At Gen10, we have been keen supporters of the Liverpool Business School Commodity Trading Hub since its inception in 2023. This innovative programme includes a series of guest lectures from industry experts to help students explore their options in commodities and prepare them for careers in our industry. If you’re looking for a New Year’s Resolution, why not support this great initiative by sharing your own expertise?
Below, a recent graduate of the Commodity Trading Hub, and now Junior Business Analyst at Gen10, Rime El Moutez, shares her experience of returning to the Hub this autumn, and the impact one guest speaker had on her career goals:
Being invited back to the Commodity Trading Hub, this time not as a learner searching for direction, but as someone who now works at Gen10, was both humbling and energizing. Walking through the doors again made me reflect on how much the Hub has shaped my story, and how grateful we are for the opportunities it opened for us.
One of the most impactful parts was hearing from Amanda Barshall Cain, executive coach and Founder of AMO. She delivered a masterclass based on her AMO Program, sharing her career journey in commodities and focusing on soft skills, mindset, leadership and career development in the commodities industry.
Amanda has a way of speaking that immediately captures the room, but what makes her truly inspiring is the openness with which she shared her own career path. Listening to her describe the challenges she faced and the lessons she learned made us appreciate the power of resilience and intentional growth.
During the session, we completed exercises such as defining our personal mission statement and setting goals using the SMART model. Even though these concepts may seem straightforward, they encouraged deep self-reflection. Crafting our mission statements helped us reconnect with the values that drive us professionally, and working through our SMART model goals gave us a clearer direction for what we want to achieve next at Gen10 and in our broader career. It reminded us that clear purpose and focused goals are essential pillars for long-term progress.
A significant portion of the session was dedicated to communication, and we found this especially valuable now that we are working within the industry. We explored the five levels of active listening, learning how each level deepens our ability to truly understand others. Amanda also spoke about the role of body language in business, how small shifts in posture, eye contact, or tone can change the direction of an interaction. It was a powerful reminder that communication is more than words – it’s presence, awareness, and intention. She also highlighted the importance of nurturing soft skills early, as they are what sustain long careers in commodities, where relationships and trust matter as much as technical expertise.
What touched us the most was the feeling of being invited back. The invitation was special for two reasons. First, my cohort (Commodity Trading Hub Year 2) didn’t get the opportunity to have Amanda speak to us, so being invited back in Year 3 meant we experienced a session we had previously missed. Second, Amanda is deeply committed to supporting and encouraging young women at the start of their careers, which made the invitation feel especially meaningful.
But beyond the invite itself, what truly made it special was returning and seeing how much I had grown since I was a student sitting in that same room. Being back now and meeting Amanda with a fresh perspective and new experience behind us felt incredibly motivating. It was a reminder of how our journey began and how proud we are to now be part of Gen10.
If you have an evening to spare and an interest in nurturing young commodities professionals, we encourage you to get in touch with Mat Halsall on LinkedIn or by email at Mat@mlh-academy.com.
