Freepoint Commodities Hires Michael Gamson, Expanding Team of Experienced Traders

News provided by

Jan 04, 2012, 12:30 ET

GREENWICH, Conn., Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Freepoint Commodities LLC, a physical commodity trading and marketing company with more than $300 million in committed equity capital, today announced it has hired Michael Gamson, an international energy trader with more than 30 years of experience, as a Senior Managing Director in charge of developing a domestic refined petroleum products business.

Gamson, who specializes in physical arbitrage, futures trading, and refining and marketing in the oil products business, joins a growing team of experienced traders at Freepoint, a company founded by former Sempra Energy Trading executives. Since Freepoint commenced trading on June 1, 2011, the company has hired more than 25 traders, and established offices in Greenwich, Conn., Houston, Texas, Louisville, Ky., and Boise, Idaho, and foreign offices in London, U.K. and Toronto, Canada.

Gamson was most recently part of the management team at Vitol, serving as a senior partner, shareholder and vice chairman of its trading committee. Over 13 years beginning in 1996, he helped grow Vitol into the largest physical oil trading company in the world. He retired from Vitol in 2009. Gamson began his career in 1979 with the commodity trading firm Philipp Brothers in Los Angeles, Calif. and managed the company's Greenwich, Conn.-based clean products trading business from 1986 to 1990. From 1990 to 1996, Gamson was a partner in Amerada Hess's startup of a physical and paper oil trading platform.

"When we founded Freepoint Commodities, our vision was to assemble a team of the most experienced traders in the business. Michael Gamson, with a proven track record in international energy trading for more than 30 years, exemplifies this vision," said David A. Messer, CEO of Freepoint. "We have known Michael for a long time, and are very excited to have him join the growing Freepoint team."

"I have long been impressed with the trading platforms that David Messer and Frank Gallipoli built at AIG and Sempra Energy Trading. I have known both David and Frank for more than 20 years and there are no two people I would rather work with on a start-up venture," said Gamson. "There is an enormous opportunity to recreate those successful trading platforms at Freepoint, and I am delighted to join this effort as both a trader and senior investor."

About Freepoint Commodities

Founded by former Sempra Energy Trading executives, Freepoint Commodities is based in Greenwich, CT with 100 employees worldwide. Freepoint Commodities initiated trading and marketing in June 2011 and operates North American Natural Gas and North American and European Power groups out of locations in Connecticut, Texas, and Kentucky in the United States, as well as in Toronto, Canada, and London, United Kingdom. Management, employees and private equity funds managed by Stone Point Capital have provided the initial equity capital for the company.

Media Contacts:

Ruby Landow
Vice President, Business Manager
+1 203 542 6012
[email protected]

Janine Savarese
RF|Binder
+1 212 994 7608
[email protected]

SOURCE Freepoint Commodities LLC