Commodities trader? Jason’s a natural

Jason Breslaw (OE 1994-2001) is enjoying a high-flying career as a BP commodities trader.

Jason, who was School Captain in 2000, developed an interest in science whilst at QE and went on to read Natural Sciences at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Graduating with a First he joined the BP Trader Development Programme in 2005.

"I hadn't really though that a career in natural science could include commodities trading until I found out at a Careers Fair and then applied to join BP's Graduate Scheme," says Jason. Initially he worked on three, one-year, rotations; firstly as a Freight Derivatives Trading Analyst, then on an upgrade project for a blending terminal in southern Turkey and finally as a jet fuel operator in NW Europe.

He then passed the BP Assessed Traders Course and was offered a role as a Distillate Trader and Component Blender covering Europe and Africa – a role he has held since 2008. Since 2012 he has run the portfolio.

His work involves buying products such as gas oil, diesel, heating oil and jet fuel from refineries, as cargo or in storage tanks.

In 2014, Jason was interviewed and photographed for a Daily Mail recruitment feature looking at the breadth of careers available in the oil and gas industries, and talked about his nine years' working on BP’s Oil Trading Floor in London.

"Information comes in to me constantly to help me make decisions about future prices, and I buy and sell accordingly. It's fast-paced, intellectually stimulating and based on reality – I've seen ships that carry the fuels I deal in, and what I do helps provide people with heat, light and mobility."