Denver Gold Forum 2015

Steve Higgins is responsible for the design, development and management of exchange-traded receipts (ETRs). Steve has overseen the program since the launch of the gold ETR in November 2011, which resulted in the largest IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange that year, raising $580 million USD.

Peek inside the vaults with Steve Higgins of The Royal Canadian Mint for an informative session on the state of the current physical metal markets.

• Recent demand trends for bullion
• Supply trends from mines and metal recycling
• Precious metal exchange-traded products update

On the heels of this initial success, silver ETRs were then issued the following year. Before joining the Mint in 2009 Steve was the Manager, Corporate Performance at Sustainable Development Technology Canada which makes early stage investments into the Cleantech sector. Steve completed his MBA at HEC School of Management in Paris and his Bachelor of Science and Business at the University of Waterloo.

In September 2015, Maureen Upton joined SRK Consulting as Principal Consultant. Previously, she founded and operated the consulting firm Resource Initiatives for nine years, where she worked with some of the world’s largest organizations in the extractive industries. She has led research projects, authored industry studies, and advised clients on economic impact, social license to operate, and the effect of social risk on project and company valuation.

Ms. Upton has served as Sustainability Advisor to the World Gold Council and Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Newmont Mining Corporation, with prior roles including serving on the Board of Janus Funds and positions at Goldman Sachs and Chase. She is a frequent speaker at events around the world, and has produced short documentaries which have been screened at the World Bank and the Lima Gold Symposium. She was elected to the Council on Foreign Relations in 1994 and in 2004 was an appointee to the Compliance Advisory Panel in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Ms. Upton holds an MBA in Finance and a Master of International Affairs in Economic Policy from Columbia University in New York, as well as a Diploma de Estudios Hispanicos from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley.

Based in Denver, Colorado, USA, Ms. Upton speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Gold prices have fallen from $1,900 in September 2011 as investors have backed away from their unbridled fear of imminent financial catastrophe and hyperinflation. The Presentation will discuss the present and most likely trends going forward for gold prices, supply, fabrication demand, official central bank transactions, and investment demand. The talk also will touch on likely economic and financial environments in 2015-16, as these will be critical to the course of investment demand and gold prices. The presentation additionally will address some of the inaccuracies clouding the vision of the gold market, and other issues facing the gold market and mining community.

Finbarr Hutcheson has been President of ICE Benchmark Administration Limited since its creation in late 2013.

Preceding this he was Chief Executive of NYSE Liffe, the international derivatives business of NYSE Euronext, and was responsible for the Group’s European Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities businesses.

Prior to NYSE Euronext, Finbarr spent 15 years working for Goldman Sachs. Most recently he was Global Head of Futures Services Business Development within the Securities Division, responsible for defining and delivering strategic enhancements.

He has served as a non-executive director of The Futures and Options Association, LCH Clearnet Group N.V. and ICE Clear Europe.

In light of declining exploration spending, reduced drilling activity, and less new resources being announced the gold industry is set to see the length of time to advance a discovery to production increase. Although gold miners have been steadily increasing global production for the past several years, this trend may be in jeopardy as large greenfields projects face more headwinds. We will look at the supply pipeline for clues of changes and review some key metrics for the major producers and the industry.

Know when to hold, know when to fold… Adrian Day will look at the mistakes investors make, gleaned from his 45 years’ experience, first as a newsletter editor, then as an investment advisor, specializing in the gold market. Whether you are an institutional specialist; a broker with retail clients; or a hedge fund manager new to the space, there are lessons to be learned in stock selection, and in buying and selling in this difficult but rewarding space.