Richard Blume Strategic Advisor · Steel & Metals · Charlotte, NC
Rick Blume is an enterprise-level executive and advisor with over 40 years of experience in the North American steel and metals industry. Having built his career with one of the industry's leading companies, he brings a rare combination of executive leadership, deep market knowledge, and an extensive network of trusted relationships across producers, customers, policymakers, and investors.
Throughout his career, Rick has operated at the enterprise level, contributing to strategy, commercial leadership, and organizational alignment across the full spectrum of steel products, including sheet, bar, beam, and plate. He is widely recognized for his ability to connect market insight with practical execution, helping organizations navigate complex industry dynamics.
Rick has also played an active role in trade and policy matters affecting the U.S. steel industry. He has provided testimony and industry expertise in connection with major trade cases and policy actions, including Section 232, Section 301, anti-dumping, and countervailing duty proceedings.
During his tenure at Nucor, Rick led key initiatives that strengthened commercial performance and customer engagement, including the development of enterprise-level Key Account Management programs and Commercial Excellence efforts designed to enhance alignment, accountability, and market responsiveness across business units.
In his advisory work, Rick has supported private equity firms and executive teams on acquisition evaluations, industry structure analysis, and growth strategy development. His experience includes advising on potential investments, providing market intelligence, supporting a greenfield aluminum sheet mill initiative, and evaluating downstream market opportunities.