Steel Markets Editors

Francis Browne, Editorial Director, Steel
Francis Browne joined Platts in 2006 to head their steel initiative. Coming from a steel trading background, Francis lends his experience and expertise in the steel industry to a talented team of journalists, market reporters and price discovery analysts. Trained as a steel trader at Mitsui & Co Ltd, in the mid 80's after graduating in Economics from University of Northumbria, he joined Eurosteel, the import arm of international steel traders Stemcor where he traded flat products in 1987. Stemcor's previous partners, Hamburg-based Coutinho Caro & Co asked him to head their re-opened London office in 1991 and in 1993 he headed a management buyout of the London office eventually selling his interest to his partners who wished to concentrate on UK steel stockholding. In 1995, he joined Steel & Metal Products the London trading office for German trading group Ferrostaal AG. In 2002, Francis left the steel industry to pursue a career, developing markets for recovered materials, in the environmental industry, but the opportunity to return to the steel industry proved too much. The launch of Platts Steel Markets Daily coincides with a tremendous period of change in the industries structure. Growth in rapidly developing economies, consolidation, the emergence of steel derivatives and exchange traded futures, all providing proof to the steel trading mantra "change is our only constant."

Noel DeKing, US Markets Editor, Steel
Noel DeKing joined Platts Metals Group at the end of 2006 to help launch the new Steel Markets Daily. A graduate of Northern Illinois University and Harvard University, DeKing began his career in 1980 with the American Paper Institute (later the American Forest & Paper Association) where he served as Director of Special Studies, drafting policy papers and economic analysis for senior management of this trade group. He moved to Miller Freeman in 1987, providing news coverage of the global paper and forest products sector through newsletters, magazines and online products. Paperloop became the successor to Miller Freeman in 2000 and DeKing signed on as Executive Editor for several industry books, including International Company Profiles and Global Fact & Price Book, coordinating the work of editors in North America, Europe and Asia.

Julien Hall, European markets editor, Steel
Julien Hall joined Platts in December 2007. He is a dual British-French citizen, who graduated in Russian and Politics at Bath University. He joined Platts following a year and a half stint at Incisive Media in London, where he worked as the editor of a monthly journal covering the French private equity industry. Hall spent two years working in Japan, and did part of his studies in Russia. He speaks French fluently, and has a working knowledge of German and Russian.

Joseph J. Innace, US managing editor, Steel
Joe Innace joined Platts in the fall of 2006 as part of a new, steel-market initiative to develop reference pricing and editorial products. Steel Markets Daily was launched January 29, 2007. Prior to joining Platts, Innace was managing director at World Steel Dynamics, where he researched and wrote many of the company's key steel-sector studies. Innace has been involved in steel since 1979, covering the industry and its markets as a business journalist for McGraw-Hill Publications Company, American Metal Market and others. He is also the author of the book, Igniting Steel: Korea's POSCO Lights the Way. His work has appeared in many publications including Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Nation's Business, USA Today, New York Times and more. Joe is a recipient of the prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award from the American Business Press for excellence in reporting.

Matthew Lerner, US Markets Editor, Steel
Matthew Lerner joined Platts Steel Markets Daily in March 2008 as a Market Editor covering the US ferrous scrap market and Latin American steel markets. He previously covered non-ferrous metals at American Metal Market, and has 20 years' total experience in journalism and corporate communications.

Chris Munford, special steel correspondent
Chris Munford, former Platts employee, continues to contribute regular market coverage and insight. He began his journalism career as a general reporter for a daily newspaper in 1979, later reporting US state politics for UPI. He became a commodities writer in 1990 and has amasssed 13 years of experience in metals journalism, having held editorial positions with American Metal Market, Metal Bulletin, Platts Metals Week and Steel Business Briefing.