Takashi SakaTokyo, Japan – November 8, 2022 – Skipping Stone, a global energy markets strategy consulting and implementation services firm, announced today that Takashi Saka has joined the firm as Senior Consultant, Skipping Stone Japan. Saka will be responsible for leading the company’s Japan risk management services, trading, and wholesale client engagements for ETRM technologies initiatives.

During his 39 years of experience in global commodities trading and risk management, Saka has developed extensive relationships in the Southeast Asia, Singapore, and other global commodity trading hubs. In his early days he served as a head of London Metal Exchange trading business and NYMEX, ICE Oil Futures broking business.

Concurrent with the deregulation of Japan’s power market, Saka moved to Bloomberg as a commodity specialist. His understanding of Energy Trading Risk Management (ETRM) has been enhanced through working with NDFS, FIS Japan and PwC in an energy advisory capacity.

“Japanese energy companies have become much more active trading Japan’s power and gas markets, and retailers are beginning to utilize forward markets for hedging end use loads. Saka’s dual experience in trading and hedging and his ETRM experience is rare in Japan and will be invaluable to our clients,” said Peter Weigand, Chairman and CEO of Skipping Stone.

“I’m very happy to welcome an industry veteran as well as (in Japanese) my “Senpai” in the physical and financial commodity trading world where I came from,” added Hiroshi Okuyama, President of Skipping Stone Japan. “His expertise, skills and experience will undoubtedly bridge customers’ needs for power business risk management solutions and the most advanced and affordable technologies. I’m very excited to work with Mr. Saka.”