Details:
- Date: 11/06/2026
- Time: 18:00-20:00
- Organized by: Amsterdam Quant Society, Amsterdam Investment Club and VSAE
- Registration: Open now
- Location: Roeterseiland Room A1.03
- Networking drinks at CREA after the event
Co-hosted by the Amsterdam Quant Society, VSAE, and the Amsterdam Investment Club, we're bringing together two professionals with highly complementary backgrounds in commodity trading, quantitative finance, and portfolio management to explore how markets are traded today — from traditional fundamentals-driven approaches to modern quantitative, data-driven methods.
We'll cover:– How discretionary commodity trading works in practice at scale– How quantitative models are reshaping portfolio construction and risk– How both approaches continue to coexist across commodities and financial markets
The evening will feature:
Martijn Bron — Commodity trading expert and headhunter with over 26 years at Cargill across trading, sourcing, and risk management. Former Global Head of Trading for Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, having held multiple leadership roles across grains, seeds, cocoa, and chocolate. Today advises commodity firms on recruitment, trading, and risk. LinkedIn Top Voice, co-host of the Strong Source commodity podcast, ranked #3 most influential voice in finance in the Netherlands by Favikon, and author of the bi-weekly cocoa market report for Vesper.
Xingyu Yang — Quantitative credit portfolio manager with experience across bonds and derivatives. At SAMCo, built a top-down allocation model for index CDS forecasts, issuer curve construction across the investable universe, and optimized portfolio construction using machine learning and data analytics. Previously executed systematic and discretionary cocoa futures strategies at Cargill, delivering a VaR multiple above 20. MSc from ETH Zurich, FRM certified, with strong Python, SQL, and stochastic modeling skills.
We'll also close with a career session and Q&A, giving you the chance to ask questions about roles across commodity trading, quant finance, and portfolio management, and how to get there.
If you're interested in commodities, quant finance, or careers in financial markets, this is an opportunity to hear directly from industry. Limited spots available.
