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Series

The Trading Professional

A six-part series on building a durable career in commodity trading: future-proofing your skills in an AI-first market, moving from trader to desk head, navigating ETRM vendors, reading the room, and building the reputation and judgment that compound over decades.

6 essays and counting
01
Future-Proofing Your Career in an AI-First Commodity Market
Personal Growth

Future-Proofing Your Career in an AI-First Commodity Market

The work that is disappearing was never really yours. What to learn, what cannot be automated, and how to position for the next role in an AI-first commodity market.

Anish PujariAnish PujariAug 27, 2026 4 min read
02
How to Move from Trader to Desk Head: What Actually Changes
Personal Growth
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How to Move from Trader to Desk Head: What Actually Changes

The transition from trader to desk head is not a promotion, it is a role change. What to let go of, what to build, and how to survive the first six months.

Anish PujariAnish PujariAug 27, 2026 5 min read
03
What ETRM Vendors Won't Tell You, and What That Means for Your Career
Delivery & Systems
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What ETRM Vendors Won't Tell You, and What That Means for Your Career

The gap between what was sold and what gets delivered is where careers are made and lost. The questions to ask before, during, and after an ETRM implementation.

Anish PujariAnish PujariAug 27, 2026 5 min read
04
Building a Reputation in a Relationship-Driven Industry
Personal Growth
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Building a Reputation in a Relationship-Driven Industry

In commodity markets your reputation is not a by-product of your career, it is the career. The foundations, the network, and the case for publishing what you know.

Anish PujariAnish PujariAug 27, 2026 5 min read
05
How to Read a Room at a Commodity Firm: Culture, Hierarchy, and the Unwritten Rules
Personal Growth
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How to Read a Room at a Commodity Firm: Culture, Hierarchy, and the Unwritten Rules

The org chart tells you who reports to whom. It does not tell you how decisions get made. Mapping the informal hierarchy and the unwritten rules of a commodity firm.

Anish PujariAnish PujariAug 27, 2026 6 min read
06
The Skills Commodity Desks Are Quietly Paying a Premium For Right Now
Delivery & Systems
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The Skills Commodity Desks Are Quietly Paying a Premium For Right Now

Not exotic credentials: the translation layer, data fluency, regulatory literacy, implementation experience, and the ability to operate in ambiguity.

Anish PujariAnish PujariAug 27, 2026 7 min read