Speakers

Gregg Roden is Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of PepsiCo, responsible for Global Supply Chain and Operations, leading North America and International Supply Chains, Global Procurement, and Global Employee Health & Safety. Working across a complex operating environment that is evolving rapidly, Gregg has consistently demonstrated the ability to find innovative solutions that enhance our operational capabilities and build strong business relationships that meet the needs of our consumers, customers, and associates.

Previously as Senior Vice President of PepsiCo’s North American Supply Chain, he drove the transformation agenda across the beverages and foods supply chain in North America. This included the strategy and implementation to evolve our North America manufacturing and distribution network and establish agile fulfillment models to provide consumers and customers world-class service in an Omni-channel marketplace and launch differentiated technology for best-in-class planning and execution.

Gregg has held a variety of senior leadership positions with PepsiCo Foods North America, including region vice president of supply chain for the Southeast region, senior vice president of supply chain for the West division, senior vice president of quality, productivity, and sustainability, and senior vice president of Supply Chain for PFNA.

Gregg joined PepsiCo in 1990 after graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Distribution. Gregg is based in Plano, TX.

Nolan Terry serves as Chief Technical Officer of Nestlé Purina – North America, overseeing 25 pet care product manufacturing sites and distribution centers. He supports more than 10,000 technical and operations associates across Safety, Quality, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Continuous Improvement, and Distribution.

His career with Nestlé Purina began in 1994 as a Management Development Associate. After holding progressively responsible positions in Quality Management, Nolan expanded his expertise by leading manufacturing operations in both Canada and the United States. He later joined the Head Office in St. Louis, where he led support functions in Safety & Health and Manufacturing Excellence (Continuous Improvement). Nolan then led the Golden Products Operations team before taking responsibility for category leadership of Dry Petfood Operations in North America. Nolan assumed his current role in 2022.

Known for boldly embracing change and encouraging a one-team approach, Nolan thrives on empowering every level of the organization to take ownership of winning results. He is passionate about inspiring, coaching, and developing the leaders who will unlock the future of operations and fuel business growth.

As Tesla’s Director of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) for Texas Manufacturing, Brandon Freeman strategically manages critical EHS risks, empowers stakeholder, and drives collaboration and ownership of EHS in support of Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

Brandon began his Tesla career in 2017 as an EHS Manager in Fremont, California where he led EHS for Model S, X, 3, and initial Model Y production at Fremont Factory. Following his EHS Manager role, Brandon successfully led Global Environmental Affairs as Senior Manager and drove significant improvements across North American operations and built the core EHS team for Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg. Notably, Brandon directed the environmental due diligence and environmental permitting project for Gigafactory Texas from 2020 – 2021 and accomplished this under budget and with no environmental permit related schedule impacts. After three years of leading successful and impactful EHS initiatives during Tesla’s historically fast growth, Brandon was tasked to build, lead, and spearhead the development of fast growing EHS programs for Texas Manufacturing.

Brandon possesses an extensive EHS background including designing and implementing enterprise-wide EHS risk management systems for manufacturing, construction, utilities, real estate, transportation, natural resources, retail, data centers, new products and technologies. Prior to Tesla, Brandon was an Regional Environmental Manager for Nucor Corporation and helped multiple subsidiaries elevate environmental performance and eventually earn Nucor’s coveted Presidents Environmental Award for multiple years in a row. Brandon’s expertise in driving enterprise wide improvements in environmental stewardship received him state recognition in the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program, earning several facilities Gold Leader status.

Early on in his career, Brandon worked as a consultant that delivered innovative and cost-effective solutions to a wide range of Fortune 500 clients in aerospace, defense, utilities, and manufacturing. He began his EHS career as a Department of Defense contractor leading environmental compliance and remediation projects for the Air Force, Army and Navy.

Brandon earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from The Ohio State University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental, Safety, and Health Management from the University of Findlay. While growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio Brandon garnered a deep appreciation for natural resources and sustainability while spending his childhood growing up along the Little Miami Watershed, Ohio’s first designated National and State scenic river and tributary to the Ohio River.

Peter Gibbons joined 3M in November 2021 as group president of Enterprise Supply Chain, which includes planning, procurement, internal and external manufacturing, logistics, quality, engineering, and business supply chain.

Prior to 3M, Peter served as chief executive officer of TireHub, a joint venture last mile distributor between Bridgestone and Goodyear. Possessing a wealth of experience in manufacturing and supply chain operations, Peter previously held senior-level executive positions at Mattel, Starbucks and ICI Paints. His growth mindset, inclusive leadership, and orientation toward developing talent and culture has helped him lead highly successful complex changes and significant transformation.

“I believe that building confidence and removing the fear of failure are key components of leadership,” says Peter. “People achieve great things when they are embraced and valued; when they are connected, not isolated; and when their intelligence and imagination are unleashed.”

Outside of work, Peter enjoys hiking, reading, and supporting the Glasgow Celtic soccer club and serves on the board of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from University of Edinburgh and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland.

Roberto Isaias is Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer of Mattel. He joined Mattel in 2002. In his role, Mr. Isaias oversees all aspects of Mattel’s global supply chain, including engineering, logistics and planning, manufacturing, procurement, safety and quality, and sustainability.

Under Mr. Isaias’ leadership, Mattel has made transformative improvements across its global supply chain, reducing costs and time-to-market while also improving service to retailers. As part of the company’s Capital Light strategy, Mattel has consolidated or exited 5 factories, optimized its manufacturing footprint, reduced complexity in the system, and increased productivity of plant infrastructure.

By 2021, Mattel factories were located in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Mexico, employing approximately 27,000 people in peak season. The company also works with leading third-party manufacturers to meet consumer demand for Mattel product.

Mr. Isaias held a variety of leadership roles at Mattel in Latin America prior to his appointment as Chief Supply Chain Officer in 2019. He served five years as Managing Director and Senior Vice President of Latin America. Previously, Mr. Isaias served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Spanish Latin America, overseeing all of Mattel’s operations in Latin America except Brazil. Prior to Mattel, Mr. Isaias worked for 12 years at Procter & Gamble in various commercial and supply chain leadership positions.

Mr. Isaias received a degree in Engineering at Universidad Anáhuac and an MBA from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. He is certified in Total Productive Maintenance by the Japanese Institute of Plant Maintenance.

Luiz Lima is an executive with more than 20 years of experience in the consumer durables goods industry working in Europe, North and Latin America as well as global functions. Lima is responsible for managing all supply chain activities in North America, including End-to-End planning (Sales & Operations Planning, sourced, production, components supply planning and network planning), transportation management (domestic and international), warehouse network management (RDC/FDC), customs and trade compliance, Direct-to-Consumer, last mile logistics and plant manufacturing supply chain.

Lima reports operationally to Ricardo Cons, President and CEO of Electrolux Group North  America and functionally to Gregor Dudek SVP Group Supply Chain.

Lima joined Electrolux Group in 2004. He has held several roles in the group within Supply Chain, Manufacturing, IT, Controlling and Finance. More recently, Luiz was Supply Chain Director for Latin America, Operations PMO & Business Intelligence Manager LATAM, and Head of SAP Manufacturing in Europe.

Lima is a graduate of the FAE Business School, Curitiba, Brazil with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He has an MBA in Supply Chain Management at PUC-PR, Curitiba, Brazil and Executive Education, Supply Chain Strategy and Innovations at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, CA.

 Luiz was awarded in 2022 Best Supply Chain Professional of the Year – Consumer Goods by INBRASC – Brazil.

Michael Daniels is the Business Unit Leader of the Production Unit and Assistant Vice President of Supply Chain Management at Honda Aircraft Company. He began his career with the company in 2008 in the manufacturing building and steadily advanced through a series of leadership roles. In 2022, Michael was promoted to Division Director of Manufacturing, where he successfully led production initiatives that enhanced efficiency and performance.

In 2025, he transitioned into his current dual role, stepping into leadership of both Production and Supply Chain Management. With more than 20 years of experience in aerospace, Michael is recognized for his commitment to operational excellence, continuous improvement, and building resilient systems that keep the organization agile and competitive in the aerospace industry.

As Head of Integrated Supply Chain Matt is responsible for the full ‘plan, source, make, deliver and return’ of sleep and respiratory care products to healthcare providers and patients globally.

Matt has a technical engineering background but discovered early in his career that the reach, impact and velocity of supply chain is where he thrives. Throughout his career he has fulfilled leadership roles in different areas of supply chain, energized by the dynamics of multiple disciplines solving challenges at hand together. This is driven by his core belief that, bringing the right group of people together, any problem can be solved. He also has a passion for talent development and creating the right circumstances for people to be their best selves and excel.

Before Philips Matt worked for the Boston Consulting Group, Caterpillar, Dow Chemical Company and Tufts University. He attended Tufts University and MIT Sloan School of Management’s Leaders for Global Operations program (MBA Business Administration and SM Mechanical Engineering).

Becky Crane has 20 years’ experience at General Mills working across the company’s end-to-end supply chain, in multiple U.S. and international locations. Highlights include plant manager at one of our largest facilities (Hannibal, Mo.), as well as standing up a global procurement organization in Switzerland as an expat. She’s known for leveraging her breadth of experience to build bold strategies and highly effective cross-functional teams to solve problems and create long-term advantage for our businesses. 

Crane leads manufacturing, engineering and global safety teams with accountability for over 9,000 employees (approximately 30% of the company’s employee base). This includes responsibility over $1B in capital across the enterprise, standardizing processes and establishing strong business partnerships to enable advantaged agility and accelerate innovation. In less than one year, her team stabilized line performance, reduced open headcount to less than 4% (industry leading), while delivering the capital plan.

Becky Crane joined General Mills in 2003 as a Distribution Management Associate at the Buffalo, N.Y., Flour Mill. Over the next 10 years, she held various roles with increasing responsibility moving around the U.S. in the process. Roles included Logistics Operations Planner (Minn.) for Yoplait, implementing a new planning system (Minn.), Logistics Manager (Avon, Iowa, and Buffalo, N.Y.), Operations Manager (Hannibal, Mo.) for Progresso Soup and Chewy Bars, and Supply Chain Development Manager (Walmart Sales; Bentonville, Ark.).

Crane stepped into two Plant Manager roles – first in Vineland, N.J., and shortly thereafter was approached to lead one of General Mills’ largest facilities in Hannibal, Mo. Continuing to broaden her experience, Crane embraced a unique opportunity as Director of Global Sourcing Packaging for Sourcing in Nyon, Switzerland. Upon her return stateside, Crane joined an executive leadership team, leading Supply Chain Transformation and Business Performance Management (BPM) for the North America Retail segment.   Crane then stepped into an executive business leadership role as the Supply Chain Leader for the Morning Foods Operating Unit where she had accountability for the end-to-end supply chain.

Crane grew up in Golden Valley, Minn. and attended the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management where she holds degrees in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. She and her family currently reside in the Minneapolis.

I am a Chemical Engineer with 23 years of manufacturing experience in Operations, Maintenance & Engineering. I have a passion for people – my focus is on developing individuals and strong teams through Servant Leadership & Transformational Leadership. I’ve been with Dyno Nobel, an explosives company, since 2015 – supporting manufacturing in various roles & locations. I am currently transitioning to my 4th Dyno Nobel plant in Cheyenne, WY to be the General Manager of that Nitrogen site. Previously I was in the Food Industry for 13 years, in both Operations & Maintenance. I am married with 3 grown children, 2 dogs & 2 cats! We enjoy traveling, camping, cooking, & any kind of adventure.

With over 27 years of experience, Paul Simard is a recognized leader in production and operations management. From telecommunications to startups, to aerospace, his career reflects a consistent drive for operational excellence.

Holding a master’s degree in Production and Operations Management, Paul held key positions at Nortel, SR Telecom and EXEO before dedicating the past 15+ years to the aerospace industry, where he has taken on executive roles in supply chain and operations management. Leading multidisciplinary teams, he has spearheaded major initiatives to optimize efficiency, quality and production timelines across complex, multi-site environments.

A visionary leader, Paul has led impactful projects in digital transformation, smart factory development and the successful inauguration of new manufacturing facilities. As Vice President of Operations for all Bombardier manufacturing sites, Paul’s leadership brings strategic vision and operational rigour that continue to drive the company’s performance and global influence.

Md Hasan aka “Mad Dog” is a seasoned executive and global change agent for manufacturing industries. In the field of business transformation and operations management, Md is a game changer who hustles with technical skills, excellent teamwork, proficient communication, and dynamic leadership attributes. In his current role, Md leads the continuous improvement initiatives for Ocean Spray’s food and beverage manufacturing network in the US, Canada, and Latin America, where his core responsibilities include driving process efficiency, optimizing costs, maximizing stakeholder value, and organizational capability development.

Md excels at cross-functional and cross-cultural teamworking with a drive to bringing result-oriented values. He has a great passion for operational excellence, organizational culture change and sustainable leadership by integrating design, technology, business, and humanity. His vision for excellence always includes the purpose of serving the community for a better future. His primary areas of expertise are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, operational excellence, business strategy, and change management. He has over 15 years of experience across the automotive, pharmaceuticals, and CPG industries with public, private, and co-op operating structures. He serves as session speaker and invited guest for several world-class lean and continuous improvement conferences, podcasts, and executive interviews.

Shane A. Yount is a nationally recognized thought leader, author, and President and CEO of Competitive Solutions, Inc. (CSI), an international Business Transformation consulting firm which pioneered the acclaimed organizational development system known as Process Based Leadership®. Since 1991 he has led the offices of CSI in becoming one of the nation’s most recognized Business Transformation consulting firms, personally working with such organizations as The Department of Defense, 3M, Colgate Palmolive, Bristol Meyers Squibb, and many others.

Justine Franchina was most recently Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Greene Tweed. Previously, Justine was the COO of Ketjen, a subsidiary of Albemarle. Justine earned her PhD in Polymer Organic Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 1999. She started her career with DuPont in Deepwater NJ developing and manufacturing new products. Throughout her 17.5-year career with DuPont, Justine held various roles across Technology, Sales, Marketing, and Operations. In her last role with DuPont, Justine had responsibility for over 200 people working across the world at 25 plant sites. In mid-2017, Justine took the Global Manufacturing Director role at Chem-Trend, a Release Agent manufacturer. In early 2020, Justine was named COO of Chem-Trend. Justine had responsibility for eight manufacturing facilities across the world and the Global Operations group. At the end of February 2023, Justine was named COO of Ketjen. She had responsibility for Operations across three plant sites, two in the US and one in the Netherlans. In Greene Tweed, Justine had responsibility for the Operations organization across seven facilities. Four facilities in the US, one facility in the UK, and two in Asia. Justine has vast experience in leading diverse global teams, driving continuous improvement, developing talent, improving quality and safety culture, communicating across multiple functions, coaching others in planning and executing projects, and developing and executing strategies. Most recently, Justine drove a series of programs to reorganize an Operations organization globally, develop a continuous improvement organization to reduce Labor & Overhead costs by 2% points, and implemented a Strategy Cascade process to improve execution of tasks to meeting strategic goals. Justine is married with three children. She enjoys playing pickleball and making chocolate confections.

Chris Barone began his career in 1989 at BIC Pen Corp, where he worked for ten years as a engineering manager before moving  in 1999 to Edgewell Personal Care (Warner Lambert, Pfizer/Energizer/EPC). Today he is a Sr. Director of Engineering for Edgewell Personal Care where he is responsible for Advanced Engineering Solutions, including problem-solving across all Business Units (Wet Shave, SunCare, FemCare, Wet Ones, etc), as well as Central Engineering Systems; Operation Sustainability Programs, Lean, Automation, Robotics, and Injection Molding. Chris has also been an Adjunct Professor of Engineering at the University of New Haven, where he obtained his BS and MS of Mechanical Engineering. Throughout his career he has worked from Product Concept through to Production. He holds several US and EU Patents.

With over 20 years of experience in the polymer compounding industry, I am the Director of Continuous Improvement at HEXPOL Compounding, a global leader in polymer compounding solutions. I hold a Six Sigma Black Belt certification and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology, where I graduated in the top 10% of my class.

My mission is to deliver superior returns through the development and implementation of the HEXPOL Production System, a comprehensive framework for organizational excellence. I provide CI support to 13 plants in the US and Mexico, working with company leadership to develop and implement strategic initiatives. I have trained several green belts and yellow belts and led key projects in areas such as ERP implementation, maintenance excellence, customer service, EHS, quality scrap reduction, supplier performance, customer experience, and learning and development. I have also successfully developed and implemented an online learning management system (Talent LMS).

I collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide inputs for business decisions, create and maintain executive KPIs, develop and execute capital expenditure plans, and improve product launch processes and procedures. I am passionate about driving continuous improvement and innovation in the polymer compounding industry, leveraging my skills in process improvement, quality management, and lean manufacturing.

Peter Gibbons joined 3M in November 2021 as group president of Enterprise Supply Chain, which includes planning, procurement, internal and external manufacturing, logistics, quality, engineering, and business supply chain.

Prior to 3M, Peter served as chief executive officer of TireHub, a joint venture last mile distributor between Bridgestone and Goodyear. Possessing a wealth of experience in manufacturing and supply chain operations, Peter previously held senior-level executive positions at Mattel, Starbucks and ICI Paints. His growth mindset, inclusive leadership, and orientation toward developing talent and culture has helped him lead highly successful complex changes and significant transformation.

“I believe that building confidence and removing the fear of failure are key components of leadership,” says Peter. “People achieve great things when they are embraced and valued; when they are connected, not isolated; and when their intelligence and imagination are unleashed.”

Outside of work, Peter enjoys hiking, reading, and supporting the Glasgow Celtic soccer club and serves on the board of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from University of Edinburgh and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland.

Sean Trainor is senior vice president of HP Inc.’s Personal Systems (PS) Operations, an organization spread across 12 countries and 29 sites. PS Operations is responsible for delivering a resilient, agile, innovative supply chain that supports the PS business portfolio, which exceeds $40B+ spanning PCs, displays, peripherals, services, software, and immersive computing.

Sean joined HP in 2023 and brings more than 30 years’ experience in manufacturing, engineering, supply chain management, and product development. Prior to joining HP, Sean served as chief supply chain officer for Cynosure. His responsibilities included the operation and transformation of the global supply chain network focusing on quality, scale, and efficiency.

Sean led world-class, high-tech, manufacturing, operational, supply chain, and procurement functions.

Previously, Sean was senior vice president of Manufacturing and Distribution for Visionworks, where his teams transformed the end-to-end supply chain driving break-through improvements in service, quality, cost, and customer value.

He was also senior vice president of Global Operations Engineering and Quality at Dell. He was responsible for new product introduction, supplier and factory quality, and operations engineering for all of Dell’s products across the global supply chain. Sean’s teams formed the linchpin between product research and development and supply chain operations to enable flawless product and solution delivery.

During his 18 years at Dell, Sean also served as an executive overseeing many transformative teams. On assignment in Singapore, he led Dell’s Global Supply Chain and Fulfillment organization that focused on the end-to-end supply chain and fulfillment transformation to provide the lowest cost and best value of products for customers.

Sean earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from GMI Engineering and Management Institute and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. He serves as an advisor to the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business.

Sean is married with two daughters and is based in Houston, Texas.

Christina Upah is the vice president of Attack Helicopter Programs for Boeing Defense, Space & Security and the senior site executive in Mesa, Ariz. In this role, Upah leads more than 4,600 employees supporting the design, production and delivery of the AH-64 Apache and AH-6 Little Bird helicopters for the U.S. Army and allied defense forces around the globe.

Prior to this role, Upah was director of Mesa Site and Attack Operations. In this position, she was responsible for overall production of the Apache and Little Bird for global customers.

Upah has previously served as the director of International Apache Programs, where she led the program execution of foreign military sales and direct commercial sales supporting customers worldwide. Additionally, she served as the director for Apache India and Supplier Transitions Programs and as the director of Domestic Apache Programs.

First joining Boeing in 1997, Upah has held positions within production operations, fabrication, human resources, supplier transitions and program management. Most notably, she progressed through program management positions of increasing responsibility, having led the successful program start-up of the Little Bird and Apache international and development programs, with a core emphasis on contracts, estimating/pricing, cost management and scheduling.

Upah holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources and psychology from Ottawa University. She is an Arizona native and serves on the board of directors for the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

Manny Bansi is Vice President of Toyota Logistics Services (TLS).  He is responsible for finished vehicle logistics for North American operations that includes managing Marshalling Yards and Ports Operations.

Manny started his career at NUMMI (Joint Venture Between Toyota & General Motors) back in 1992.  He then went on to hold positions in various areas including Corporate Strategy, Production Planning, Human Resources, including two-year assignment at Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan.

Manny is also involved in many Business Partnering Groups (BPG) at Toyota Headquarters, such as Young Professionals, AAC, Spectrum, TODOS, TAASiA, and WIIT.  He currently serves as Executive Advisor for TAAiSA BPG and believes in the growth of all of his team members through Toyota principles.

Sylvia Wilks is SVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer for Lamb Weston’s Global Supply Chain, with responsibilities spanning Planning, Manufacturing, Engineering, Procurement, Customer Service, Logistics, Agriculture, ESG and Continuous Improvement.

Sylvia has 30+ years of experience leading complex, global supply chain organizations across different industries including retail, consumer packaged goods, food & beverage manufacturing, and automotive. Prior to Lamb Weston, Sylvia was REI’s first Chief Supply Chain Officer where she developed an integrated supply chain model enabling significant improvement in value delivery and service.

Sylvia was a founding executive who led supply chain operations for TireHub, a JV start-up between Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.; she held the role of Chief Procurement Officer with Kimberly-Clark; and she served in various global functional leader roles with Starbucks including Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Supply Planning, Procurement, Contract Manufacturing, Product Commercialization, and end-to-end supply chain for the Americas region. She built and scaled Starbucks first manufacturing operations in EMEA enabling accelerated expansion from 1 to 32 country markets in 5 years, and secured Board funding and executed the business plan insourcing soluble coffee manufacturing via a $200M CapEx.

Sylvia holds a B. Eng. from Hull University, UK and has completed UCLA’s Corporate Governance Program.

Thomas J. Carrubba (Tom) is the Vice President, Production Operations for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (MFC). He is responsible for leading and executing the portfolio of production programs across fifteen manufacturing sites in the US, UK and Japan.

Prior to this role at MFC, Mr. Carrubba served as the Vice President of F-35 Production Operations at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. He was responsible for production of the F-35 Lightning II Program, which included all domestic and international production sites across the Aeronautics business area. During his decade-long support of the program, Mr. Carrubba provided leadership over the first 500 F-35’s ever manufactured.

Mr. Carrubba holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from North Carolina State University. Additionally, he earned his MBA and a master’s in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.

During his 25 years with Lockheed Martin, Mr. Carrubba has held various leadership positions in  production operations, program management and quality at the Aeronautics and Missiles and Fire Control business areas.

Heather Bishop is the Global Director for Manufacturing at John Deere Power Systems, where she oversees strategic manufacturing and quality for the division responsible for engines, drivetrain, remanufacturing and batteries across more than nine operations in five countries. With over 30 years of experience in manufacturing and supply chain, including 25 years at John Deere, Heather is a passionate leader with expertise in global multi-unit operations and supply chain organizations, focused on developing talent and teams.

Heather has a proven track record of driving transformation through the integration of lean manufacturing principles, innovative technology in a manufacturing environment, and a strong organizational culture that focuses on engaging people and unleashing their talent.

Heather’s dedication to excellence extends to her personal life, where she cherishes time with her husband, 17-year-old son, and 16-year-old daughter.   Heather also enjoys traveling and participating in adventures during her trips, listening to hundreds of books a year, planting and gardening, volunteering, and cooking.

Garrett has spent more than 11 years in P&G’s largest and most profitable region/sector combination, Fabric Care North America. He’s had the pleasure to work on all laundry forms at 4 different locations, across 4 different functions, at 4 different levels of the company. Garrett is energized by people and opportunities to step change business results.

Vinod D’Souza leads the Manufacturing and Industry vertical for Google Cloud’s Office of the CISO. In this role, he partners with organizations to help them adopt Google Cloud and Workspace, supporting their overall security transformation. With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and technology, Vinod has a proven track record of working with organizations in a variety of industries, leading customer-focused security and transformation engagements. Vinod holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics from Manipal Institute of Technology, Mangalore University, India.

Mike has more than 18 years of GM and Product experience across B2B and B2C. His focus is on providing the 1P products, engineering, and SaaS services that make Starbucks partners’ lives easier so they can deliver the best in-store experience. Prior to joining Starbucks, Mike is

proud to have launched the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform in 2022, a breakthrough product that tackles customer supply chain disruptions and recently the Microsoft Copilot Studio. He also supports early-stage tech startups focused on ecommerce or demand/supply, and serve as an Advisory Board Member at FIND AI and FirstShift.AI.

He has an MBA, a Lean Six Sigma BOK, and two US Patents.

John Sutton joined Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2021, bringing more than 25 years of operations, supply chain, logistics and warehousing experience to his role as Vice President, Operations, CCG. John leads global operations and focuses on enhancing the customer experience by developing and implementing strategies, systems and processes that strengthen supply chain, distribution, customer service and digital transformation.

Prior to joining Thermo Fisher, John worked for The Boeing Company, where he led global-enterprise transportation, warehousing and logistics. He previously worked for Lenovo and several other multi-national companies, where his deep experience in supply chain, business strategy and business development drove transformational change.

John is a United States Army veteran who earned the rank of Colonel, and is a graduate of The United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned a Master of Science degree in petroleum engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School. Currently, he is pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy, Business Administration, at the University of Denver.

John holds a black belt in Taekwondo, enjoys cooking, hiking, skiing and fly fishing with his wife and two sons.

David Murray is responsible for all activities related to aerostructures, assembly and finishing activities, in addition to leading the transformation of Bombardier through its operational excellence system and its roadmap in of IT.

David’s mandate is to accelerate ongoing initiatives and continue to strengthen Bombardier’s organizational and operational capabilities, as well as focus on next-generation digital technologies to further improve Bombardier’s core processes. He focuses on the production of Challenger and Global aircraft, as well as increasing the productivity and efficiency of Bombardier’s business processes and IT tools to maximize business performance. These key elements will enable Bombardier to achieve its priorities in accordance with the company’s strategic plan.

David has 30 years of experience in supply chain, operations, information technology and innovation. He worked at Bombardier for 10 years before joining Hydro-Québec in 2015, where he was named head of innovation and executive vice-president of production. During his years at Bombardier, David held various positions of increasing responsibility, including General Manager, Challenger Programs; Vice President, Global 5000 and Global 6000 Aircraft Finishing; and Vice President and General Manager, Learjet Aircraft. Before joining Bombardier, he honed his skills at companies like Flextronics, Nortel and Rolls-Royce.

David holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from HEC Montréal. He is based at Bombardier headquarters located in Montreal, Canada.

Lynn leads global teams as VP, Global Biologics Supply Chain at Bristol Myers Squibb since Dec 2022. In this capacity she is leading a transformation to deliver a highly synchronized, transparent, and predictable end-to-end Global Supply Chain. Her role is focused on balancing agility and efficiency while investing in capabilities to enable accelerated delivery of pipeline assets through our supply network.

Lynn joined BMS from Merck, where she had 20 years of global experience across manufacturing, supply chain, strategy, engineering and policy, across developed and developing markets. During her tenure she has worked across small molecule OSD, biologics and vaccines modalities. She has lived overseas in Asia for over eight years on assignment in Taiwan and Singapore. Lynn’s most recent role was Large Molecule Value Chain leader responsible for Established and Global Health Security Vaccine value chains (including pediatric, Ebola and COVID response). In this role she partnered with commercial, research and manufacturing colleagues to manage long-term sustainable supply strategy for these vaccines.

In the community she currently serves as a board member for alma mater- Cornell Engineering (CEAA) and most recently the US-Taiwan Business Council. She is active with ASCEND (Pan Asian Leaders). Mother of three active daughters and avid sports enthusiast, she has coached youth sports for many years attracted to the parallels of leadership through lessons learned on and off the field.

With over 18 years of experience in manufacturing management and operations in the Automotive industry, Rakuya is a seasoned executive who leads the global operations and supply chain functions for DESTACO, a world leader in clamping, gripping, transferring, and robotic solutions. As a key member of the executive leadership team, she develops and executes the global manufacturing and supply chain strategy, including production, procurement, and logistics, across nine facilities in three regions.

Rakuya’s core competencies include lean manufacturing, performance improvement, process engineering, and team development. She has a proven track record of implementing and sustaining lean principles and practices, resulting in significant gains in safety, quality, throughput, and cost. She is also adept at fostering a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement, empowering my teams to achieve challenging performance targets and deliver high-level presentations. Additionally, Rakuya is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and have served on the DE&I councils at Dover and my previous company, MAHLE.

Myrna Macias’ mission as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain LATAM is to continue leading the transformation of LATAM operations across digital processes, new automation technologies, and people cultural model MOTOR ensuring Best-in-class performance. Her accountability includes E2E Supply Chain operations for 5 BUs, Supply Chain control towers, and functional support centers.

Before her current role, Myrna was a key leader in PBNA Supply Chain transformation journey helping the business to overcome the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic showcased her unwavering commitment to operational excellence and cultural transformation by playing 2 different roles, one as the Manufacturing COE Senior Vice President Pepsi Beverages North America contributing to creating ONE best way to operate consistently across PBNA Supply Chain as she had direct accountability for Manufacturing Capabilities Development & Network Strategy, as well as Contract Manufacturing, Canada and Gatorade operations. Before this role she was the Senior Vice President, Supply Chain for the North Division being accountable for E2E Supply Chain operations across this region. In 2021 Myrna was relocated from Moscow to New York City.

Myrna has an expansive Consumer Packaged Goods background combined with deep Supply Chain expertise. Myrna served as the Senior Vice President, End to End Supply Chain Europe Developing Markets. In this role, Myrna was accountable for E2E Supply Chain of over 10 different markets and all categories (foods, beverages, juices and dairy) in Europe. She successfully established the E2E SC model across her markets and transformed the operations by being an ambassador of LEAN performance excellence culture. Myrna also promoted the
talent by leading people initiatives such as Talent Summits and increased Female participation in critical roles. During her 3 years in Europe Myrna lived in UK and in Russia.

Previously in LatAm Myrna served as the Operations Vice President in PepsiCo Brazil Foods. Myrna drove significant savings in this role by optimizing the manufacturing and distribution network and transforming the operational culture. Myrna previously held numerous staff and field positions including Customer Service Vice President in Pepsico Mexico Foods, Manufacturing Senior Director Foods Mexico, and Exports Director in Chicago. She has a strong track record of delivering superior service and quality results and her capability for learning and managing different cultures in new environments.

Myrna began her career with PepsiCo in 1994. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Systems Engineering from UANL University in Monterrey, Mexico and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from EGADE ITESM in Mexico.

Don Ray has over 30 years of experience in various manufacturing and distribution businesses and is currently the Vice President, Manufacturing Services at Novolex, a leading manufacturer of resin- and fiber-based packaging and foodservice products. In this role, he leads the Corporate groups that support the 55 manufacturing facilities at Novolex.  These groups include Environmental, Health and Safety, Corporate Quality, Engineering, and Continuous Improvement

Prior to joining Novolex, he held positions of increasing responsibility at companies such as Keebler, Brach’s Confections, Wise Foods, Hines Horticulture, and Chiquita Brands.  He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.

Ravi Mydur is SLB’s Vice President of Manufacturing. Ravi has over 24 years of experience leading complex technology development, technology delivery and field services teams across the globe.  As the Manufacturing VP, Ravi oversees delivery of a portfolio of cutting-edge products, managing operations across 60+ manufacturing plants worldwide. His areas of focus and passion are in driving innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable growth within the organization. Ravi’s professional journey is marked by a series of high-impact roles across North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. His expertise spans R&D, manufacturing, supply chain management, technology strategy, change management, and executive communications. Ravi holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University and has 5 awarded patents.

Amy is a results-oriented leader with over 25 years of experience in supply chain management at a world-class consumer goods company. Amy excels in driving exceptional Product Supply results and inspiring organizations to embrace change. She prioritizes work using data insights, enabling teams to execute business strategies effectively. Her strengths include relationship building, persuasive selling, and innovation management. Amy holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from The University of Texas at Austin and leads the Texas Channel P&G Recruiting Team. Outside of work, she enjoys home improvement, golfing, and traveling. Amy lives in Cincinnati, OH, with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Terry Secrest is the Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Sales for Martin Sustainable Resources L.L.C. Terry is responsible for the sale of all plywood, timbers, and OSB products, along with the safe and efficient manufacturing of the products. The manufacturing and sales departments make up 1,100 members of the RoyOMartin workforce.

Terry earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University. After graduation, Terry worked 18 years in the paper industry at International Paper, progressing from Process Engineer to Plant Manager before joining RoyOMartin in 2004. He was the Plant Manager of LeMoyen OSB, the OSB Business Unit Vice President, and the Corporate Safety Director before being promoted to Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Sales in 2018. Terry led the effort to build successful teams to start up and operate the two largest manufacturing investments in company history and is heavily involved in the newest expansion at Corrigan. In addition, he has helped shape the safety culture that RoyOMartin values today.

• Senior Fellow at Haslam School of Business, University of Tennessee
• Board Member for Two Companies
• Private Equity Senior Operating Executive for The Carlyle Group
• Retired EVP, Global Supply Chain, Mondelēz International
• Former EVP, Global Supply Chain, Kraft Foods
• Former Global VP, Product Supply, Procter & Gamble

Daniel Myers is currently a Senior Fellow at Haslam School of Business teaching as a guest lecturer for both graduate and under-graduate studies. He currently serves as a Senior Operating Executive for the Carlyle Group, one of the largest Global Private Equity firms and is on two company boards. He is the retired Executive Vice President of the Global Integrated Supply Chain of Mondelez International where he led the Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Customer Service & Logistics groups, which represent more than 70,000 of the company’s employees.  Daniel held the same position at Kraft Foods Inc., the predecessor to Mondelēz International, since he joined the company in September 2011.  The spin-off of the company’s North American grocery operations occurred in October of 2012.  Under his leadership, Mondelez funded a major reinvention of its worldwide supply chain delivering more than $3 billion in savings over 3 years. He has extensive experience in investor management including representing Mondelez in the investor presentations at CAGNY and Barclays.

Prior to Kraft Foods, Daniel worked for Procter & Gamble for 33 years, serving in roles across all areas of the Supply Chain. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Product Supply, where he led the supply chain function for P&G’s Global Hair Care business. He was also responsible for coordinating the company’s $28 Billion Beauty & Grooming business.  He had responsibility for P&G’s Customer Service and Logistics operations globally for four years and while in this role he led the integration of the operations of the Gillette company, a $56 Billion acquisition.

Daniel has strong experience launching new brands and building operations in emerging markets. He has over 25 years’ experience delivering winning innovation leading major global expansions. He has worked in 54 countries and lived outside the U.S. for more than 10 years. Daniel has mastery in the successful implementation of best practices including building High Performance Organizations and Lean Six Sigma. During his successful career, he has had responsibility for over 250 manufacturing plants and 400 warehouse and distribution centers.

Daniel received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and served on the Board of the Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee for over 10 years.

Daniel and Karen, his wife of 40 years, are Christians who have led music and youth groups for 5 churches in three different countries over a period of 25 years. They have been active in mission work helping support and build schools or orphanages in Venezuela, Romania, Nigeria, Kenya, India and Myanmar.

Parthiban Ravikumar is the Manufacturing Engineer at Bray International Inc., Houston, Texas.

Parthiban accomplished his Bachelor’s in Production Engineering from Anna University, India with the award as University First Rank holder.

He worked in multi-national Valve business at India as Senior Engineer; executing improvement projects, before coming to United States for his graduate program.

Parthiban got his Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station during 2014 and then started to work for Bray International Inc as Manufacturing Engineer.

During his Master’s program at TAMU, Parthiban received Graduate Scholarship and worked as Graduate Teaching Assistant at CAD lab and Plastics Manufacturing lab.

Parthiban has 10 years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering and worked at international locations of Bray for executing Manufacturing projects.

He has expertise in developing and mentoring manufacturing teams for Lean manufacturing projects, Safety practices and Efficiency improvement.

He has published articles in Valve Magazine on two topics.

1. Behavioral aspects of compliance with workplace safety measures

https://www.valvemagazine.com/articles/behavioral-aspects-of-compliance-with-workplace-safety-measures

2. Steps to integrating LEAN principles into Valve manufacturing

https://www.valvemagazine.com/articles/steps-to-integrating-lean-principles-into-valve-manufacturing

Parthiban has been instrumental in Bray during new process developments, cost reduction and tooling experiments.

Parthiban continuously keeps him abreast with new technologies and currently works on Robotic projects at Bray.

He enjoys sharing his knowledge with peers and had been invited by Texas A&M University Alumni Association to share his industrial knowledge with Bachelor’s and Master’s students of Industrial engineering department.

Parthiban feels privileged to join the panel of NAMES 2024 and looking forward to learn and share Manufacturing concepts.

Neha Shah is a transformational servant leader and the current Senior Director of Manufacturing for Land O’Lakes Inc.’s Dairy Foods Division. With over 20 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry, Neha has a history of driving visionary business growth through successful turnaround and growth initiatives. Prior to her role at Land O’Lakes Inc., she held diverse manufacturing leadership positions at Nestle USA and General Mills, Inc., showcasing a proven track record of leading large-scale operational transitions, restructuring efforts and strategic initiatives based largely on fostering cohesive management teams.Neha holds an MBA from California State University and a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University. She is a Certified TPM instructor and holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, highlighting her commitment to excellence in operational management. Neha’s professional journey is marked by her ability to navigate complex operational challenges and deliver tangible results, making her a respected leader in the industry.

Chris Barone began his career in 1989 at BIC Pen Corp, where he worked for ten years as a engineering manager before moving  in 1999 to Edgewell Personal Care (Warner Lambert, Pfizer/Energizer/EPC). Today he is a Sr. Director of Engineering for Edgewell Personal Care where he is responsible for Advanced Engineering Solutions, including problem-solving across all Business Units (Wet Shave, SunCare, FemCare, Wet Ones, etc), as well as Central Engineering Systems; Operation Sustainability Programs, Lean, Automation, Robotics, and Injection Molding. Chris has also been an Adjunct Professor of Engineering at the University of New Haven, where he obtained his BS and MS of Mechanical Engineering. Throughout his career he has worked from Product Concept through to Production. He holds several US and EU Patents.

Johan Beukema is Managing Partner at BCI Global, leading the global manufacturing footprint optimization and location & site selection practice. He has a degree in International Business at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Johan started at BCI Global in 1999 and has since then supported hundreds of companies in their manufacturing, supply chain and location projects across the globe, including North and South America, EMEA and the full Asia region. He has a very strong experience base in different industries with references such as e.g. (sample only) J&J, IKEA, Novo Nordisk, Olympus, ThermoFisher, Insulet, Abbott, Silgan Closures, Pepsico, Mondelez, Yanmar, Cisco, Starkey, ExxonMobil, Navico Group, Elring Klinger, Mann + Hummel, Bausch & Lomb,  and many others. He is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars and he is a Member of the global Site Selectors Guild

As Tesla’s Director of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) for Texas Manufacturing, Brandon Freeman strategically manages critical EHS risks, empowers stakeholder, and drives collaboration and ownership of EHS in support of Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

Brandon began his Tesla career in 2017 as an EHS Manager in Fremont, California where he led EHS for Model S, X, 3, and initial Model Y production at Fremont Factory. Following his EHS Manager role, Brandon successfully led Global Environmental Affairs as Senior Manager and drove significant improvements across North American operations and built the core EHS team for Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg. Notably, Brandon directed the environmental due diligence and environmental permitting project for Gigafactory Texas from 2020 – 2021 and accomplished this under budget and with no environmental permit related schedule impacts. After three years of leading successful and impactful EHS initiatives during Tesla’s historically fast growth, Brandon was tasked to build, lead, and spearhead the development of fast growing EHS programs for Texas Manufacturing.

Brandon possesses an extensive EHS background including designing and implementing enterprise-wide EHS risk management systems for manufacturing, construction, utilities, real estate, transportation, natural resources, retail, data centers, new products and technologies. Prior to Tesla, Brandon was an Regional Environmental Manager for Nucor Corporation and helped multiple subsidiaries elevate environmental performance and eventually earn Nucor’s coveted Presidents Environmental Award for multiple years in a row. Brandon’s expertise in driving enterprise wide improvements in environmental stewardship received him state recognition in the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program, earning several facilities Gold Leader status.

Early on in his career, Brandon worked as a consultant that delivered innovative and cost-effective solutions to a wide range of Fortune 500 clients in aerospace, defense, utilities, and manufacturing. He began his EHS career as a Department of Defense contractor leading environmental compliance and remediation projects for the Air Force, Army and Navy.

Brandon earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from The Ohio State University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental, Safety, and Health Management from the University of Findlay. While growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio Brandon garnered a deep appreciation for natural resources and sustainability while spending his childhood growing up along the Little Miami Watershed, Ohio’s first designated National and State scenic river and tributary to the Ohio River.

Pedro Espinoza is a seasoned manufacturing leader with more than 24 years of experience including in the aerospace and building products industries.  Espinoza’s approach to manufacturing is centered on maintaining integrity while achieving operational excellence and optimization that meets or exceeds client expectations.  He is committed to continuous improvement through the creation and implementation of strategy deployment systems required to achieve long-term goals through day-to-day operations, built-in review processes, and training activities. Espinoza is recognized for his servant leadership approach, which involves engaging employees across all levels of the organization to understand their processes and perspectives, as well as recognize their contributions. His leadership style enhanced team morale, fostered accountability, and led to notable productivity improvements.

Most recently, Espinoza served as the Vice President of Manufacturing for C.R. Laurence Manufacturing Operations, specifically leading the Architectural Door Hardware and Glazing Supplies Division which provides high-quality architectural metals and glass fittings for architects and contractors globally. As the lead for OBE CRL Architectural Metals and Glazing division, he implemented a business process that drove the company toward being recognized as a world-class manufacturing organization. During his tenure, he led a team of 250 employees and successfully transformed the manufacturing operation, resulting in significant efficiency improvements and increasing On-Time in Full (OTIF) delivery performance from 68% to 95% within six months.

Espinoza has 18 years of experience in the aerospace industry, primarily at Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks, where he served as the Operations and Industrial Engineering Manager. His background includes involvement in business mergers, facility consolidations, and managing international accounts. His professional growth is attributed to his expertise in technical knowledge, business acumen, and lean manufacturing practices.

Espinoza, a Southern California native, holds a bachelor’s degree in Technology and Operation Management from California State Polytechnic University and a Green Belt lean manufacturing certification. He has been involved with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and STEM organizations, with a focus on community support through mentoring by cultivating personal and professional growth.

As global head for SAP Business Network Customer Success & Go-to-Market, Val Blatt focuses on solutions that help SAP customers and their partners leverage the power of the network to improve collaboration and drive success. She is responsible for delivering on global revenue targets, defining go-to-market strategy, and influencing product strategy to maximize value for both buy and supply-side participants.

Akeysha Headley is a seasoned Food Safety & Quality professional with over 16 years of experience in the industry. Renowned for her exceptional leadership skills, Akeysha excels in building and nurturing high-performing teams that consistently exceed food safety and quality standards. Her expertise in root cause analysis enables her to identify and address underlying issues swiftly and effectively, ensuring sustained improvements and compliance. Akeysha is also celebrated for her resilience and innovative, out-of-the-box thinking, which drives creative solutions to complex challenges, enhancing operational efficiency and product safety. Her commitment to superiority and her proactive approach has followed her throughout her career at Nestle, Ferrara, Haribo, & McCain Foods.  She currently leads the Food Safety and Quality Operation team at McCain Foods, supporting the NA region and is passionate about delivering excellence in food safety and quality.

Peter joined Dyno Nobel Moranbah in November 2011. Whilst at Moranbah Peter held numerous positions before taking over as Site Manager in 2017 before relocating to Waggaman and more recently Cheyenne. Before joining Dyno, Peter held Manufacturing and Operational management positions within Crane Group , TheMac Services Group and Civeo. Peter believes that Dyno has a responsibility to the people that work for us and the communities they operate in and has held roles within local councils, community and sporting group committees and local government and school advisory panels.

Away from work Peter loves to spend time with his family, playing golf or watching his racehorses or beloved South Sydney rabbits.

Shane A. Yount is a nationally recognized thought leader, author, and President and CEO of Competitive Solutions, Inc. (CSI), an international Business Transformation consulting firm which pioneered the acclaimed organizational development system known as Process Based Leadership®. Since 1991 he has led the offices of CSI in becoming one of the nation’s most recognized Business Transformation consulting firms, personally working with such organizations as The Department of Defense, 3M, Colgate Palmolive, Bristol Meyers Squibb, and many others.

Beckie Barta is an accomplished executive leader and advocate for women with over 25 years of experience driving innovation and operational excellence in manufacturing. As Senior Director of Material Operations for Valmont Industries’ North America Infrastructure segment, she has delivered transformative results in procurement, capital management, and integrated business planning.

Throughout her career, Beckie has championed diversity and inclusion, mentored countless individuals, and fostered equitable leadership opportunities in traditionally male-dominated industries. She currently serves on Valmont’s Women in Leadership Council, where she works to inspire and empower women to break barriers in STEM careers.

A lifelong learner and educator, Beckie holds an Executive MBA from the University of Nebraska Omaha, where she also serves as an adjunct professor. Beckie specializes in leading corporate training, individual mentorship and high performing team development. She guides emerging leaders and corporate executives in organizational design, building strategy and creating long-term competitive advantage. With a deep commitment to advancing women in STEM, she draws on her extensive global experience to share insights on leadership, innovation, and overcoming challenges in career advancement.

She is a Board Member for the University of Nebraska’s Supply Chain Advisory Council and has previously held board positions for ASCM and Women in STEM of Nebraska. Recognized for her contributions to industry and education, Beckie is a recipient of the Eva Jon Sperling Leadership Award and the University of Nebraska Omaha Alumnus of the Year award. She is also an inductee into the Hastings College Bronco Hall of Fame.

Shawn Smith has been with Milliken & Company in roles of increasing seniority and responsibility in production, supply chain, business development, and business improvement for twenty years. He is a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in Industrial Engineering.

Dr. Adaora Nelson is the vice president of Quality & Mission Assurance for Raytheon, a business of RTX that specializes in integrated air and missile defense, advanced sensors, spacebased systems, hypersonics, effectors and cyber solutions. Her responsibilities include leading all aspects of Quality & Mission Assurance to ensure the integration of quality throughout the business. She also leads Raytheon’s CORE operating system to ensure strategic alignment and execution of goals and initiatives, process maturation and continuous improvement.

Nelson, a Navy veteran, has 23 years of experience in positions of increasing responsibility in Quality, Operations, General Management, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Export/Import Control. She most recently served as vice president of Quality & Product Safety for Raytheon Missiles & Defense, overseeing the company’s quality performance with a focus on design quality, product safety,  compliance and command media. Nelson previously held leadership roles with Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Raytheon Missile Systems, including chief of staff to the president, and executive director of Operations Quality.

Before joining the company in 2019, Nelson was the vice president, COO and general manager of Safran Electronics & Defense, USA. She also held several leadership positions at Parker Aerospace.

Nelson holds a Ph.D. in engineering and technology management from Northcentral University, a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a bachelor’s degree in electronics systems from Southern Illinois University.

Andrew is driven by a passion to unlock the value of simulation and modeling in helping to solve real-world problems. Since founding Simulation Dynamics, Inc. in the early 90’s, he has been an educator, a consultant, a simulation tool developer, and a smart applications technology leader. Andrew coined the term “Discrete Rate Simulation”, and developed one of the earliest libraries for quickly building models of multi-stage plants that produce powder or bulk solids; for example a breakfast cereal plant. ChiAha is the culmination of a lifelong dream for Andrew, who has always wanted to reinvent and more widely distribute the benefits of the DRS worldview.

Kanna Potharlanka is SVP of Pre Sales at Sight Machine. As part of his role, Kanna leads all pre sales activities globally including solution engineering and industry-specific go-to-market motions. Previously, Kanna spent 8 years at Apple and led the iPhone Sustaining-Operations, Product-Planning, and Supply Chain organizations. As part of the core leadership team for iPhone Operations, Kanna played a key role in scaling and supporting the steep growth iPhone experienced (revenue grew from $40B to > $200B). Prior to Apple, Kanna was one of the first employees (founding design verification engineer) at Sierra Logic, a venture-backed storage-networking startup that went through a successful exit within 5 years. Kanna earned his M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, holds an M.S. degree in Computer Engineering from University of California, Davis, and a B.E. (Honors) degree in Electrical Engineering from Osmania University, India.

Adam is EY’s Digital Manufacturing Capability leader within the Americas where he is responsible for asset development, resourcing and team stewardship, go-to-market strategy, alliance partnerships and revenue growth.  He has deep experience applying digital and operations technology to enable connected industrial workers, manufacturing analytics, production optimization and intelligent asset management, from strategy to proof-of-concept to scale. Adam has 25+years of professional services / consulting experience working across strategy, sustainability, supply chain, and operations.

Mark leads the Anaplan supply chain business in the Americas.  He has a long supply chain and analytics technology background across multiple industries.  Additionally, he has been in industry as a practitioner leading the demand planning function for a large footwear/apparel company.  For 7 years, he led all the go-to-market initiatives for a predictive analytics company called We Predict which was ultimately acquired by JD Power.  Prior to that he ran sales and strategy for the manufacturing vertical at SAS, a leading analytics provider.  Mark also spent many years running Oracle’s N. American value chain planning business coming into that portfolio with Oracle’s Demantra acquisition.  He has a specialty in demand planning, S&OP and IBP.

Subject matter expert in Asset Management best practices and has worked with many companies to transform business processes and implement technology improvements. Has over 34 years of Asset Management experience leading and working in large enterprises. His working experience and knowledge in operations, field services and maintenance give him a very broad comprehension of the total asset lifecycle management (ALM) and the value opportunities contained within. It is this background, together with his experience managing and deploying technology, that helps him facilitate the business value case conversation that should accompany technology implementations.

25-year veteran in manufacturing consulting. Expert in supply chain, finance, and asset management. Optimized operations for Gore, Moog, EDFR, Shell, and Dow. Current Associate Partner Consulting at IBM.

Willem Sundblad is the co-founder and CEO of Oden Technologies, a company empowering manufacturers to make more, waste less, and innovate faster through machine learning and applied analytics. He is a Forbes.com contributing writer and a recognized leading voice in manufacturing analytics. He is pioneering the use of real-time and predictive analytic tools that uncover untapped value. Sundblad aims to transform the manufacturing industry by digitizing, analyzing, and perfecting peak factory performance. In his spare time, he takes every chance he gets to enjoy the mountains, either skiing, hiking, or climbing.

Lee has 25+ years of experience across manufacturing (Boeing/Corning), software technology (GE VERNOVA), and consulting (EY) that enables him to craft digital strategies that optimize manufacturing operations.  A trusted advisor for manufacturing transformation, Lee works with clients to develop strategic roadmaps, navigate technology selection, and ensure financial viability for their smart factory initiatives.

Elliott Thornburg joined Milwaukee Tool in August of 2020 overseeing the indirect aspect of the Service Branch in Greenwood, from there moved to the Power Tool Accessories and began leading the finished goods operations consisting of 200+ employees and 31 pieces of machinery in multiple sites.

Elliott is passionate about personal and professional development. He has given speeches to floor leadership at summits within Milwaukee focusing on attitude, empathy, and being better today than we were yesterday. He facilitates leadership classes across multiple sites where His unique approach to leadership has yielded a culture of inclusion, creating empowered leaders throughout his department.

Outside of work Elliott enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife and three children. He enjoys reading and spends most weekends at the ball fields watching his kids play a variety of sports.

Louis Flory is a dynamic entrepreneur with a proven record of providing strategic staffing solutions for the manufacturing and production sectors. In 2004, he started Effex Management Solutions, a highly successful contingent labor force management firm.  Rejecting the traditional staffing agency model, Flory pioneered a more efficient and beneficial approach for both companies and employees. As the President and CEO, he envisioned relieving manufacturing companies of challenges such as poor attendance, high turnover, subpar employee performance, and long production cycle times. Effex works closely with companies with a workforce need of 100 or more, taking over the process of recruitment, training, and labor management, getting our clients out of the people business so they can focus on what matters.  With a reputation for excellence, Flory has spearheaded Effex’s growth in 28 markets from a single corporate office. Since its inception, Effex has maintained a 100% client retention rate, a testament to the efficacy of its Strategic Alliance and Flex Force Programs. This dynamic leader continues to build on his success, leveraging his brand identity and a team of dedicated professionals to scale the business and create the gold standard for staffing excellence.

Kamryn McKell is the Head of Sales Engineering at Logik.ai, where she seamlessly connects product development and sales to drive innovation in digital commerce. With a strong foundation in sales, operations, and systems, she specializes in optimizing complex selling processes to deliver real business impact. Kamryn is passionate about shaping the future of Enterprise Sales, focusing on intuitive, user-friendly experiences that enhance B2B commerce. Her expertise in solution consulting and process automation makes her a key force in redefining how businesses approach digital transformation.

David Thomason serves as the Continuous Improvement Manager of Sundyne, a global manufacturer of precision-engineered, highly reliable, safe and efficient centrifugal pumps and compressors for use in chemical, petrochemical, hydrocarbon, hydrogen, carbon capture, renewable fuels, power generation and industrial applications.  He possesses over 30 years of experience with Continuous Improvement of end-to-end processes associated with the manufacturing of engineering materials, medical devices, and pumps & compressors. David has served as part of Sundyne’s leadership team for nearly 5 years, providing oversight of Quality Assurance and leading the effort to institutionalize a Continuous Improvement culture through the development and implementation of the Continuous Improvement training and deployment strategy. He is passionate about supporting the Company’s significant growth all the while maintaining a high level of product quality and customer satisfaction.

Technology executive with 15 years of experience in helping customers with their Digital Supply Chain Strategy, Planning & Transformations. Proven trajectory and understanding of different technology environments through 50+ customer engagements. Led and delivered projects to derive value for the customers from the planning to stabilization across multiple geographies and industries (Consumer Products, Food, Automotive, Semiconductor, Hi-Tech, Oil & Gas, Chemical, Retail). 

Leader of implementation process including participation in the blueprinting process and developing scope of work, requirements gathering, managing the stakeholder’s relationship, project management, and coordination with functional & technical resources. Expertise in OTC business functions including Customer Experience, Logistics, Invoicing, Pricing, Scheduling and Operation Planning.

Seasoned across SAP platforms -S/4HANA, ECC, IBP, Ariba.

Executive with depth of experience in product, digital, field and partner marketing with proven results in driving end-to-end go-to-market launches for accelerated SaaS business growth at global scale.  Currently driving global GTM strategy & integrated marketing planning for Digital Supply Chain.  Member of the SAP Executive Leadership Team.

Mr. Gagnon leads the BRP manufacturing activities in Juarez, Mexico since his appointment as Vice President of Manufacturing Operations in Juarez in October 2023. Mr. Gagnon joined BRP in May 2011 and was quickly promoted to Ski-Doo/Sea-Doo, Plant Manager in Valcourt, Québec, in November 2011. In June 2014, Mr. Gagnon relocated to Mexico where he led the manufacturing activities of the Sea Doo line up until he was promoted as General Manager of the BRP Queretaro plant, a role that he performed between 2016 and 2019. In 2019, Mr. Gagnon relocated to the northern state of Chihuahua to lead first, BRP Juarez 1 plant and then BRP Juarez 2 plant as General Manager until 2023.

Prior to his experience with BRP, he worked for several Canadian companies, always performing in highly technical and managerial roles. Mr. Gagnon obtained a Bachelor’s in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from Université Laval in Québec city.

Tom is a seasoned business professional with over 25 years of experience helping manufacturers leverage technology to drive business transformation and performance improvement. Since starting with IBM in the mid-’90s, he has specialized in developing and executing technology strategies that align with corporate objectives, enhance operational efficiency, and fuel growth.

Passionate about innovation, Tom helps manufacturers navigate the rapidly evolving technology landscape, enabling them to improve productivity, increase profitability, and expand market share. His expertise lies in delivering high-value outcomes through digital solutions tailored to the unique needs of the manufacturing industry.

When he’s not advocating for technology-driven transformation, Tom enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two boys. Whether fly-fishing, camping, or birding, he values the balance and inspiration that nature provides.

Jeff Pehler is a partner in West Monroe’s Consumer and Industrial Products practice. He is known for his relentless pursuit of improvement, consistently driving measurable value for his clients. Recently, Jeff developed a product launch strategy that generated over $20 million in annual sales growth for a consumer services company. Additionally, he redesigned back-office operations, boosting EBITDA by more than 4% for an industrial products distributor. His expertise encompasses growth strategy, pricing, process optimization, and M&A strategy.

Kylea Robb is a Senior Manager with West Monroe in the Consumer & Industrial Products practice and is part of the Dallas office. She is a results-driven, relationship-oriented project leader experienced in developing and delivering more efficient processes and productivity enhancements with a technology layer. Her expertise includes enterprise digital strategy value creation, in depth manufacturing diagnostics, ERP and business applications strategy development, supply chain strategy and implementation, and overall process improvement.​

Chris Dobbrow is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and innovation, dedicated to partnering with industry leaders in digital manufacturing to drive transformative growth. With over 25 years of experience in technology and media, he has spent the past decade focused on AI-driven Industrial IoT, including more than five years at Augury. Chris has a proven track record of growing top-line revenue and EBITDA, leading full P&L operations exceeding $200 million. His expertise spans strategic enterprise sales, high-performing team development, and organizational transformation. He excels in forging strategic partnerships and executing forward-thinking strategies that drive sustainable success.

Sudhir Arni is Senior Vice President of Business Outcomes at Sight Machine. Previously, Sudhir was an engagement manager at McKinsey & Co., where he designed and led manufacturing transformation programs for Pharmaceutical and Chemical manufacturers. He received joint MBA and MS degrees from the Kellogg School of Management at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University.

Matthias Mueller has 30+ years working in the manufacturing and supply chain industry. His deep experience covers a broad spectrum of capabilities ranging from developing automation controls equipment programming to MES solution design for the process, discrete and semiconductor industry. 18 of those years he spent in Operational and IT management, 10 years he worked with an SAP Partner and Systems Integrator focusing on positioning and implementation of the SAP Digital Manufacturing suite of solutions and the last 5 years he worked with SAP within the Center of Excellence for Supply Chain Management.

Matthias’ area of expertise includes manufacturing and supply chain process optimization.  His industry experience covers a broad spectrum of operational and IT management within the high-tech, semiconductor, discrete, and process industry in. The focus of his career has been in leading organizations through connecting the shop floor to the top floor by implement fully automated or highly manual manufacturing operations and connecting those to the respective organizations ERP system. This included leading the change management process within those organizations. Now based near Portland, OR he worked with companies in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. Matthias earned a master’s in mechanical engineering from the Technical University Munich, Germany and a Diploma in Computer Science from Trinity University, Dublin Ireland