In her current capacity at Superior Essex Communications, Kate leads the charge in managing strategic partnerships, collaborating on marketing initiatives and tracking BEAD. With a keen eye for detail and a strategic mindset, she navigates complex projects with finesse, ensuring alignment with company objectives and driving impactful results.
Aisling is the editor of CRU's Wire & Cable Market Outlook as well as Electricity Transmission Market Outlook. Her work involves analysing trends and developments across the global metallic wire and cable industry, accounting for the metal demand of the global energy, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. This work includes quantifying the requirements of electrification necessitated by the global green energy transition on electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure. Before joining CRU, Aisling worked as an analyst within the platinum group metals (PGM) industry, with an emphasis on the environmental, social and governance performance of the PGM producers. Understanding the ESG risks and opportunities of major global mining companies as well as analysing the upstream raw material supply chain of hydrogen fuel cell technologies. She has also worked as a base and precious metals exploration geologist with field experience in East Africa. Aisling holds a MSci in Geology from the University of Southampton and is a member of Women in Mining UK. Aisling will present "Metallic Wire and Cable: Cable Demand for Electrification is Strong, Though Not Without Risk" during the Executive Session and will participate in the “Supply Chain – Impact and Effects of the Future Energy Grid” panel discussion at the 2024 IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum.
Natalie Noor-Drugan is a Principal Analyst at CRU’s London headquarters. She works across the full portfolio of products analysing key trends and developments in both the metallic wire and cable, and optical fibre industries. Natalie joined CRU in 2001 as a journalist for the company’s steel business. Over the years she has been responsible for leading and managing teams and various products at CRU to produce price assessments and methodologies, high frequency reports and short-term forecasts. She has a proven track record in product launches, change management, online and print content creation and content improvement projects in business-to-business publishing for the petrochemicals, fertilizers, steel and wire & cable industries. Natalie will present "Optical Cable Demand Recovery – When?" during the Executive Session and will participate in the “Supply Chain – Impact and Effects of the Future Energy Grid” panel discussion at the 2024 IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum.
John Gross is President of J.E. Gross Consulting Inc. a metals management and consultancy firm he established in 1987 to assist companies in their procurement of metals, scrap recycling, and price risk management. In addition to his consulting activities, Mr. Gross has worked with global leaders in the metals industry over the past 45 years. John is a graduate of Hofstra University in New York, and is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran. He is publisher of The Copper Journal, an industry newsletter since 1987, and has written extensively about copper, commodity markets, and industry issues. He was a Director of the American Copper Council, and also served as a member of the Comex Advisory Committee. John will present "Global Transition in Copper Grid Supply and Deployment" during the Executive Session and will participate in the “Supply Chain – Impact and Effects of the Future Energy Grid” panel discussion at the 2024 IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum.