European Gold Forum 2015

Martin Murenbeeld is the Chief Economist of Dundee Capital Markets. Dr. Murenbeeld graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1972 with a PhD in international finance. He then joined the Faculty of Management Studies at the University of Toronto to develop the international business curriculum in the MBA program. He left the Faculty in 1978 to start M. Murenbeeld & Associates Inc. The company moved from Toronto to Victoria in 1989, where it continued to consult international clients on developments in the gold, foreign exchange and credit markets, and international economic trends before it was acquired by DundeeWealth Inc. in July, 2004. The principals of DundeeWealth Economics have over 60 years of combined experience providing independent analysis and advice on economic and financial developments, with special emphasis on North American interest rate and currency market trends – and on trends in the gold market. Their reports include the Economic Monitor, which forecasts general economic trends occurring in North America and abroad, the Gold Monitor, which forecasts gold market trends, the Financial Monitor, which forecasts economic, interest rate and foreign exchange market trends, and the Bond and Stock Monitor, which assists with decisions related to asset allocation. Frequently quoted in the financial press and a regular speaker at international precious metals and foreign exchange market conferences, Dr. Murenbeeld has over 30 years of independent consulting experience in the gold, currency and credit markets and is currently also an adjunct professor (international finance) in the Faculty of Business at the University of Victoria.

Steve Higgins is responsible for the design, development and management of exchange-traded receipts (ETRs). Steve has overseen the program since the launch of the gold ETR in November 2011, which resulted in the largest IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange that year, raising $580 million USD. On the heels of this initial success, silver ETRs were then issued the following year. Before joining the Mint in 2009 Steve was the Manager, Corporate Performance at Sustainable Development Technology Canada which makes early stage investments into the Cleantech sector. Steve completed his MBA at HEC School of Management in Paris and his Bachelor of Science and Business at the University of Waterloo.

James Turk has specialised in international banking, finance and investments since graduating in 1969 from George Washington University with a B.A. degree in International Economics. His business career began at The Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase Bank), which included assignments in Thailand, the Philippines and Hong Kong. He subsequently joined the investment and trading company of a prominent precious metals trader based in Greenwich, Connecticut. He moved to the United Arab Emirates in December 1983 to be appointed Manager of the Commodity Department of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a position he held until resigning in 1987. From 1987 to 2009 James Turk wrote The Freemarket Gold & Money Report, an investment newsletter that published twenty issues annually. He is the author of two books and several monographs and articles on money and banking. He is the co-author of The Coming Collapse of the Dollar (Doubleday, December 2004), which has been updated for a paperback version entitled The Collapse of the Dollar.