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Strong Source

Strong Source

Written by: Strong Source
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About this listen

Our mission with the Strong Source podcast is to educate and inform, by creating a community where experts and guests from the entire commodity industry can share their unique perspectives. Martijn, ex-cacao trader, and Alexander, ex-dairy trader and founder of Vesper, have a deep-passion for this industry, which inspired them to start this venture: "We’ll be sharing our personal experiences, the valuable lessons we’ve learned along the way, and give you a glimpse of what to expect in our future episodes." This podcast is powered by Vesper, the leading commodity platform.

Strong Source
Economics
Episodes
  • Episode 32 - with Jan Kees van der Wild
    Apr 16 2026

    In this episode of Strong Source, we're joined by Jan Kees van der Wild, board member at VA Inter Trading and former senior leader at ADM, Bunge, Volcafe and EDF Man, for one of the most remarkable career stories we've had on the show.

    Jan Kees takes us through 42 years in global commodity trading, from an unconventional start at 19 with no degree and no plan, to running operations across Europe, the US and Brazil. We explore how the right mentors can define a career, what it really takes to turn around a struggling business, and why he always hired on EQ over IQ.

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Episode 31 - with Anthony Britton
    Mar 25 2026

    In this episode, we welcome Anthony Britain, a commodity risk management expert with experience at Tesco, Unilever, and Swiss retail group Migros. Anthony shares what it was really like managing Unilever's vegetable oils book during the Ukraine invasion and picking up the cocoa portfolio just as prices hit historic highs. We discuss why private label is an interesting space for commodity risk in retail, how retailers are building out sophisticated trading teams, and what it takes to rise in this industry.

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    56 mins
  • Episode 30 with Nicholas Bond
    Jan 23 2026

    In this episode of Strong Source, we’re joined by Nicholas Bond, Buying Director at ALDI South Group, for our first conversation with a retailer guest. Nicholas takes us inside the world of retail buying, from how ALDI manages own-label pricing and supplier relationships, to the practical role of market data and benchmarks in everyday decisions. We explore how external forces like COVID and inflation have reshaped supplier dynamics, how consumer trends such as the surge in high-protein products influence the shelf, and how retailers think about risk when delivering consistent value to the end consumer.

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    1 hr
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