Citadel, the multi-strategy hedge fund led by Ken Griffin, has appointed seasoned oil and fuel trader Shai Barnea as a portfolio manager in its refined products business, according to a report by Reuters citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The hire underscores Citadel’s ongoing expansion in commodities — one of its most profitable divisions in recent years.
Barnea joins from Freepoint Commodities, where he spent over a decade and was named global head of oil products in 2021. His earlier experience includes trading oil and fuel derivatives at Barclays.
Commodities trading, under the leadership of Sebastian Barrack, has become a cornerstone of Citadel’s performance, with the firm ramping up exposure across oil, natural gas, agriculture, and power markets. The hire of Barnea follows Citadel’s recent acquisition of Paloma Natural Gas, a move that brought upstream energy production into its portfolio for the first time, and the recruitment of power trader Nic Zhang from Goldman Sachs.
