The People Behind the Research

Our Analysts

Senior economists, former government officials, quantitative specialists, and field researchers — united by a commitment to independent, evidence-based analysis.

Senior Leadership

Research Leadership Team

Dr. Sarah Whitmore

Head of Commodities Research

PhD Economics, LSE · Former World Bank Senior Economist

Dr. Whitmore leads Crestmore's commodities research franchise, overseeing coverage of base metals, precious metals, and energy transition minerals. She has 20 years of experience in commodity markets, including six years as a senior economist at the World Bank's Extractive Industries division, where she led the design of resource revenue management frameworks for 14 developing economies. Her research has been cited by the IMF, OECD, and the World Economic Forum.

Coverage areas: Base MetalsPrecious MetalsEnergy Transition MineralsMining Project Finance

Marcus Chen, CFA

Director, Emerging Markets Research

MBA Finance, Wharton · CFA Charterholder · Former Goldman Sachs

Marcus leads Crestmore's emerging markets practice, with specialist expertise in Southeast Asian and MENA capital flows, sovereign debt dynamics, and cross-border trade finance. Prior to joining Crestmore, he spent eight years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management as a portfolio manager specialising in EM fixed income and commodity-linked assets. He is a regular contributor to the Financial Times and has testified before the US Senate Banking Committee on emerging market financial stability.

Coverage areas: Southeast AsiaMENACapital Flows & FXSovereign Debt

Elena Vasquez

Senior Analyst, Country Risk

MSc Political Economy, Sciences Po · Fluent in 5 languages

Elena is Crestmore's lead country risk analyst, specialising in the Andean region, Central Africa, and Eastern Europe. A political economy specialist with deep field experience, she has conducted research visits in 34 countries and maintains extensive networks with government officials, NGOs, and civil society organisations across her coverage markets. Her work on the DRC's mining regulatory environment and Bolivia's lithium nationalisation programme has been widely referenced by institutional investors.

Coverage areas: Sub-Saharan AfricaLatin AmericaEastern EuropeRegulatory Risk

The Full Team

Research Analysts

JO

James Okafor

Senior Analyst, Energy Transition

Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel

PS

Priya Sharma

Analyst, Agricultural Commodities

Fertilisers, Soft Commodities, Agri-Input Chains

TR

Tobias Richter

Quantitative Analyst

Price Modelling, Data Infrastructure, Supply-Demand Frameworks

AD

Amara Diallo

Analyst, Sub-Saharan Africa

West Africa, East Africa, Francophone Markets

YT

Yuki Tanaka

Analyst, Asia-Pacific

Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia Supply Chains

NK

Natalia Kowalczyk

Analyst, Central & Eastern Europe

Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Wider CEE

Join Us

We Are Always Hiring

Crestmore is a small, high-quality team. We hire exceptional analysts who combine deep sector knowledge with intellectual curiosity and a commitment to independent thinking.

We are currently seeking senior analysts with deep expertise in energy transition minerals and Sub-Saharan African sovereign debt markets.