good delivery intermediaries, regulators, investors and the media. Previously, she was Deputy Chief Executive of the LBMA, among other positions, and has worked for the organization in various roles since 2006.
Junlu Liang - Senior Analyst, Metals Focus
Silver - the current market situation and what are the superpowers USA and China planning?
Junlu has 18 years’ precious metals experience and is responsible for investment research in Europe, the official sector and PGM chemical and petroleum demand. Junlu previously worked for GFMS undertaking official sector and investment research. Junlu holds a MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
John Reade - Senior Marketing Strategist, World Gold Council
The end of the one-way street. The current situation on the gold market is somewhere between elation and gloom.
John Reade is a veteran of the global gold industry and is now Senior Market Strategist at the World Gold Council. He has more than 35 years of experience in the gold industry. He joined the World Gold Council in February 2017, having previously worked as a Global Gold Strategist at US hedge fund Paulson & Co. Before moving to the investor side, he was head of the precious metals analysis department at Swiss UBS for over 13 years. In his role, he publishes market analyses and strategic assessments of gold and the gold market.
Dr. Philip Reisert - Co-CEO, C. Hafner
Model for the future? The tokenization of gold
Dr. Philipp Reisert is the fifth generation co-CEO of C.HAFNER, which was founded in 1850 and is still family-run today, together with Birgitta Hafner. He is also the current Deputy Chairman of the German Precious Metals Association (FVEM). He holds an MBA and a PhD in Production Controlling from the University of St. Gallen.
Constantin Prinz zu Salm-Salm - Managing Partner, Salm-Salm & Partner GmbH
Asdasd
Constantin Prinz zu Salm-Salm is, among other things, Managing Partner of the independent asset manager Salm-Salm & Partner, founded by his father Prince Michael in 1989 and based in Wallhausen in Rhineland-Palatinate. The Salm-Salm family can look back on over 800 years of history and, among other things, runs what is proven to be the oldest family-owned vineyard in Germany.
Dierk Schaffer - Managing Director, Stuttgart Commodities Exchange
ETCs and ETFs on precious metals - what does the future hold?
Dierk Schaffer has been Managing Director of Boerse Stuttgart Commodities GmbH since 2021. As CEO of the issuing company of the EUWAX gold products, he is responsible for the strategic direction, operations, product development and sales.
York A. Tetzlaff - Managing Director, Fachvereinigung Edelmetalle
The situation of the precious metals industry in Germany/Europe
York A. Tetzlaff is Managing Director of the Fachvereinigung Edelmetalle (FVEM) based in the gold town of Pforzheim. A lawyer with degrees in law and economics, he previously held management positions in Brussels for associations. He has an excellent national and international network in the precious metals industry.
Other planned topics include
Central banks and their gold - Never sell again?
Silver - the current situation and what can still come?
Earth Mining, Urban Mining, Space Mining - Where does the future lie?
Platinum metal recycling - hidden champions with the D mark.
Industrial users of precious metals - (How) to protect yourself!
The search for the new blue chip - mining funds in a world of record prices.
In a world without print - How precious metals trading and asset managers can still advertise in the future.
In a world without cash - what does the future of value logistics look like?
And much more.
The program and speakers are subject to change