SMR - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Stainless Steel Market Reporter, Editor
Cihan Akdeniz joined the SMR team as Market Analyst in September 2021.
Prior to joining SMR, Cihan worked in Turkish Steel Exporters' Association for 10 years as Market Research Analyst. He was in charge of helping steel and steel related companies to develop their exports. He analyzed international trade statistics, prepared market intelligence reports and identified importer companies.
Cihan studied International Relations at Koc University in Istanbul, Turkey.
His life motto: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln
Job Titles:
- Vice President Business Development
For more than twenty years, Gerhard is active in the steel and raw materials industry. In 2024, he joined SMR - Steel & Metals Market Research, the leading market intelligence provider for the stainless and specialty steel industry.
Prior to SMR, Gerhard spent seven years in the stainless recycling industry at two leading international scrap recycling and raw materials companies occupying senior roles such as group sales executive and prior to that vice president strategy.
During 2017 to 2022 Gerhard represented the recycling segment at the International Chromium Development Association's industrial council.
Gerhard is a well-known steel raw materials and recycling industry expert. He is a metallurgical engineer by training and holds a PhD of the RWTH Aachen University.
Eveline joined SMR in 2003, after gaining banking experience for more than 8 years at Volksbank Ischgl and Reutte. She acts as the assistant of Markus Moll and is responsible in particular for accounting and financial issues. She is pleased to contribute to the SMR team by assisting with travel arrangements, organizing business trips and handling other relevant matters.
During her free time Eveline enjoys spending time with her family, hiking in our beautiful mountains and she loves to sing!
Her most important tasks are:
accounting and finances
travel arrangements
human resources issues
office organization
Her life motto: "Start every day with a smile and it's yours already."
Job Titles:
- Research Analyst
- Research Analyst & Conference Assistant
Ilona Spaltmann joined SMR in January 2011 assisting the SMR Events team with conference organizations. She is also responsible for certain research activities including the monthly stainless steel price census.
After working in credit insurance business for several years and a family break Ilona was ready to face new challenges at SMR.
Ilona is married with two children and lives with her husband Oliver in Allgäu/Germany.Her life motto: "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today!"
Job Titles:
- Stainless Steel Market Reporter, Editor
Kateryna Samoilenko joined the SMR team as a Stainless Steel Market Reporter and Editor in September 2022. Her experience in steel market research accounts for over ten years. Before SMR, she worked as Steel News Editor for Metal Expert, an independent steel data and market intelligence provider. Her skills and qualifications advanced from price reporting to managing editorial teams and issuing new periodicals and services.
She was born and grew up in Ukraine, but since 2022 Italy has become her permanent home. Kateryna graduated from the National University of her hometown, Dnipro. She holds a Master's Degree in International Economics.
In addition to her native languages, Ukrainian and Russian, she has professional fluency in English and is actively progressing in Italian.
Kateryna enjoys travelling the world, gathering with family and friends, and spending time with kids and animals. She is passionate about nature, sports and social Latin dance. Continuous studying and obtaining new skills is an inevitable part of her life.
Markus A. Moll, is the Managing Director of SMR GmbH. He is a mechanical engineer and economist, and has been a successful market research specialist and consultant for the leading Specialty Steel Producers in Europe, America, Africa as well as Asia for more than 25 years.
He is present at most international Specialty Steel Industry conferences, both as a participant as well as a frequent speaker, thereby being able to continuously monitor the specific developments within this industry sector which are the direct consequences of the changes in the global market dynamics.
He is at the forefront of any trends and structural changes in the stainless and special steel industry and related raw material industries (Nickel, Chrome, Molybdenum, Scrap, etc.).
His most important tasks are:
Group strategy development
Coordination, guidance and support of project managers (analysts)
Key account customer contacts and project acquisition
Presentations at major international conferences
He joined the SMR team in January 2017 as a Associate Tungsten Analyst.
He started his professional career in the carbide industry in 1984. Martin counting 18 years experience in developing and processing tungsten containing materials such as tungsten carbides and wear parts. His experienced in establishing production facilities for tungsten carbides and tungsten heavy metals for the watch industry.
Job Titles:
- Market Analyst
- Vice President Market Research
Oliver started his career as business administration apprentice in the book-keeping department of a consulting company in 1987 but found soon out there, that market research is sometimes more interesting. Later Oliver studied economics at the Westfälische Wilhelms University of Münster (Germany). He holds a ‘Diplom-Kaufmann' degree. His studies were focused on marketing, environmental economy and distribution. After University he worked from 1997 to 2005 for German and South African raw material and steel focused market research companies.
Oliver joined SMR GmbH as market analyst in 2005 and became Senior Market Analyst in 2010. He is specialist for end use related reports in stainless steel, nickel alloys and raw materials (especially nickel and molybdenum) at SMR.
His most important tasks are:
Market data stainless steel flat products - quarterly and annual
Nickel based alloys - market reports and quarterly data
End use driven analysis
Special raw material and scrap market research - for instance Mo and Mo scrap
His life motto: "Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are."
Job Titles:
- Senior Conference Manager
Patricia is Senior Conference Manger at Austrian based SMR-Events, Steel and Metals Market Conferences & Seminars. She joined SMR in 1996. Since 2009 she is responsible for the conference programs of the stainless and special steel events of SMR.
Patricia graduated from the University of Innsbruck - Humanities faculty - and holds a degree in philosophy with special focus on psychotherapy.
Job Titles:
- Chief Analyst Raw Materials
Robert Messmer studied Business and Management with a focus on marketing & sales and human resources at the Management Center Innsbruck in Austria and pursued a part of his studies at the University of San Francisco in the USA.
Before Robert started studying, he worked for the worldwide leading powder metallurgy company PLANSEE, Austria, where he finished his apprenticeship as a cutting technician in 2004. Robert Messmer joined the SMR team as a Market Analyst in November 2013.
In his spare time, Robert enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He´s also doing sports, particularly basketball and soccer.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Torgau - Backoffice Manager
Simona joined the SMR team in April 2021. She assists all market analysts on their daily tasks in conducting studies or presentations.
Umut joined the SMR team as a market analyst in October 2021. With a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering, Umut brings extensive experience in the mining and metallurgy industry.
Before SMR, Umut was an Area Manager at Eczacibasi Esan, where he managed sales and marketing activities generating nearly 150 million Euros annually. His portfolio included zinc, lead, and copper concentrates, gold dore, and magnesium metal. He also gained strategy and project management experience with top-tier strategy consulting firms.
Since 2020, Umut has been actively involved in mentor-mentee activities, contributing to the development of future professionals.
His most important tasks are:
Managing and presenting single-client market projects in the stainless steel and nickel alloys supply chain
Attending global conferences
Tracking global macro trends, industry dynamics, and competition to develop comprehensive market studies
Green Steel & Hydrogen Initiatives
Investor research and M&A
Viacheslav joined SMR team as a Research Analyst in June 2023, enhancing our research capabilities and contributing to our commitment to delivering high-quality insights.
He has a strong background in IT project management and development, as well as accounting.
Wolfgang Lipp has more than 20 years of experience in global market research and consulting for the stainless and specialty steel industry. In 2002, he joined SMR Group as a Market Analyst, specializing in the stainless and specialty steel industry on a global scale. Today his tasks are split across two companies of the SMR Group:
SMR - Steel & Metals Market Research: Vice President
SMR Events: Managing Director, organization of stainless & special steel conferences
Before starting his career in the special steel industry he held positions with the world-wide leading powder metallurgy company PLANSEE, in Austria. Thereafter, he worked for SIEMENS AG, which included being stationed with subsidiary companies in England, Germany and Singapore.
Wolfgang Lipp holds a degree in International Marketing from the University of Applied Sciences, Kufstein, Austria. He augmented a part of his studies at the California Lutheran University in the USA.
Yulia Köhler joined the SMR team as a research analyst in July 2017.
Yulia holds a Master Degree in Finance and Credit from 'Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnic University', Russia.
Before joining SMR, she worked in VTB Bank (one of the biggest banks of Russia, part of the international VTB Group) for over 7 years. She was in charge of organizing deals between the bank and company clients (communication with clients and all banks departments, client first analysis, etc.).
In her free time Yulia loves discovering the world, particulary Austria, and spending time with her family and friends.