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Michael is the BMW Group Vice President for Information Technology in the Americas based in the BMW ITRC on the CUICAR campus. He oversees all IT DevOps services in the region for Manufacturing, Sales, and Financial Services.
In his 20 years at the BMW Group, he also headed the inhouse production and purchasing function for reinforced carbon fiber plastics, was responsible globally for painted body logistics planning, and served as the IT Manager for the UK manufacturing operations.
Prior to joining BMW, Michael was an IT consultant for Accenture in Germany and a staff member at the IBM Research Zurich Labs in Switzerland. He graduated from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a Ph.D. in Information Management.
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Virginie Collin-Banerji is the Head of IM NA (Information Management North America) Regional & Digital Initiatives at Airbus Americas, Inc. In this capacity, she leads the Airbus Americas' Digital Transformation Program, whose purpose is to solve business issues and create value with Digital Solutions.
Virginie has more than 20 years of experience in leading the deployment and end-to-end management of Digital Solutions; with a deep expertise in Domain, Program, Product, Project, and Team Management; and a strong focus on strategic transformation and transversal initiates at the Global Enterprise level.
Prior to joining Airbus in 2018, Virginie had a 15+ years career at IBM Global Business Services, centered on management of large projects and IBM's Delivery Excellence program.
Erin Chase is the Director of Operational Excellence, Digital Manufacturing Transformation, and Continuous Improvement at Johnson Controls Inc. Erin has worked across business teams including EHS, employee relations, operations, digital manufacturing, supplier quality, supply management, and new product integration. Her strength is crossing functional boundaries and bringing diverse teams together to drive change.
Throughout her career Erin has leveraged servant leadership principles to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within her teams. She believes that digital manufacturing is critical to long term competitiveness, and should be employed to make jobs easier, better or faster for every employee that interacts with the technology.
Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Erin spent two years with Corning, Inc, and 14 years with John Deere.
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Matthew has been employed with Michelin for 25 years and is currently the Industry 4.0 Transformation Manager for Michelin Retread Technologies. With the last six years spent managing all Exploration topics for North and South America. His mission is to modernize and transform Michelin Retread across all aspects of the business including innovation ,strategy, and people engagement.
Experience in developing and deploying AI technologies, automation technologies, and IT infrastructure needed to support these newer approaches. He has led and participated in numerous projects around the world during his career and is a domain expert in his field.
Allison has been with Win-Tech, a small business aerospace machine shop, for 16 years. In 2020, after she bought the business with her partner (another long-tenured Win-Tech employee), she made it her mission to prioritize cybersecurity and prepare for the road ahead. Allison serves on multiple industry association boards and handles operations and business functions of her small business.
Tyrone Ellis is a Technical Executive with more than 20 years of industry experience in global companies. He currently serves as Aftermarket Engineering Leader in one of the Business Units for Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator. He joined the company (Formerly Ingersoll Rand) in 2012. In this role, Ellis is responsible for developing and leading the deployment of technical solutions and operational excellence initiatives for the Aftermarket business operating system in the Americas. Before this role, Ellis held Executive positions in Corporate Engineering as well as Integrated Supply Chain and Quality in one of the Business units, winning the coveted Chairman’s Award as Global Leader of the year in 2016 for driving transformation in quality and customer performance leveraging digital applications.
Prior to his current organization, Ellis held technical leadership roles at two primary companies, Bose Corporation and Robert Bosch Automotive, both known for world-class quality, reliability, and service programs. The scope of his roles spanned across the customer value chain deploying digital solutions within various assignments in quality, operations, and engineering. Ellis won leadership and performance awards at each of these businesses for leading organizational change initiatives that yielded superior results in business performance.
Gustavo Chohfi is the Vice President of Quality Assurance for Cornerstone Building Brands which is the largest manufacturer of exterior building products in North America.
He brings 22 years of industry experience including; leading operations, quality, manufacturing, product development, and six sigma teams for global leaders such as Whirlpool, Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances and Shark Ninja.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Tim Vibbert currently serves as an Executive Director of Manufacturing Operations at GE Appliances in Louisville, KY. He leads the AP3 Dishwasher Manufacturing plant focused on improving safety, quality, manufacturing efficiency, product cost, and commercial availability. Prior to this role, he served as the Executive Director & Plant Manager of AP1, Laundry Operations, AP5, Refrigeration Operations, and the Executive Director of the Plastics Injection Molding COE. Before his time as a manufacturing operation leader, Tim held positions of increasing responsibility in Sourcing and Procurement including Plastics & Packaging Commodity Business Team leader, Controls and Electromechanical Devices Team leader, Metals Team leader and Global Commodity manager. In all his Sourcing roles, Tim delivered global purchasing strategies for his commodities and negotiated on behalf of the company to ensure product lines achieved the best cost, quality, and service for supplied material components.
Tim is also a US Army Veteran. He served in the Army for 26 years as an Army Aviator, flying the AH-64 Apache Longbow. Throughout his 14 years on active duty and 12 years as a reservist, he successfully executed missions in multiple stateside postings and overseas deployments. He’s a proud veteran of the 101st AASLT Division, 6th and 16th Cavalry, 11th Aviation Regiment and the Army Reserve Aviation Command (ARAC). He continues to voluntarily serve all US veterans as a Board member for USA Cares and as the GE Appliances Executive Sponsor of the GEA Veterans Alliance employee resource group. He currently resides in Louisville, KY with his wife Margaret and their two children, Jack and Sarah.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
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Mike Fitzmaurice, WEBCON's Chief Evangelist and VP - North America, has three decades of product, consulting, evangelism, engineering, and IT management expertise in workflow/business process automation, citizen development, and low-code/no-code platforms and strategies. His tenure at Microsoft included birthing and driving SharePoint’s technical product management throughout its first decade.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Manuele D’Aversa is the CEO of LINDE + WIEMANN US Inc., who started the US expansion since the beginning of this green field project in 2015. Before stepping into this role, Manuele managed an integration project of the LINDE + WIEMANN M&A strategy in South Africa for three years. As a regional controller for Southern Europe and Africa, he was closely involved with the LINDE + WIEMANN activities in Germany. With this experience, he has the ability to transfer the LINDE + WIEMANN footprint overseas. Manuele was born and raised in Germany where he finalized his studies in International Economic and Business Administration (Diplom Betriebswirt) at University of Applied Sciences in Worms, Germany.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
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Catherine Briley is the Director of M4.0 Integration for Cooley Group, a global manufacturer of high-performance polymeric solutions. Catherine has spent 25 years in the manufacturing sector and is currently dedicated to developing digitalization strategies across Cooley Group’s operations so that critical datasets can be leveraged with the purpose of exceeding business objectives. Catherine’s path began with a Textile Engineering degree from NCSU, then job progressions from Quality Engineering to Quality Management & ISO 9001 compliance, all the while championing cross functional teams focusing on product and process Continuous Improvements. More recently, after receiving ASQ’s CMQ/OE and Cornell’s Python & Machine Learning in R certifications, Catherine’s passion is empowering all levels of Cooley Group’s associates with digital information and tools in order to help establish an enjoyable, sustainable and profitable organization.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Paige Goff is Vice President of Sustainability at Domtar, which design, manufacture, market and distributes a wide variety of communication and specialty papers and market pulp. In this role, Goff is responsible for communicating Domtar’s key sustainability and business initiatives to all internal and external stakeholders. Additionally, she develops and leads all partnerships with environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and oversees sustainability communications for Domtar customers.
Goff is responsible for identifying and leveraging the latest sustainability trends to strengthen and support all facets of Domtar’s business. She drives communications strategy across the pulp and paper division, and leads a team that communicates Domtar’s differentiating sustainability and innovation stories to key audiences. Additionally, Goff has developed and implemented numerous advocacy and education campaigns, as well as community engagement efforts, on behalf of the company.
Goff joined Domtar in 2004, building upon 25 years of experience in the forest products industry. Prior to her current role, she was also the Senior Manager, Brand and Advertising Operations as well as Product Packaging Manager. Before joining Domtar, Goff worked at both Weyerhaeuser and Resolute Forest Products (formerly Bowater). She has a Master of Business Administration degree.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Karthikk has over 20 years experience guiding businesses and technology transformations in manufacturing, retail and insurance sectors. He is currently leading digitalization efforts in the Americas to drive business growth and excellence by implementing innovative solutions across the business value chain. Karthikk is passionte about the positive impact technology can have on people and businesses. He enjoys startups and students to empower the next generation.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
n her current role as US Head of Technology at BSH, Bosch’s Home Appliances division, Meg Lanza is a change agent responsible for shaping the strategy for the future of advanced manufacturing to ensure competitiveness. Ms. Lanza recently transitioned into the Home Appliances division after over 25 years in the automotive industry. She became interested in the automotive industry after completing an internship for a Tier One Automotive Supplier the summer after graduating from the State University of New York at Buffalo with an Industrial Engineering Degree. The following year, while at Virginia Tech pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering (Human Factors and System Design), her Industrial Ergonomics research was sponsored in part by Ford and had direct applicability to automotive assembly work. After graduating, Lanza worked in a corporate ergonomics role at Honda of America Manufacturing in Marysville, OH before she accepted a position at Robert Bosch, LLC in Charleston, SC.
Lanza has held multiple roles with Bosch with responsibilities including development of technical training, SAP implementation, classical industrial engineering, implementation of lean manufacturing tools and principles, facility master planning, value stream leadership, product ramp ups, connected industry and digital transformation implementation, and a product transfer which received a global business excellence award from the Bosch Executive Board in recognition of extraordinary quality performance and cross-cultural collaboration and teamwork. Lanza has also earned her MBA from the University of South Carolina and completed a two year international assignment at a production facility in Nuremberg, Germany during her career with Bosch.
In April 2017, Lanza was a recipient of the Automotive News Rising Star Award, which recognizes dynamic young leaders in the automotive industry.
Lanza currently resides in Simpsonville, SC, with her husband and their three children.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
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Marco Rabe is currently Director of Strategic projects at Continental Tire the Americas. In his more than 20 years at the Continental Tire Group, he has built experience across Research and Development, Product Development, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance and Purchasing. He has lead teams in Europe, Asia as well as North and South America. He graduated with a Degree in Industrial Engineering from Stellenbosch University, South Africa and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He is married with 3 children.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Born in Vietnam and residing in the United States, Hao is an experience junkie. He has worked across the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia in the manufacturing, financial services sector, energy segment, extreme sports arena, and entertainment industry, performing various roles such as an innovation evangelist, digital product owner, and his favorite job, as a professional skateboarder. Hao is passionate about nurturing his creative confidence and utilizing innovation to solve complex issues. He is spearheading initiatives to transform traditional organizations into innovation powerhouses. Additionally, Hao started two non-profits focused on helping students and non-techies nurture their creative skills, spark their innovative fire and prepare them for the digital economy.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Watch this space.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bob Daymon is currently the Head of TM Operations Uber Freight. Bob is responsible for the Uber Freight Centers of Excellence in the Northeast, Midwest and Canadian region. The Centers of Excellence under Daymon oversee $5.5 billion in annual freight spend which is mainly focused in the chemical and manufacturing vertical.
Bob started his career 25 years ago at Roadway Express/Caliber Systems which through acquisition later became known as FedEx Supply Chain Services. During his tenure, Bob was responsible for the organizations transportation management accounts related to the high-tech sector. Bob also spent three years working with Cap-Gemini, G-Log which is now known as Oracle OTM and FedEx on a next generation transportation management system. In 2006, Bob joined Penske Logistics as a General Manager of Operations and later became Vice President of Freight Management. In this role, Daymon was responsible for the transportation management and brokerage products in addition to oversight of freight forwarding, transportation procurement, backhaul planning, transportation program compliance and transportation management engineering.
Daymon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Organizational Development from the University of Akron.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Scott Burkey is a Technology Fellow at Westrock, a global manufacturing and consumer packaging company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. He takes a pragmatic approach to implementing new ways of making training more effective and supporting front-line workers. Having worked as a software developer for over 20 years for brands like CNN, TBS/TNT and Coca-Cola, Scott now champions new technologies in the manufacturing industry which he believes will be one of the biggest adopters of augmented and virtual reality.
Prior to WestRock Scott delivered VR products for the National Basketball Association. He serves in an advisory capacity to startups and non-profits. Scott is a United States Marine Veteran that enjoys running and backpacking with his wife and 4 children in Atlanta, Georgia.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Jeff Winter is one of the top Industry 4.0 thought leaders and influencers helping manufacturers digitally transform their business at scale. With over 17 years of experience working for different industrial automation product and solution providers, Jeff has a unique ability to simplify and communicate complex concepts to a wide range of audiences, educating and inspiring people from the shop floor up to the executive board room. As part of his experience, Jeff is also very active in the community of Industry 4.0. He currently is a part of the International Board of Directors for MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association), the leader of the Smart Manufacturing & IIoT Division of ISA (International Society of Automation), a U.S. registered expert for IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) as a member of TC 65, and is on the Smart Manufacturing Advisory Board for Purdue University.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Trent Randles has 10 years of experience in the automotive manufacturing industry, including leadership positions with BorgWarner and Magna Seating. In addition, he has held various engineering positions at Plastic Omnium where he led digital transformation initiatives such as building digital twins of assembly lines, utilizing Augmented Reality to perform ergonomic assessments, and implementing Manufacturing Execution Systems to improve machine performance and provide a higher level of quality traceability. During this time, he was also assigned to multiple design and launch teams for vehicles including the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 and Volvo S60.
In his current role as Manufacturing Engineering Manager at BorgWarner, he uses his past experiences to drive digital transformation initiatives and push the level of automation higher in their assembly processes to continue achieving his plant’s business objectives and helping his company remain at the top level of their industry. In parallel he coaches his team in the areas of manufacturing process improvement, automated/robotic equipment design, new program launch management and cross-functional team leadership.
Trent holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology Management from University of South Carolina – Upstate, a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University and for the last 3 years has been pursuing a PhD in Automotive Engineering with a concentration in Manufacturing System Design at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). He is passionate about all things automation and digital transformation, especially in the automotive manufacturing industry. In his free time, you can find him with his wife and 2 sons attending any number of Clemson University sporting events or competing in Spartan Obstacle Course races on the weekend.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
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Rebecca Short is the Director of Operations for the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development (CUCWD) and the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Center for Aviation and Automotive Technological Education Using Virtual E-Schools (CA2VES) and the former Chief Workforce Officer for the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute. She has over twenty years of work experience in higher education administration in undergraduate and graduate admissions, academic records, and student affairs. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy from Auburn University. Before joining Clemson, she was Director of Graduate Admissions & Records at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. Her research interest focuses on the deployment of self and instructor-led curricula, the development of educational technology, the efficacy of digital learning tools on student learning outcomes, and the impact of virtual reality on content retention.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Watch this space
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Allen Hackman is the Area Vice President/General Manager of the Manufacturing Industry at ServiceNow. Allen has over twenty years of experience helping organizations transform and digitize their operations. In addition, Allen has developed and executed IT strategies to align IT with business strategies in order to generate maximum value from technology investments. Allen has a strong track record of successful digital transformations across a wide array of technologies and platforms. Allen resides in North Carolina.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Jason is the Digital Transformation Leader for AstenJohnson and is based in Clinton SC. He is responsible for the global implementation of operational technology on the manufacturing floor. He has been leading the company through the Industry 4.0 journey.
He has years of experience in implementing manufacturing software and automation equipment on the manufacturing floor. Prior to AstenJohnson, Jason worked as a manufacturing engineer for Danfoss Power Solutions in the Easley SC location. He graduated with a MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Nicholaus Hughes is the Digital Experience Designer, Innovation Mentor, and leader of the Digital Transformation Panel at Amsted Rail. Nick has partnered across business units and functions including operations, quality, technology, and supply chain, to infuse innovative and transformative solutions into our organization. Nick’s ability to supercharge challenging projects and connect key resources across the enterprise make him a key asset to digital transformation.
Prior to his service at Amsted Rail, Nick spent six years with BestTransport in the transportation software industry.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
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Phil Hunt is Chief Architect at Orange Bees, a software development company. He has over 30 years of software development experience, primarily in professional services, and has held roles including Developer, DBA, Architect, and Director of Client Services. Phil’s work includes serving as Software Architect and Lead Developer on Artificial Quality Next (AIQX) for BMW and Software Architect on South Carolina Business One Stop (SCBOS).
While he insists he isn’t a perfectionist, Phil strives to build perfect solutions — with every project, he seeks the ideal solution for the business, the ideal solution from a software architecture perspective, and the ideal solution for performance and resource utilization. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Clemson University. Outside of work, he enjoys amateur sports with his sons and “big, beautiful, customized and lifted” 4-wheel drive trucks.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
As Vice President, Simon Ellis currently leads the U.S. Manufacturing Insights and Global Supply Chain Strategies practices at IDC Manufacturing Insights, specializing in advising clients on manufacturing strategies, supply chain digital transformation, sustainability, cloud migration, network, and ecosystem design. Mr. Ellis works with manufacturers, supply chain companies and technology providers to develop best practices and strategies leveraging IDC quantitative and qualitative data sets. Within the Supply Chain practices, Mr. Ellis is directly responsible for the research in the Supply Chain Planning and Multi-Enterprise Networks Strategies practice while also overseeing the Supply Chain Execution practices. These supply chain practices specialize in advising clients on supply chain network design, S&OP, global sourcing (Profitable Proximity and Low-Cost Sourcing), warehousing and inventory management, transportation, logistics, and more.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Suzanne joined the SC Council on Competitiveness in 2016 after serving for 8 years as the Director for International Business Development at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). Suzanne’s experience includes 20 years in the automotive industry: 12 years within BMW working in the fields of corporate sustainability, innovation management and long-term strategic and structural planning.
She began her career with BMW in Munich Germany at corporate headquarters upon completion of the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program. Suzanne speaks fluent German and is also a Fellow of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Forum. Suzanne is a Board Member of the South Carolina Automotive Council and a graduate of the Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Program. Currently, she serves on the Board of the South Carolina International Trade Conference and the South Carolina Aquarium Board.
In 2013, Suzanne received the Knowledge Economist Award from the South Carolina Research Authority and in 2015 Suzanne was the recipient of the Clemson Women in Leadership Award. In 2020, Suzanne was awarded the Charleston Woman of the Year Award from the Charleston Women in Trade organization and was sworn in as the Honorary Consul to the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2021 she was recognized as SC Biz GSA Magazine’s Woman of Influence.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Joseph Etris is the Vice President of Industrial Internet of Things for Gemba Systems Inc, which offers guidance, tools, and hands-on support in the selection and implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies.
Previously, Joseph served as an engineering manager for the Powertrain Division of Continental. Joseph led a team to digitize the plant, capturing energy consumption and production data at the machine level. The initiative led to significant energy savings, emission reductions, and the facility became the second plant in North America to be awarded with the Continental “Green Plant Label.”
Joseph has an MBA and is certified in Business Analytics from the Darla Moore School of Business. He is married with three boys.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Coral Warren is a passionate and innovative engineer, fueled by complex projects and fresh air. As a Value Improvement Process Project Engineer at Polaris, her focus is on minimizing overall vehicle production costs through design for manufacturing, quality improvements, and global sourcing. Among her achievements is the redesign ofthe Roll-Over Protection System (ROPS) on the Polaris Slingshot. The new design had to be structurally-sound, aesthetically appealing, and accommodate the existing bodywork. The final product was a well- received, sleek design that held up to its structural requirements, while also saving significant cost per unit.
Coral has received several Polaris Star Awards for her involvement in formalizing the women’s resource group known as Women Leaders of Polaris (WLP) at the Huntsville, Alabama manufacturing facility, as well as across the organization in her role as Vice President of WLP. In this role, she led the development and implementation a formal mentorship program within Polaris, established the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) chapter for Alabama, and enlisted Polaris as a corporate member of WiM.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Brandon joined NavVis in July of 2022, excited to become part of a groundbreaking company in the digital world. Even in that short time he has seen customers benefit from reality captured digital factory maps. Prior to joining NavVis, Brandon spent time working with customers seeking to automate processes through the implementation of industrial, mobile, and collaborative robotics. He has experience as a Business Unit Manager, and has lead teams of customer service representatives, application engineers, new business development managers, and sales engineers. Regarding education, he has a BSME from the University of Buffalo and an MBA from Clemson University. If you would like to have a passionate conversation, bring up leadership styles, golf, chicken wings, and the Buffalo Bills!
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Mike Ungar is a FocalPoint Business Coach and Executive Coach helping business leaders improve their profitability and achieve their personal and professional goals. Mike is also Co-Founder of the Industry 4.0 Club whose purpose is to engage the power of diverse worldwide talent to accelerate the global evolution to Industry 4.0.
After graduating from the United States Military Academy, he served as an Infantry Officer in the United States Army. Upon completion of his military service, Mike joined Michelin North America. In his 35 years at Michelin, Mike coached teams from all areas of business (manufacturing, research and development, sales and marketing, and support services) as well as in a variety of countries and cultures (France, Germany, Romania, Northern Ireland, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the United States). He also led teams in manufacturing, continuous improvement, and personnel. Mike has leveraged his coaching experience with Lean techniques to develop sustained continuous improvement culture through the engagement of people.
Mike is on the Board of the Upstate Veteran’s Business Network and helps Veterans Transitioning to Civilian life. He is a member of the Workplace Advisory Council to the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding and is co-chair of the Greenville Society of Human Resource Management’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Having worked in the architecture and interior design visualization industry for 10 years, Framarz Mistry is responsible for the visualization technology needs for Mohawk Group and their clients, from state-of-the-art simulations and room scene renderings, to online tools that assist designers with adding their personal style to their spaces. He has been responsible for establishing the Visual Interactive Studio (VIS) at Mohawk and led the development, and implementation of award-winning virtual reality technology in all of the company’s showrooms across North America. Currently, he is leading the development of Mohawk’s web-based real-time carpet recoloring and simulation tool – Personal Studio. Framarz earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Birla Institute of Technology in India and a master’s degree in interactive design and game development from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Catherine Hayes has over 20 years of international industrial experience, including leadership roles with Square D, NCR, and Bosch. With a B.S. in Engineering Management and Mechanical Engineering, a M.S. in Industrial Technology, and a focus on Lean Six Sigma, she led successful teams in Manufacturing Engineering and Operations, Quality Engineering, and Industrial Engineering.
In her current role as Industry Manager with SCRA, Catherine partners with industry to identify improvement opportunities, scouts for technology solutions, and facilitates technology transfer to support Industry 4.0 initiatives and digital transformation challenges. She collaborates with universities, economic development organizations and state agencies to support industry growth and the mobility/energy infrastructure while fostering the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems.
Previously as Executive Director of the South Carolina Automotive Council, Catherine championed digital transformation in manufacturing and convened companies to share best practices in innovation, operations, supply chain development and workforce development. She collaborated throughout the Southeast with automotive manufacturers and alliances to support the automotive industry and to expand foreign direct investment.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Dr. Marcel Schäfer serves as Senior Research Scientist for the Fraunhofer USA Center Mid-Atlantic CMA in Maryland since January 2019. From 2009 to 2018 he was with Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technologies SIT in Germany. He owns a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wuppertal, Germany, and a PhD in computer science from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. As PI, Co-PI and researcher Dr. Schäfer has led and worked in various projects that discover new challenges and opportunities broadly spread over the fields of cybersecurity and software engineering in both the public and private sector.
Since March 2021 he is leading the Fraunhofer USA office in South Carolina as Senior Program Coordinator for Fraunhofer USA’s activities within the South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance. Projects so far cover a broad spectrum ranging from smart manufacturing, IoT, Industry 4.0, digitization to predictive maintenance, predictive analytics and other data driven and machine learning featured technologies. Typically, those projects have a strong manufacturing focus.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Tim Felbinger is the founder and CEO of StartProto, a cloud software company that provides innovative solutions to small to mid-sized manufacturers. StartProto seamlessly connects the shop floor, data, and management on one cloud platform, making it easier for manufacturers to manage their operations and scale their businesses. After graduation from Georgia Tech, Tim immediately put his education to work by starting StartProto. With a degree in Electrical Engineering, Tim's passion for technology and commitment to delivering high-quality solutions has helped StartProto to grow rapidly and make a significant impact in the manufacturing industry.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Watch this space
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Eric Borowicz is the General Manager for the Accessories Division for AFL. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in Aerospace Engineering, Eric served in the Navy’s nuclear submarine service before transitioning into manufacturing. As a civilian, Eric spent 12 years with Michelin Tire holding positions in Production Management, Human Resources, and Industrial Engineering. In 2000, Eric joined AFL as the Operations Manager for the Accessories plant in Duncan, SC, and in 2013, he became the General Manager for Accessories. Eric is responsible for sites in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Dr. Cynthia Davis took the helm of the Existing Industry program for the South Carolina Department of Commerce in 2017 after serving 10 years in workforce development and 15 years in education. Her responsibilities have since expanded to include accountability of the Rural Infrastructure and Economic Development Grants programs and the management of South Carolina’s Electric Vehicle Coordinator.
The Existing Industry program is specifically designed to elevate the production, quality and profitability of SC manufacturing companies. Cynthia supervises a team of 7 industry professionals that work collaboratively with local economic development resources and allied partners to cover all regions of SC.
Dr. Davis is a graduate of Wofford College (1989), and Converse College in 1991 with a Masters in Education and 1996 with an Education Specialist degree. Cynthia earned a Ph.D. in Education Leadership from Clemson University in 2003. Dr. Davis’s dissertation focuses on implementing transformational leadership to reverse the course of failing schools.
Cynthia is a graduate of the SC Economic Development Institute, holds a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and serves on the SC Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Board of Directors and the SC Chamber Manufacturing Committee. She lives in Ridgeway, SC a small town in rural Fairfield county with her husband and is a mother to 2 children in college ages 22 and 19.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Devin is the Founder and CEO of Squint, the leading platform for digitizing a factory's procedures using Augmented Reality (AR) on a mobile device. The Squint team is laser-focused on eliminating friction in training, operations, and maintenance on the shop floor.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Josh Riggs is the Senior Manage of Global Sustainability at South Carolina based Milliken & Company, where he drives sustainability and net-zero strategies. Josh has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Tennessee Tech University.
Josh's career began as an engineer in Milliken textile manufacturing and has held several roles supporting energy, environmental sustainability, and ESG reporting programs.
In his free time, Josh focuses on his young family and volunteering in his community and faith organizations. While his roots are in Kingston, Tennessee, he resides in Spartanburg as a proud South Carolinian.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Jonathan is an innovation and technology executive working with the world's most cutting-edge manufacturers. Throughout his career, he has worked at companies like General Electric, Software AG and most recently, AWS, where he has helped industrial organizations reduce costs and improve their operational efficiencies, support the full life cycles of transformational solutions and build resilient supply chains through the use of IoT, IIoT, AI, ML and other bleeding-edge technologies. When he is not working directly with industrials, Jonathan spends his time as an advisor on a number of industry and start-up advisory boards.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
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Dr. Ramy Harik, a Fulbright Scholar, is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina and a researcher at the McNAIR Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research. Ramy is the principal investigator of the neXt (new and emerging X technologies) research team. His education joins Mechanical Engineering (BS/MS), Automated Manufacturing (MS) and Industrial/Mechanical Engineering (PhD). He mainly teaches courses in Manufacturing, Smart Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Prototyping, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). Dr Harik is an Associate Editor of the SME Manufacturing Letters journal. He is the author of the “Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing” textbook by SAE. He was granted more than 15 million USD in funding from NASA, Boeing, National Science Foundation, Toray, SC Department of Commerce, South Carolina Research Authority, Siemens, Fokker and several other agencies. He is the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor award from the University of South Carolina, the 2018 Samuel Litman Distinguished Professor award from the College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina, and the 2016 Outstanding Young Educator Award from Pi Tau Sigma Honor Society at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Harik was the chair of CAD’10, the ACE’15, ACE’16 and ACE’17 Technical Symposiums, the PLM’16 International Conference, and the technical co-chair of the largest composites show in the United States CAMX 2020. He was listed as amongst the 20 most influential professors in Smart Manufacturing by SME’s Smart Manufacturing Magazine in 2020. In 2021, Dr. Harik released his second book: “Manufacturing vs Corruption: Who Wins?” by SAE.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bryan is an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Economics at UNA, COO of a MES Software company, Advisor to multiple Deep Tech Startups, and Manufacturing Coach. With nearly two decades of experience leading advanced manufacturing teams and developing breakthrough products and technologies, his passion is supporting high growth businesses at each phase of their journey.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Daniel Gambrell is an Investment Associate at SCRA where he works with early-stage SC startups engaging in SCRA’s programming and capital opportunities. Prior to joining SCRA, he served as Senior Associate at Illinois Ventures, the venture capital arm of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Ventures he sourced, screened, and performed due diligence on investments in the deep tech space. Daniel earned an MBA from the University of Illinois and a BA in Environmental Policy from Kennesaw State University.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Andy is a cybersecurity leader laser-focused on helping organizations build cybersecurity maturity. In his role as CISO with Sentinel Blue, he specializes in helping defense and federal contractors meet compliance obligations (DFARS, CMMC). Before co-founding Sentinel Blue, Andy managed cybersecurity operations in the defense industry, internally as a defense contractor, and externally as a consultant.
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