Foster Smith

Foster Smith, head of US gas and power trading at JP Morgan, tells David Watkins his fast-track career path is par for the course in commodities

Being appointed head of US gas and power trading at JP Morgan at the age of 37 would suggest to most people that Foster Smith is a high achiever. Yet the Oklahoma-born father of two regards such a status as typical in a Wall Street business that is relatively new compared with more mature markets.

"If there's a business where this kind of thing is possible, it's commodities," he says. "If you look at my counterparts on Wall Street, many are my age. Like any other business, it's more about