Founders & Directors - ASI International

K Alexander Stewart Chartered Chemist FRSC MIMM

Founder

K Alexander Stewart (1934-2018) founded the Alex Stewart International Group in 1978, after gaining extensive experience in all aspects of sampling and assaying. Advancing from basic laboratory duties, Alex went on to gain a first-class honours degree in chemistry and become an Associate and Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry. He built up more than 64 years’ experience in the metal industry and was at the vanguard of developing modern assaying techniques, undertaking research works in atomic absorption spectroscopy as a new analytical method, especially for the determination of gold and silver.

While working at Alfred H Knight, Alex introduced the company to the full platinum group analysis associated with both atomic absorption and fire assay techniques. In 1967, he became a director of Alfred H Knight and was largely responsible for the company’s worldwide expansion during the next decade.

In 1977, he started his own companies, Alex Stewart Assayers Ltd and AS Metallurgy Liverpool Ltd and built up a highly successful inspection and laboratory business in Knowsley, near Liverpool. He used his deep knowledge of the metal business, as well as his considerable managerial and people skills to build the network of other Alex Stewart companies to become one of the world’s leading independent inspection and metal assayers, acknowledged and accredited by reputable metals organisations such as IPMI, LME, BIR and LBMA.

In 2004, Alex Stewart Agriculture was founded, following the acquisition of the A Norman Tate and Huson and Hardwick laboratories to provide GAFTA, FOSFA and UKAS-accredited analysis of soft commodities such as grains, oilseeds, oils and fats to traders, millers, refiners and farmers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Thailand, the UK and Ukraine. In 2010, Alex Stewart International’s specialist metal laboratory became the newest partner to provide inspection and analytical services to the metal industry, as well as the business hub of the Alex Stewart International network of inspection offices.

In 2013, Alex Stewart expanded its metallurgical, inspection and analytical services with the incorporation of a new metals laboratory located in Sefton Business Park, near Liverpool, UK, trading as AS International Corporation Ltd from August 2016.

Alex Stewart was a lifelong supporter of Liverpool Football Club, following the team home and away for decades. He proudly witnessed the club win an almost unparalleled 56 major trophies.

Graham Stewart BA Hons, Dip mgt

Chief Executive Officer

Graham has been involved in a wide range of aspects of the company, having initially worked within the inspections division for bulk ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and later precious metals. He is a business management graduate and speaks Spanish and some Portuguese. Graham’s business organisational expertise includes governance, financial and legal matters, digital marketing, sales, and acquisitions. He led the project for building Alex Stewart International’s newest laboratories near Liverpool, UK. Graham has travelled and worked extensively in South America and helped the company to diversify into the geochemical sector in that continent, enabling exploration analysis for mining companies before developing our agricultural inspection work in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Graham has also directed our diversification into the soft commodities and food testing business, with the formation of Alex Stewart Agriculture and Alex Stewart Food Test Lab.

Dr. Enrique Segura

Executive Director

Enrique has held top executive positions within the financial and service sectors for more than 20 years and he has extensive experience working with governments and large international corporations. Enrique was the president of SWIPCO USA, an international company providing procurement services to governments. He has also served as president and chief executive officer of ICS Inspection and Control Services, which enables governments to maximise their customs revenues, as well as Pricesaroundtheworld.com, an online company that provides comparative price information, price research and data mining services to members via its website. Enrique has worked as an economist for the Inter-American Development Bank and as a financial officer for World Bank industrial sector projects. He was also the chairman of the Trust for the Americas and, since 1996, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Uganda in Argentina. He holds both an MBA and PhD in business administration.