A day in the life of Mick Strautmann, Market Analyst

Mick is a Market Analyst based in London, focusing on motor fuels fundamentals and the global refinery landscape. Prior to joining the company, Mick worked at Hartree Partners. Fun fact: Mick plans to release his first EP in 2025.

What does day-to-day life in your role look like? 

I usually do my research in the morning, looking at flows, prices and latest headlines. All analysts keep in touch on a daily basis to then share and discuss different segments of the market. I tend to do more technical work in the afternoons, which can involve anything from forecasting to working on data quality projects. 

What would you say is the most interesting aspect of your role?

Connecting the dots between our data and the latest geopolitical developments. The quick shifting nature of our industry creates new use-cases on a daily basis, so leveraging these has been quite exciting.

What was your path to joining Vortexa? 

After graduating in Economics, I joined a commodity trader where I supported the distillates desk. With how crucial accurate real-time data is to trading firms, I quickly found out about Vortexa’s data capabilities. I knew I wanted to join right after seeing Vortexa’s product in use for the first time.

What kind of qualities does a person need to have to succeed at Vortexa? 

You need to be naturally inquisitive, proactive and flexible.

What do you like about the culture?  

There’s a great pool of very passionate people at Vortexa - everyone’s willing to share their knowledge and help out when needed. The ambition also rubs off on you, pushing you to always keep learning. 

Who do you collaborate with? 

Mainly the wider analysis team across time zones. This includes market, freight, data analysts, as well as solution architects. 

What are the first three things you do on a Monday morning? 

Three shots of espresso.

What energises you most about working as a Market Analyst at Vortexa?

The scale of the data. With the intricacies of international seaborne energy trade at my fingertips there’s always quite a lot to look at. I’m pretty much constantly trying to find the latest shifts in trade patterns.