Ken A. Eriksen, Managing Member, Polaris Analytics and Consulting. Senior Leader and Strategic Advisor to Commodities, Supply Chain, Logistics and Transportation.
Mr. Eriksen has a distinguished career directing efforts in client advisory and development, risk management, consulting, and events. As the founder of Polaris, Mr. Eriksen directs and leads the activities of Polaris. He was formerly a Strategic Advisor in the Industry Executive Advisory group, the head of the S&P Global Commodity Insights Client Advisory and Development group, and Agri Supply Chain where he was a Senior Vice President.
Since he joined S&P Global in 2001 (and through its successor companies including Spark Companies, Inc., Informa Economics and IHS Markit), Mr. Eriksen led the company’s Transportation, Industrials and Energy Services group and was a co-leader of the Consulting group. Mr. Eriksen regularly speaks on commodity markets and flows, supply chain, transportation and infrastructure issues and developments, and is an expert witness in transportation, logistics and supply chain matters. Prior to joining S&P Global, Mr. Eriksen worked for USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service as an agricultural statistician. In that capacity, he conducted national surveys and set national estimates in agriculture. Also, while at USDA, he worked for the Agricultural Marketing Service on its transportation and marketing program, conducting research and analysis on domestic and international transportation issues.
He also worked as an international longshoreman for the Pacific Maritime Association in Tacoma, Washington. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agribusiness and agricultural economics from Washington State University. While working on his master’s degree there, Mr. Eriksen was a transportation economist for the Department of Agricultural Economics, performing economic transportation data analysis and modeling.