J. Russ Snider joined Tronox in April 2019 as part of the Cristal acquisition. He leads a team of Marketing professionals and is responsible for global marketing strategy, margin improvement, segment portfolio optimization, new product direction, product promotions and branding. He has 25 years of titanium dioxide experience including international assignments in Switzerland and the Netherlands. He previously held roles in Sales, Sales and Operations Planning, R&D and Engineering. Mr. Snider holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.
Reg Adams compiles and edits two periodicals, the monthly Focus on Pigments and the quarterly TiO2 Worldwide Update, both of which were launched in 1993. He is also the author or co-author of nine books on the topics of the titanium value-chain, the carbon black industry and iron oxide pigments. In addition, he often carries out consultancy assignments and serves as an expert witness in matters of commercial litigation. He is a Forum Manager and regular contributor for the TiO2 Group on the Linked-In platform and he has been a speaker or chairman at more than 60 specialist conferences around the world covering paints, pigments or minerals. Prior to establishing Artikol, his own consultancy, database and publishing business, he studied Chemistry & Economics at Birmingham University, gained a post-graduate business degree from Bristol University and then worked for Amalgamated Metal (a mining finance house), BSC (publishers, specialising in the fertiliser and chemical industries) and Metra (management consultants, advising on pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals).
Mark Hosford has over 25 years' professional toxicology experience, specialising in regulatory toxicology and risk assessment. Through his career, Mark has worked for consultancies, industry, and a UK government agency. Since 2017, Mark has been working as a toxicology consultant and contractor and in 2024 was appointed as the Science Programme Manager for the Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers Association (TDMA) and the Titanium Dioxide Industry Consortium (TDIC). Mark is a UK and European Registered Toxicologist, former Chair of the UK Register of Toxicologists, and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Toxicology Group Committee.
Franz holds a PhD in aerosol particle science from ETH Zurich. Before co-founding femtoG with his colleague and climbing partner, he spent years measuring airborne particles in the lab. Over the years, he developed a personal grudge against the improper use of particle-size measurements, whether it is assuming that every particle is a sphere or looking for single nanoparticles in every powder. He channels that grudge into building better particle analyzers and educating people on how heavy a single particle is.
Janez Štrancar has defended his PhD in Molecular Biophysics in 2000 and led the Laboratory of Biophysics at Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia from 2006 till end of 2025. He was also engaged at various universities in Slovenia, France and Netherlands delivering courses in Molecular biophysics and Physical measurement. His primary research focus was understanding molecular processes in living cells while developing advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to answer the toughest questions. From this also the Infinite company stemmed out as a Jozef Stefan Institute spin out, at which Janez Štrancar is leading the developing of advanced platforms to predict evolution of slowly evolving disease, so-called in-vitro-learned digital twins.
Julie has 22 years’ experience in the titanium dioxide pigment manufacturing industry and 28 years in the chemical industry. She is currently Marketing Director at LB Group (formerly known as Lomon Billions Group), the world’s No.1 manufacturer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigments. Prior to joining LB Group, Julie spent 14 years with Huntsman in its Pigments division (now Venator), where she held various positions within Marketing and R&D. Julie studied at Heriot-Watt University, UK, for her Chemistry degree and holds a Professional Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Gerry Colamarino is currently the Managing Director of TiPMC Solutions LLC, which he founded in 2014.. He has over 30 years of international experience within the chemical, mining, and energy industries, having had multiple professional and leadership positions within the former DuPont Titanium Technologies (Chemours), Iluka Resources, and Bloom Energy.
TiPMC is a recognized thought leader and independent resource for all subjects pertaining to the TiO2 value chain, with a strong focus on TiO2 pigments and Mineral Sands. TiPMC employs a unique network of industry and functional experts, providing boutique consulting and advisory services, industry publications, and data services to financial institutions and industry participants world-wide.
Gerry is a graduate of Rutgers University, earning a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He currently resides with his family in Nashville, TN.
Bio coming soon.
Tom Batho is a Senior Analyst at Project Blue, specialising in cost analysis and market research across the mining and metals sector, with a focus on production costs and market dynamics. His work covers a range of commodities, including titanium, copper, molybdenum and other critical and industrial minerals.
Tom joined Project Blue in 2024, following two years in equity research at Edison Group and three years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He holds a BSc in Geology and an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Exeter.
Marie-Sophie Dibling is a preeminent expert in international trade law and policy, based in the heart of the European decision-making center, Brussels. With over 15 years of experience, she is widely recognized for her ability to navigate the most complex regulatory challenges within the European Union. As a Partner at Cassidy Levy Kent, Marie-Sophie specializes in bridging the gap between global industrial leaders and EU trade frameworks.
In the context of the TiO2 sector, Marie-Sophie is dedicated to fostering a transparent and rule-based trading environment. She provides Chinese exporters and European importers with the strategic foresight needed to manage trade measures effectively. Her approach prioritizes market access preservation and operational continuity, ensuring that businesses can adapt to new tariffs and regulations without compromising their long-term growth objectives in Europe. Her deep technical knowledge of the European Commission’s procedures makes her a vital resource for navigating the current TiO2 anti-dumping landscape.
Prior to co-founding Alembic Global Advisors Hassan was a Managing Director and Global Sector Head for Chemicals Research at HSBC. Previously, Hassan has worked as a senior buy-side research analyst covering the materials space at Brown Brothers Harriman, a senior sell-side research analyst covering the chemical space at Sanford Bernstein, a strategy consultant at the Mitchell Madison Group and a process engineer at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Hassan has won several accolades in research having been ranked #1 Middle East and North Africa analyst across all sectors by Extel consecutively for the last four years; #1 US stock picker by FT/Starmine in 2008 and Best Up and Comer in the US chemical sector by Institutional Investor in 2006 and 2008. He received a bachelor’s degree with honors in chemical engineering from London University and an MS degree in operations research from Columbia University.
Marine Caux is R&D and Technical Services Lead for Specialty Products at Tronox. She joined the company in 2019, first serving as a senior scientist in product development before moving into her current role in 2025. Marine holds a degree in Catalysis and a PhD from the University of St Andrews (UK). She is based at Tronox’s Thann site in France, the company’s center for specialty products. Tronox is a public, global and vertically integrated TiO₂ producer.
Dr. Uri Stoin is a clean-tech entrepreneur, researcher, and consultant specializing in environmental chemistry, catalysis, and industrial innovation. A co-inventor of over 30 patents and co-founder of several startups across Israel and the EU, he currently serves as Co-Founder & CEO of GreenTidio, where he is pioneering cleaner, sustainable production methods for Titanium Dioxide.
Co-founder and Director of RD Titan Group / RD Titan Group Innovative TiO2. With more than 29 years of experience in the chemical industry, he has dedicated 21 years specifically to TiO2 and titanium metal. This includes a 9-year tenure at Crimea Titan as Lead Researcher and Head of R&D. He spearheaded the modernization and expansion of titanium dioxide production from 80,000 to 108,000 tonnes per year, as well as the design of a new 120,000-tonne-per-year plant. Andriy has extensive experience collaborating with global TiO2 consumers and deep expertise in high-value-added co-product technologies. He specializes in waste-free solutions for the sulphate process and low-carbon-footprint production of titanium dioxide, titanium metal, and titanium alloys. He also serves as Technical Director of Velta RD Titan, a joint venture between RD Titan Group and Velta Holding US.
With a career spanning multiple commodities, Aaron Bertram, Manager Product Development, began his career with Rio Tinto. Over his 20+ years in mining, Aaron initially focused on the technical aspects of orebody knowledge and regulatory compliance. He then expanded into broader commercial and strategy roles, leveraging his technical knowledge to guide investment decisions through technical and business evaluations. In early 2022, Aaron joined Iluka, where he now oversees technical marketing for TiO2 feedstock products.
Aaron holds a Master of Science Geology from McMaster University.
Mike is Head of Marketing at Empire Metals. He has a degree in Metallurgy and over 40 years’ experience in specialty materials and critical metals including lithium, titanium, tantalum, vanadium and tin. His experience covers the development of the global chemical and minerals markets, commercialisation of chemicals projects in Australia, China, South America, and Canada and new process technology development.
Empire Metals is developing the Pitfield Project, a unique, district-scale high-grade titanium deposit in Western Australia. Empire is rapidly advancing the Pitfield Project to become a multi-generational, globally significant producer of high value titanium products suitable for the premium pigment and titanium metal markets.
Dr. Jo Douglas-Harris is the Commercial Manager at Indorama Advanced Oxides Spain, overseeing the market re-engagement for Indorama’s titanium dioxide operations. Following the acquisition of the Huelva facility, Jo is focused on delivering a reliable supply of high-quality grades to the global market while leveraging the site’s strong sustainability credentials to drive long-term growth. Previously holding technical and commercial roles at Venator, she is a Chartered Chemist with a Master’s degree in Chemistry and a PhD in Chemical Engineering. Jo is also an award-winning leader, having received the Tees Business Future Leaders Award and the Isabel Hardwich Medal, as well as being named a British Coatings Federation Young Leader finalist.
After earning a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Adelaide in South Australia, Philippe Guarilloff began his career in cosmetic R&D at Bourjois, working in scale-up (pilot) operations. He later joined the Chanel Innovation Laboratory—both entities under the same ownership and based near Paris, France.
He was subsequently assigned to Chanel Inc. in Piscataway, New Jersey, USA, where he spent 11 years scouting innovative technologies through collaborations with universities, startups, and suppliers. Since 2019, he has served as Manager for Technical Innovations at Chanel Perfume-Beauty in France.
Download the agenda ↓
