Bob Finch

Who is Bob Finch?

Robert 'Bob' Finch is the Head of Coal Trading at leading energy trading company The Vitol Group. He was born in the London suburb of Kingston-upon-Thames in 1954 as the son of an RAF fighter. After leaving school at the age of 17, Finch started working as entry level junior at Petrofina. Over the years he acquired all of the necessary skills around trading and worked his way up to the position of trader. Finch joined Vitol in 1979 as the Rotterdam-based trader began its international growth. Oil trading was in its infancy then, and Finch was key to shaping the market development and enabling Vitol’s growth. For many years, he was head of trading and has served on its board for 15 years. Finch was instrumental in establishing Vitol’s entry into the coal markets in 2007. In January 2012, Finch was involved in the agreement between Vitol Anker International BV and Vitol Mauritius Limitada and Grindrod Limited of South Africa whereby Vitol a 35% interest in the company which owns the Maputo coal terminal concession. In addition Vitol and Grindrod entered into a partnership to combine their respective sub Saharan coal trading businesses.