60With extensive experience in the commodities analysis field, Kurush Mistry specializes in Crude Oil, Refined Products, and Renewable Fuels. Originally from India, Kurush received his education at the country's most prestigious management school and has had a diverse career at top organizations, navigating through significant transitions. He has a deep passion for music, loves to explore new places, and takes pride in calling himself a New Yorker.
After earning a Commerce degree from Chennai, India, he became a Chartered Accountant, excelling in all three qualifying exams with top rankings. With a strong foundation, he then pursued an MBA in finance at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, where he had the opportunity to learn about the latest business concepts, collaborate with peers from diverse educational backgrounds, and develop problem-solving and communication skills. Kurush's professional journey began in 2003 when he joined Lehman Brothers in Tokyo after completing his MBA.
He was recruited to be a part of their Interest Rate Strategies Team, which gave him his first experience in an international corporate environment, allowed him to apply his financial knowledge in real-world scenarios, and provided an enriching cultural experience. In 2005, he moved to Lehman in New York and worked with their award-winning Interest Rate Strategies team until 2008, managing a diverse portfolio of products such as US Government Bonds and Interest Rate Derivatives.
During this time, he built a strong reputation among Lehman's US clients, including major banks, mortgage companies, and pension funds, and played a significant role in the team's growth. In 2009, after the financial crisis, Kurush made a career shift and joined Morgan Stanley, one of the leading oil-trading firms at the time, where he worked on their US gasoline and diesel physical trading team. Here, he assisted with analytics, collaborated with traders to develop profitable strategies, and gained valuable experience in both physical and paper gasoline trading.
This brief stint in trading gives him a unique perspective in his analytical work and allows him to engage in meaningful discussions with his trader clients. In 2014, Kurush became the sole Oil analyst at Freepoint Commodities and has since made significant contributions to the development of their global oil analytics framework, incorporating alternative data into the analysis, particularly in a post-Covid world.
From 2014 to 2023, he closely worked with over 25 traders, providing them with market intelligence, supply-demand forecasts, and trade ideas for various products in the Oil industry, including crushing crude, LPG, gasoline, fuel oil, and refinery margins. In 2022, his expertise expanded to include renewable fuels and feedstocks, such as ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuels, and US soybean oil.
Throughout his career, Kurush has displayed a keen interest in recruiting, mentoring, and training junior colleagues, helping them advance in their careers. He takes great satisfaction in seeing them grow into senior roles at prominent organizations.
Kurush has been living in New York since 2005 and feels at home in the fast-paced, diverse city, where he can take advantage of the rich cultural opportunities it offers. Amidst his busy schedule, he finds solace in listening to music and playing his guitar. He also has a keen interest in reading non-fiction, politics, and traveling, which has taken him to various destinations rich in history, culture, and natural beauty.
In 2009, Kurush had the unique opportunity to produce a low-budget feature film set in New York, working with a team of inexperienced co-creators. Although the film received modest critical acclaim, the experience was both invigorating and challenging, taking him out of his comfort zone and exposing him to a different industry and the complexities of running a small business.
Committed to giving back to the community, Kurush actively donates to several charities focused on issues such as hunger, refugees, legal aid, and the environment. Since mid-2023, he has also been volunteering his time to organizations that care for the elderly and work towards reducing food waste.