• WPC 2024
  • March 18-22, 2024

Jim Burkhard

S&P Global Commodity Insights

Vice President & Head of Research for Oil Markets, Energy and Mobility

Jim Burkhard, Vice President, Oil Markets, Energy & Mobility at S&P Global, is recognized as one of the world’s top analysts on global oil markets, scenarios, and on the future of energy and transportation. Jim has over 25 years of experience in energy market research and analysis. He is responsible for the development and coordination of S&P Global (previously IHS Markit) research, insights and messages for global and regional crude oil markets and scenarios. His expertise covers geopolitics, industry dynamics, global energy demand and supply, and mobility trends.

In addition to oil markets, Jim leads research into how changes in the automotive ecosystem are impacting the future of energy and automotive markets via our Mobility and Energy Future service. He led the ground-breaking IHS Markit study, Reinventing the Wheel (RTW): The future of cars, oil, chemicals, and electric power. RTW has been cited by numerous press outlets around the world including the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, and media outlets in China, Europe, and India.

Jim is a principal leader in the creation and development of global energy scenarios that bring together the entirety of the firm’s energy research to form an integrated global outlook for the future of energy. The 2006 scenarios pointed to a major debt-induced global crisis two years before the 2008 recession; and in 2011, identified the roadmap to $50 oil by 2014/15. In February 2020 his team was among the first to recognize the scale of the spring 2020 world oil demand collapse and the possibility of negative oil pricing, which occurred in April 2020.

Jim has testified before the US Congress on energy issues and is frequently sought for comment by global media. He has served on two US National Petroleum Council (NPC) studies that provide policy recommendations to the US Secretary of Energy on oil and gas infrastructure. Prior to joining Cambridge Energy Research Associates before its acquisition by IHS Markit, Mr. Burkhard was a member of the US Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa, where he directed infrastructure projects to improve water availability and credit facilities. He holds a BA from Hamline University and an MS from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Sessions With Jim Burkhard

Wednesday, 20 March

  • 08:15am - 10:00am (CST) / 20/mar/2024 01:15 pm - 20/mar/2024 03:00 pm

    Executive Conference Opening Session

    Positioning for the next Upturn as Energy and Materials Transition Accelerate

    8:15 AM: Welcome to WPC 2024 - Mark Eramo, Global Head of Fuels, Chemicals & Resource Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights    
    8:20 AM:  President's Welcome - Saugata Saha, President, S&P Global Commodity Insights  

    Setting the Stage - S&P Global Outlooks - Moderator: Lyn Tattum, Vice President, Head of Events, S&P Global Commodity Insights    
    8:25 AM:  It’s All About The Landing - Paul Gruenwald, Global Chief Economist, S&P Global Ratings

    Following a synchronized rise in policy rates, growth is now unsynchronized across major economies. The U.S. is outperforming whereas in Europe activity is flat. The common macro thread comprises strong labor markets and spending on services, fiscal tailwinds, and lingering core price pressures. Inflation has likely peaked as have policy rates, but central banks are on guard against declaring victory too early. Our higher-for-longer view applies both to policy rates and market interest rates, real and nominal. Caution among developed market central banks is constraining potential rate cuts in emerging markets. The next macro challenge is to "stick the landing." The risks to our soft-landing baseline look balanced. Strong labor markets and fiscal tailwinds are driving the upside, whereas uncertainties about the lagged transmission of cumulative rate hikes since early 2022 are driving the downside.

    8:45AM: From Ideology to Pragmatism: Multidimensional Transition - Atul Arya, Senior Vice President, Energy, S&P Global Commodity Insights 

    9:00 AM: Geopolitical Turmoil and Energy Challenges  - Carlos Pascual, Senior Vice President, Head of Geopolitics & International Affairs, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    9:20 AM: Continental Divide How North America and the Middle East create oil price cycles—and why this matters - Jim Burkhard, Vice President & Head of Research for Oil Markets, Energy and Mobility, S&P Global Commodity Insights
    9:40 AM: Q&A -  Moderator: Lyn Tattum, Vice President, Head of Events, S&P Global Commodity Insights