By Polina Devitt, Tom Daly and Pratima Desai
LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) - Senior base metals traders are being lured to new jobs as demand for their expertise rises amid supply-chain disruptions and soaring investment in metals-intensive data centres, sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Banks are seeing turnover among base metals traders as hedge funds and trading houses step up hiring to expand their commodities teams, the sources said.
"The market for base metals and commodities talent is hot
right now," one source said, adding that aluminium and copper traders were "very much in play".
Disruption to aluminium shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's potential copper import tariffs have increased demand for experienced traders. Copper consumption is also expected to rise as investment in data centres and electric vehicles accelerates.
PREPARING FOR THE 'PARADIGM CHANGE'
Ben Green, head of base metals at Bank of America and a veteran of the metals derivatives market, has left the bank after more than three years in the role and is currently on gardening leave, three sources told Reuters.
Benjamin Vicas, head of JPMorgan's base metals and ferrous trading desk, has also left after more than 20 years there, the sources said.
Andrew Ferguson, an executive director at Morgan Stanley and former head of base metals trading at Bank of America, has likewise departed, they added.
The sources did not say where the three were heading.
Bank of America, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley declined to comment. Vicas, Green and Ferguson did not respond to requests for comment.
"Organisations recognise that there is a potential consequential shift in the value of hard assets," said George Griffiths, head of markets at AMT Futures. "And they need to have the right human capital in place to monetise or mitigate for the paradigm change ahead."
Trading houses have also seen moves in the sector in recent weeks. Adhitya Sethaputra has left Radiant World less than two years after joining as head of refined metals, four sources said.
Sethaputra is set to stay in Geneva for his next role, two of the sources said, with one adding that he will be on gardening leave for six months. Another source said a replacement would join Radiant World in August.
"We can confirm that Adhi is no longer with Radiant World," a spokesperson said, adding that the firm remained focused on expanding its presence in base metals.
Sethaputra did not respond to a request for comment on his next role.
Meanwhile, Alex Nizan has joined Gerald Group in Dubai as global head of aluminium and EMEA head of trading after leaving Concord Resources this month, according to his LinkedIn profile. Former Mercuria and JPMorgan trader Sonny McNess has joined Hartree Partners to trade aluminium, two sources said.
Mercuria declined to comment, while Hartree and Gerald did not respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Polina Devitt, Tom Daly and Pratima Desai. Editing by Mark Potter)
