Presenter Biographies 

David A. Kass 

Senior Economist 

Market Surveillance Section 

Division of Market Oversight 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission 

Mr. Kass has an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a graduate 

degree from DePaul University. He has been with the CFTC since its inception in 1975 

and before that with its predecessor, the Commodity Exchange Authority under the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

Over the course of his career at the Commission, he has performed and supervised 

surveillance activities with respect to the monitoring of futures and option markets to 

ensure that they operate competitively and provide a mechanism for price discovery and 

a means to offset price risk. On behalf of the Commission, he has provided expert 

testimony and has spoken before many different national and international groups. 

Christa Lachenmayr 

Senior Economist 

Division of Market Oversight 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission 

Ms. Lachenmayr is an economist in the Division of Market Oversight whose main 

responsibility is to analyze new futures contracts and futures contract changes with 

respect to cash markets and compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act.

Prior to joining the CFTC, she worked for an economic consulting firm, Nathan 

Associates Inc., on overseas development projects. Previously, she served as a Peace 

Corps Volunteer in Gabon, Central Africa, where she was an agricultural extension 

agent and worked with refugee populations to develop income generation projects in 

agriculture. 

Christa holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from 

University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies 

and Economics from American University.
Andrei Kirilenko 

Senior Financial Economist 

Office of the Chief Economist 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission 

Mr. Kirilenko has been with the Commission since 2008. He received his Ph. D. in 

Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in financial 

markets. Prior to joining the CFTC, Dr. Kirilenko spent twelve years at the International 

Monetary Fund working on global capital markets issues. His research has focused on 

the informational properties and microstructure of securities markets. He has published 

a number of journal articles appearing in the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial 

Markets, and IMF Staff Papers. 

At the CFTC, Dr. Kirilenko has been involved in projects of strategic importance to the 

Commission ranging from market and contract design issues in agricultural 

commodities, the interaction of economic fundamentals and market forces in energy, 

and the analysis of high frequency trading activity. 

David Lehman 

Director, Commodity Research and Product Development 

Research and Product Development 

CME Group 

Mr. Lehman is a Director in the Executive Division of CME Group. David is responsible 

for managing new product research and development and contract maintenance for the 

commodity sector. Prior to joining CME Group, Mr. Lehman was Managing Director and 

Chief Economist at the Chicago Board of Trade from 2005-2007, with responsibility for 

commodity research, new product development and contract maintenance. From 2003-

2005, Mr. Lehman was Managing Director of Commodities at CBOT, with responsibility 

for new product research and development and marketing and education for 

commodities. 

David held various research and marketing positions at the CBOT from 1989 - 2002, 

and held the position of Industry Economist at the Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission from 1986-1989. He received bachelors and master’s degrees in 

agricultural and resource economics from the University of Maryland in 1983 and 1985, 

respectively. 
Matt Bruns 

Vice President of Exports 

ADM 

Representing the National Grain and Feed Association 

As Vice President of Exports, Matt is responsible for the global wheat, oilseed and corn 

export markets at ADM as well as being indirectly responsible for integrating all into the 

ocean freight function. Previously a senior trader, he currently oversees a group of 

traders and merchandisers in the domestic/international markets including ADM Geneva 

and ADM Latin groups and manages risk management on a daily basis.

Matt joined ADM in 1985 and has held various leadership positions in the United States, 

Europe and Asia. Previously, he served as Manager of China Oilseed Processing in 

Shanghai, China. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture studies from 

Iowa State University. He is fluent in English and conversational in German and 

Mandarin languages 

Matt serves on the NGFA Risk Management Committee and is a NAEGA (North 

American Export Grain Association) board member. He also serves in various 

capacities at ADM including the Leadership Committee, Values in Action Committee 

and is a members committee representative for ADM Marubeni Transportation LLC. 

Chad Burlet 

President 

Burlet Trading

Mr. Burlet is President and Founder of Burlet Trading. Since 1996 the firm has focused 

on trading agricultural cash, futures, and options markets and has taken particular 

interest in cash/futures convergence. 

Prior to founding Burlet Trading, Chad was a vice president of Goldman Sachs in New 

York from 1989 - 1996. As a proprietary trader he focused on agricultural cash, futures, 

options, index and OTC markets. 

From 1980 - 1989 he held various merchandising positions for Cargill, Incorporated in 

Chattanooga, Baton Rouge, Chicago and Wayzata. Those positions included Central 

Region Merchandising Manager and Oilseeds Department Head. He earned his BA in 

Economics with Departmental Distinction at St. Olaf College.