Greg Ulmer

Elizabeth Baker

As Head of Manufacturing Medical Devices, Elizabeth Baker leads the global transformation of medical devices manufacturing at Philips, bringing customer focus, operational excellence, standard ways of working and a digital approach to $5 Billion in sales revenue. She is responsible for day to day execution and delivery to customers, development of new manufacturing capabilities and the overall manufacturing strategy for medical devices.

As a decisive business, technical and engineering executive, Elizabeth has a consistent history of partnering with C-level executives to successfully lead organizations and drive enterprise-wide initiatives and transformations to take Fortune 500 to the next evolution of profitability, growth, efficiency and organizational effectiveness. She excels in high technology industries where complex problem-solving capabilities are required to gain a competitive edge.

Ms. Baker rose through systems engineering, quality and manufacturing, demand and supply planning transformations, shared services operations and strategy management positions in multiple corporations such as IBM ultimately leading to her current role as Senior Vice President at Philips.

Elizabeth earned her BS in Engineering from Michigan State University. Professionally, Ms. Baker is a past member of the Society of Women Engineers, and a former Advisory Board Member for the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach for the State University of New York.

Active in the community, Elizabeth is a member, President, and on the Board of Directors for ChildFind of America.

Philips is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care.

Jana Gessner

Jana M. Gessner is a globally seasoned EHS executive with extensive Supply Chain experience with Fortune 500 companies. Her 20+ year career includes positions in: automotive, food, and chemical manufacturing.

She has delivered consistent results through strong leadership, technical knowledge, business acumen, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Expertise includes development and deployment of global EHS management systems, strategic EHS processes, risk assessment and control, compliance assurance, & creating a zero incident culture.

Her in-depth experience at monitoring regulatory requirements, assessing business impact, and implementing EHS processes ensure the protection of people, assets, and product.

Jana holds a Master’s in Chemical Engineering – Environmental from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, Bachelor’s in English and Sciences from the University of Toledo, and the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) credential.

Rebecca Liebert

Rebecca Liebert is executive vice president, PPG. She joined the company in June 2018 and leads PPG’s global industrial and automotive OEM coatings businesses, including the company’s mobility initiatives. She also oversees the company’s Asia Pacific region and has functional responsibility for global procurement and industrial segment manufacturing, which includes resin production.

In her most recent role with Honeywell UOP, Liebert served as president and chief executive officer. Honeywell UOP is a leading international supplier and technology licensor for the petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production and major manufacturing industries. During her career with Honeywell, she had also served as senior vice president and general manager, catalyst absorbents and specialties, UOP; senior vice president and general manager, gas processing and hydrogen; and vice president and general manager, electronics materials. Prior to joining Honeywell, Liebert served as president, Reynolds Food packaging, Alcoa KAMA.

Liebert began her career as a Six Sigma Top Gun development engineer with Nova Chemicals. She held positions of increasing responsibility at Nova Chemicals, including global business development leader/sales and distribution manager; commercial leader, styrenic polymers; and then business director, solid polystyrene and high-performance polystyrene.

Liebert currently serves on the board of directors for Corteva Agriscience.

Liebert earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky; a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University; and a master of business administration (MBA) degree from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

Allison Grealis

Allison Grealis is founder and president of Women in Manufacturing (WiM), a national trade association focused on supporting, promoting and inspiring women in the manufacturing sector. She is also the vice president of association services of the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), a full-service trade association representing the metalforming industry.

Since joining PMA in 2001, Grealis has held a variety of positions that included district, committee and division management; affinity partner relations; sponsorship sales; new product and service development; and member services.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a certificate in Women’s Studies from Ohio University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Akron.

Grealis serves as a member of the Community Advisory Board and Outreach Committee of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women of Case Western Reserve University. She previously served as a board member for the Greater Cleveland Society of Association Executives and Our Lady of the Elms High School.

Grealis was recognized as one of 2018 Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Women of Note. Honorees are celebrated for their outstanding leadership in the community.

Erin Sharp

Ale Eboli

Ale Eboli, Head of Supply Chain North America for Unilever, oversees a supply chain network consisting of 14 manufacturing sites and 11 distribution centers across the US & Canada. Recognized by Gartner as one of the top supply chains in the world, Unilever’s network produces and ships over one million tons of product annually for brands such as Hellmann’s, Breyer’s and Dove, amongst many others.

Ale has been instrumental in leading a major supply chain transformation, managing seamless post-merger integrations, maintaining a sharp focus on customer service and driving the Diversity & Inclusion agenda for the business.

Ale hails from Sao Paulo, Brazil. He studied Naval Engineering at the University of Sao Paulo and holds an MBA degree from the University of Michigan.

Lance Kearbey

Lance Kearbey is the Chief Operations Officer for Electrolux Major Appliances. In this role, he is responsible for Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Purchasing, Digital Solutions and Project Management

Lance began his business career with Electrolux in 1993 as an Industrial Engineer and held various management roles thru 2000. He rejoined Electrolux nine years later after holding a lead project manager and general manager roles with Valeo Electrical Systems, Victory Packaging and ReadyOne Industries. Returning as Director of Quality and Manufacturing, Lance’s Electrolux career has included numerous roles as plant manager as well as campus general manager to increasing responsibility as Director of Operations for Refrigeration and Fabric Care in North America, and Senior Vice President of Operations, Manufacturing Engineering and Supply Chain.

Lance earned an Associate’s Degree in Computer Aided Design and Drafting from the John A. Logan Community College in Cartersville, Illinois. He went on to earn a B.S. in Industrial Technology at Southern Illinois University, as well as an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Karen Norheim

Alessio Preti

Daniel Myers

• 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.

David Johnson

David Johnson is vice president, Production Engineering and New Model Quality, Nissan North America, Inc. He was appointed to this position in April 2017. In this role, Johnson is responsible for ensuring the highest level of quality possible at the maximum output in all of Nissan’s U.S. and Mexican manufacturing operations.

Previously at Nissan, Johnson was director, New Model and Central Engineering at Nissan Motor Company, UK.

Since joining Nissan in 2002, Johnson has held a number of roles of increasing importance throughout Nissan’s manufacturing operations.

Johnson was most recently appointed to the board of directors of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce.

Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University, and an executive master’s degree in business from Vanderbilt University – Owen Graduate School of Management.

Bart Talloen

As an executive supply chain leader for more than 25 years, Bart has a proven track record of success across several key SC functions such as Planning, Engineering, Technology Transfers, Project Management, Continuous Improvement, Mfg Operations, and General SC Management in Asia, Europe, and North America.

During his career in pharma, OTC, consumer goods, and logistics/ material handling, Bart has managed large supply networks, has acquired and divested operations, build new plants but also has overseen the closure of plants, and has developed and executed a three-year Consent Decree Work Plan including the successful re-certification of three US OTC manufacturing plants by FDA.

In his current role as Vice President, Product Supply Strategy & Deployment, Bart is responsible for developing and deploying advanced processes & capabilities, agile OT systems and disruptive technologies to improve the end-to-end Supply Chain performance.

Bart is also responsible for the J&J Supply Chain Academy to provide enterprise-wide subject matter learning & development programs and build future leadership capabilities for the end-to-end Supply Chain organization.

He and his wife live in Skillman, NJ and have two sons in college.

Paul Sislian

Paul Sislian was appointed Executive Vice President, Operations and Operational Excellence in October 2020.

He is a seasoned professional with extensive industry experience who is focused on the highest operational standards, uncompromising levels of customer satisfaction, and on the foundation of all businesses: people. Mr. Sislian has worked for large multinational organizations in Canada and abroad in managerial and executive positions.

Most recently, he served as President of Bombardier’s Aerostructures Division, where he was responsible for leading the operational transformation and positioning the segment for additional growth.

Paul Sislian also served as Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier’s business aircraft division, where he was responsible for all Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft programs currently in production at Bombardier’s facilities in Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Ontario, Wichita, Kansas, and Mexico as well as the business unit’s Procurement function.

Mr. Sislian started his career at Bombardier in 2008 as a Director of Logistics, Challenger Programs and soon assumed leadership of the Bombardier Aerospace Logistics Council. He was then named General Manager of the Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 aircraft programs. In 2012, he was promoted to Vice President, Operations, Challenger aircraft programs, where he oversaw the implementation of a number of lean initiatives that have significantly improved the efficiency of the Challenger production line. Prior to being COO, Mr. Sislian was Vice President and General Manager, Global programs, overseeing Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft production and completion in Montréal and Toronto.

A native of Montréal, Québec, Canada, Paul Sislian holds a Bachelor’s of Commerce from Concordia University, and an MBA from McGill University in Montreal.

Stephanie Pullings-Hart

Stephanie Pullings Hart is the Sr Vice President, Operations for Beyond Meat responsible for Technical Services, Manufacturing and Supply Chain. This fast-growing business is transforming the way consumers view vegan products by providing great tasting, high quality products.

Prior to her current role, Stephanie was the Vice President, Technical & Production for Nestlé USA’s Confections and Global Foods and Ice Cream divisions from March 2016 to January 2018.

She assumed her role in Nestle USA after a successful three-year expatriate assignment as the Executive Director Technical & Production, Nestlé Australia Ltd. from January 2013 to March 2016. In this role, Stephanie had responsibility for safety, quality, engineering, regulatory & scientific affairs, and manufacturing for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Stephanie began her career with Nestle in 1995 and throughout her career has had roles of increasing responsibility both in manufacturing, research and development and human resources. From January 2010 to December 2012 Stephanie was the Vice President Operations, Nestlé Nutrition – Jenny Craig. Preceding Jenny Craig, Stephanie worked as the Program Director at the Nestlé International Training and Conference Centre located in Vevey, Switzerland where she was responsible for developing, recommending and delivering learning strategies and plans to build competencies for over 1000 Nestlé employees.

Stephanie was appointed to the Forum of Young Global Leaders in 2008, an integral part of the World Economic Forum. She volunteered with the Girl Scouts of America for 6 years, where girls enhance their confidence and character in an effort to make a positive impact on the world. In 2005, she received a “40 Under-Forty” achievement award from the Network Journal Magazine in recognition for her professional accomplishments and the impact that she has had on the business industry while actively contributing to the community.

Stephanie is a Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, a non-profit organization focused on providing assistance to local communities throughout the world and was previously a member of the Nestlé Australia and Nestlé New Zealand Board of Directors. She holds an Executive MBA (Benedictine College, USA) and Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering (Florida State University, USA).

Dave Warrick

As GM of Global Supply Chain for Microsoft, Dave manages the order to cash cycle, Channel Operations Planning  and Distribution & Logistics for all Microsoft physical products worldwide including Xbox, Surface, Accessories and Surface Hub.  He also manages all aspects of Channel Management, Software Manufacturing, and numerous other functions as the customer facing part of the Manufacturing and Supply Chain organization. Dave and his team are responsible for all products in all channels including Retail, Commercial, Operator, and Direct to Consumer through Microsoft Online and Brick and Mortar stores.

Dave joined Microsoft in 1999 working through various roles in Supply Chain and product release. Prior to Microsoft, Dave held roles with Andersen Consulting and Coca-Cola and worked as a Project Engineer on the new Hong Kong Airport. Dave holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering and is a C.Eng (Chartered Engineer) with the IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology – Manufacturing Division).

In his spare time, Dave enjoys spending time with his family, and never-ending physical therapy.

Brian Krinock

Brian Krinock is senior vice president, Vehicle Plants, for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). TMNA supports Toyota’s engineering and manufacturing operations in North America. In his current role, Krinock is responsible for Toyota’s seven vehicle assembly plants.

Prior to his current role, Krinock served for five years as president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. (TMMC). TMMC assembles the Corolla, RAV4 and Lexus RX350 and Lexus RX450h vehicles. He also served as vice president of manufacturing at TMMC, responsible for overseeing all vehicle manufacturing operations, as well as production control.

Previsiously, Krinock’s roles with the organization included serving as the North American leader for the Toyota/Subaru manufacturing joint agreement in Lafayette, Indiana; general manager of Purchasing Division; and numerous positions within Production Engineering Division.

Before joining Toyota in 1991, Krinock was with the Chrysler Corporation. He has two Bachelor of Science degrees from Michigan Technological University, in Houghton, Michigan, and a Master of Engineering from Oakland University, in Rochester, Michigan.

Jami Dunbar

Jami Dunbar is Senior Vice President of Under Armour’s Global Product Supply. With 25 years’ experience in apparel and footwear, her key focus is conceiving, testing and developing future processes for design, manufacturing and virtualization of apparel and footwear. Jami is a strong believer that with vision and compassionate leadership we can utilize the resources at hand to develop revolutionary solutions that better our everyday lives.

Jami has also served as Vice President of Apparel for Lighthouse, Under Armour’s advanced manufacturing innovation hub. She joined Under Armour in August 2012 and has been grateful to lead a team in the creation of award-winning and patented designs.

Prior to Under Armour, Jami served as Vice President of Technical Design at Abercrombie & Fitch and previously held positions at Hollister, Nordstrom and Abercrombie Kids.

Jami believes that expanding her knowledge and educating others is key to evolving the industry’s thought process. She maintains active involvement with students in Apparel and Textiles and serve on multiple academic Advisory Boards. She received a Bachelor of Science in Apparel and Textiles from Kansas State University, holds several certifications and continues to search for opportunities to learn about technologies that are shaping the way we will live our future lives.

Mitra Kashanchi

Mitra Kashanchi is the Vice President of Chevron Chemicals, a position she has held since October 2020.

Ms. Kashanchi began her career with Chevron 29 years ago.  Previously, she served as Salt Lake Refinery General Manager, Refinery Business Manager for the Richmond Refinery Hydro Processing Business Unit. In 2012, she was the Operations Manager at the Chevron refinery in Burnaby, British Columbia.  From 1991 to 2012, she worked at the El Segundo Refinery in various roles, including as Operations Section Head.  As Section Head of the Refinery Systems Divisions, she was responsible for three cogeneration units, the water treatment unit, blending, and shipping and wharf operations.

Mitra earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry from Iran National University.  She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Physical Chemistry, both from California State University, Long Beach.

Mitra has two daughters. One graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and now works in the field of Human resources Los Angeles Area. The other is currently studying for her Ph.D in Chemistry and Materials Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.  Her husband of 32 years, Ryan, is with Remax Premier-Realty.

Paul Boris

Boris is the CRO and a Board Member of Praemo, a technology company delivering AI for industrial operations. He also serves as a Board Member and Advisor to startups in the advanced robotics, machine learning and the AI space. Paul is often asked to speak on the topics of IIoT, Industry X.0 trends and technologies, as well as digital transformation and organization leadership.

Jordan Workman

Jordan Workman, Global Director of Client Development for Performance Solutions by Milliken, leads a team focused on partnerships and strategy within the manufacturing and supply chain functions of multi-national clients. Clients served span a variety of industries, including agri-business, pulp & paper, packaging, medical, pharma, chemical, food and beverage, mining and specialty plastics.

Prior to joining Performance Solutions, Jordan was employed by Owens Corning where he last served as Marketing Director for a global business unit responsible for creating and executing the go-to-market strategy that aligned commercial, supply chain, and operational capabilities. He also served as Business Development Leader for greater China based in Shanghai. He brings a wealth of knowledge on how to bridge cross-cultural differences and drive performance in the journey to business excellence.

John Barcus

John Barcus is Vice President responsible for the Oracle Global Manufacturing Industries. The Manufacturing Industries Solutions Group works globally with customers, partners, and within Oracle to refine industry strategy and build industry solutions that support the Industrial Manufacturing, Automotive, and High Tech industries.

John has been with Oracle for over 20 years, 8 of which were in consulting working with customers to manage large global ERP and advanced planning projects. John brings to companies a strong manufacturing, supply chain, and industry background. His implementation and business experiences help customers to use technology to solve business issues, gain competitive advantage, and to adapt to the rapidly evolving needs of the digital age. John has been a frequent speaker at industry events.

Prior to coming to Oracle, John worked within the industrial manufacturing, aerospace, and high tech industries in a variety of roles including; Sales, Materials Manager, Purchasing Manager, Manufacturing Manager, and Inventory & Control Manager. He has an MBA from Pepperdine University, and an Operations Management Degree from Cal State Fullerton.

Alastair Orchard

After nearly two decades of industrial experience as a manufacturer and vendor, Alastair was a founder member of the Digital Enterprise organization when Siemens went public with its digitalization portfolio in 2014. Living in Italy he now plays the role of digital evangelist and works with the world’s largest manufacturers as they adopt digital technologies – transforming their business models and value chains.

Mike Lackey

Mike Lackey joined SAP in 2008 through the acquisition of Visiprise and is the Global Head of Solution Management, Digital Manufacturing.  With previous roles at Visiprise, NetVendor and Teradyne Manufacturing Software Group, Mr. Lackey has a unique set of knowledge that covers both manufacturing software and design collaboration along with over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing sector.  Early in his career, he started as a manufacturing engineer with DCA/Attachmate, which provided him with invaluable first-hand knowledge and understanding of how SAP customers can use SAP’s Digital Manufacturing Solution Portfolio to improve their global operations. Mr. Lackey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MA in Business Administration from Mercer University with dual concentrations in International Business and Marketing.

Joe Gerstl

Mark Stroll

Sight Machine is the Manufacturing Productivity Platform, making manufacturing stronger, sustainable and resilient.

Mark is the Senior Vice President of Sales at Sight Machine, with responsibilities that include sales strategy and go-to-market execution with strategic partner Microsoft and key accounts.

He is an accomplished Sales Executive and recognized growth and turn-around expert with proven leadership, motivational, and business execution in both Fortune 100 software and B2B startup ventures. Mark’s creative and results-oriented drive have helped him successfully transform sales organizations from product centric focused to high performing solution and cross-pillar customer focused organizations.

Katy George

Katy George is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, and leads the Operations Practice, which includes the firm’s services in manufacturing and supply chain. Katy’s 23 years of client service have focused on operational performance improvement, operations strategy linked to business strategy, and operating model design. Currently, Katy works with clients on advanced technology development and adoption, the future of manufacturing, and the future of work. Katy leads McKinsey’s collaboration with the World Economic Forum on “Factories of the Future,” and was recently named to the Board of Directors for MxD, the Digital Manufacturing Institute.

Artem Kroupenev

Artem is VP Strategy at Augury, where he oversees Augury’s AI-based machine health, performance, and digital transformation solutions. He has over a decade of experience in technology, product, innovation, and business development, and has co-founded technology companies in Israel, New York, and West Africa. Artem holds an MA from IDC Herzliya in Israel.

Shay Scott

Shay Scott, Ph.D. is Executive Director of the Global Supply Chain Institute (GSCI) at The University of Tennessee (UT). Ranked as a top program globally, UT’s GSCI exists to shape and influence the practice of SCM by serving as a global hub for leading companies, researchers, practitioners and students. He also serves as Professor of Practice focusing in the areas of supply chain strategy and international business. Scott is coauthor of Leveraging SCM to Drive Organizational Success (2018) and holds a US patent for innovative supply chain processes developed and implemented globally.

Daniel Alderete

Daniel Alderete joined Sanofi Pasteur’s Switwater Site in Pennsylvana in November 2017 as Manufacturing Excellence Senior Director. He leads a 37-member team to ensure the improvement of industrial performance including the Master Data Management and Systems’ support at site level. He implements defined training programs including IA Lean initiatives, Sanofi Quality, HSE, and technical standards throughout Swiftwater’s workforce. Prior to his work at Swiftwater, Daniel spent ten years at Sanofi Pasteur facilities in Argentina in senior leadership roles, and another fourteen years working for other companies in the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient manufacturing space. Daniel speaks Spanish, English, and French, and holds degrees from Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Católica, Universidad Austral, and the Project Management Institute.

Amy Zaban

Amy Zaban is a lean coach for Bunge, NA a global agribusiness and food company. She is responsible for leading Lean and Six Sigma programs for both commercial and industrial divisions. Bunge is rolling out their Bunge Production System, and Amy is focused on building the Leadership and Engagement strategy, training and implementation for North America.

Amy joined Bunge in January 2018 as Regional Continuous Improvement Leader. Prior to Bunge, Amy worked for Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), consumer healthcare division for 4 years, where she acquired a respect for the challenges and rewards that coaching brings to a Lean Implementation.  Before GSK, Amy was employed at Philips Lighting Electrons for 8 years where she held numerous Regional and Plant roles in Production, New Product Introduction, Program Management, and Lean Sigma Implementation.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Purdue University, a Master of Science Degree from Eastern Kentucky University, a Marketing Certification from Northwestern University, a Black Belt Certification, and is currently working on her Professional Coaching Certification.

Temeca Mitchell

Temeca has been with Molson Coors Beverage Company for 4 years, holding several Supply Chain leadership roles. She is currently the Plant Manager at Molson Coors bottle manufacturing joint venture facility with Owens Illinois/O-I (Rocky Mountain Bottle Company) based out of Colorado. This plant produces in upwards of 1 billion glass bottles annually for Molson Coors breweries across North America. In addition, she holds a position as Employee Resource Group Site Coordinator for the Molson Coors Golden facilities.

Prior to working for Molson Coors, Temeca worked for General Motors Corporation, Coca Cola North America and PepsiCo, acquiring over 20+ years cross functional leadership experience, which also included obtaining Six Sigma Green Belt and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) certifications. Additional experience outside of the manufacturing industry included a VP of Supply Chain role for a healthcare network. Throughout those years of experience, continued remaining an active advocate of employee affinity resource groups by leading/participating in many forums and capacity.

She earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, and Masters in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. Temeca is married with 3 kids and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

Peter Evans

Peter Evans was born in 1955. He joined LEGO in February 2016.

The early part of his career was in Finance in various industries, including Defence, Financial Services and Telecommunications.  Peter worked for GE Capital throughout the 90’s including spells in Manchester, Brussels, Shannon (Eire) and Connecticut in various Quality Leadership roles.

From 2000 to 2013 he worked in Telecoms in the UK, first with Vodafone, then Cable & Wireless, before finally leading Operational Excellence for Virgin Media.

From 2013 to 2015 Peter led Process Excellence in Northern Europe for Maersk Line, based in Copenhagen.

Since February 2016 Peter has been Director of LCI (LEGO Continuous Improvement) at LEGO with specific responsibility for Business Service Operations and is actively involved in establishing a Global Business Services Organisation for Finance, HR and other services.

Peter is a Six Sigma MBB, a Lean Practitioner and has a deep and lasting interest in Change Management and the psychology of Change.

Peter Lives in Newtown, Wales, UK with his wife Amanda, Dogs Harvey and Maisie and various other pets and pests.

Aidan Trindle

Aidan is Vice-President of Global Manufacturing Operations in Dell, based in Ireland, with responsibility for supporting the Storage & Solutions portfolio of products. Aidan leads a diverse and talented global team, spanning the spectrum of manufacturing, from engineering, operations, quality management, production planning, customer operations and system/tools.

Aidan is also involved with multiple external boards in Ireland:  Industry Advisory Board for the Cork Education & Training Board, the Irish Manufacturers Association (IBEC) and the Industry Steering Group for the Discrete Manufacturing Centre (Enterprise Ireland & IDA).

A Computer Studies undergraduate from University College Cork (UCC), he holds a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, as well as Higher Diplomas in Quality, Finance and Data Business from the University of Limerick, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and UCC, respectively.

Bart Talloen

As an executive supply chain leader for more than 25 years, Bart has a proven track record of success across several key SC functions such as Planning, Engineering, Technology Transfers, Project Management, Continuous Improvement, Mfg Operations, and General SC Management in Asia, Europe, and North America.

During his career in pharma, OTC, consumer goods, and logistics/ material handling, Bart has managed large supply networks, has acquired and divested operations, build new plants but also has overseen the closure of plants, and has developed and executed a three-year Consent Decree Work Plan including the successful re-certification of three US OTC manufacturing plants by FDA.

In his current role as Vice President, Product Supply Strategy & Deployment, Bart is responsible for developing and deploying advanced processes & capabilities, agile OT systems and disruptive technologies to improve the end-to-end Supply Chain performance.

Bart is also responsible for the J&J Supply Chain Academy to provide enterprise-wide subject matter learning & development programs and build future leadership capabilities for the end-to-end Supply Chain organization.

He and his wife live in Skillman, NJ and have two sons in college.

Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson is Chief Manufacturing and Labor Affairs Officer, effective October 1, 2018. In this role, Johnson is responsible for overseeing the global operations of every Ford assembly, stamping and powertrain plant around the world. In addition, he leads the company’s worldwide engineering support for stamping, vehicle and powertrain manufacturing, as well as Ford’s Material Planning & Logistics, Ford Production System, Manufacturing Business Office and Labor Affairs organizations.

Previously, Johnson served as vice president of North America Manufacturing, a role he held since January 1, 2016 and was responsible for Ford’s North America manufacturing footprint – the company’s largest in the world with more than 30 manufacturing plants.

Prior to leading Ford’s manufacturing in North America, Johnson served as vice president of Manufacturing Operations for Asia Pacific since January 2010. In that position, he oversaw a host of new vehicle and engine launches as well as the construction of ten new plants in the region – seven in China, two in India and one in Thailand – the company’s largest expansion in 50 years.

Johnson has worked in manufacturing and quality for more than 30 years in increasing levels of responsibility at various locations, and is a leader in lean manufacturing. Among his assignments in North America, he served as director of manufacturing for engine operations and director of vehicle operations for quality.

Born in 1964, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University.

Donzel Leggett

Donzel A. Leggett is Vice President, Global Manufacturing Excellence, Global Platforms and ASLA Supply Chain, for General Mills, Inc. Leggett reports to John Church, Executive Vice President, Supply Chain.

Donzel joined General Mills in 1996 as a Plant Operations Manager for Big G Cereal, West Chicago. In 1998 he transferred to Minneapolis as a Manufacturing Manager for Big G Cereal and a year later became the Plant Manager at the St. Charles Food Service Plant. In 2002 Donzel relocated back to Minneapolis as Special Packaging Director, Display/Merch Packaging and in 2004 became USRO Temperature Channel Director in Supply Chain Logistics. Donzel then became Manufacturing Project Director in Big G Cereal in 2005, and in 2006 he was promoted to Operations Director for the Snacks Division. Leggett was promoted in 2008 to VP, Manufacturing – Temperature Channel, USRO. Immediately prior to his current role, Donzel spent the last five years as VP, International Supply Chain.

Prior to joining General Mills, Donzel spent almost four years with the Quaker Oats Company where he was an Industrial Engineer, Process Improvement Engineer and Cereal Processing Department Manager.

He is a member of both the Football Leadership Council and the Athletics Advisory Board at Purdue University as well as the Purdue Intelligent Manufacturing Advisory Board, a member of the Equity Advisory Council at Eastern Carver County MN Schools and a member of the Board of Directors for Twin Cities Rise (vice-chair), Launch Ministries and Pathways to Hope Africa.

Originally from Key West, Florida, Donzel holds both Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees in Industrial Technology from Purdue University where he was an Academic All-America and three-time Academic All-Big Ten football player. He also holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. He and his wife Tracy (also a Purdue Graduate), reside in Chaska, MN and have four children, Donnie 26, Sierra 25, Joanell 22, and Gianna 18.

Ramesh Chikkala

Ramesh Chikkala is an independent board members and corporate advisor with 25 years of retail and five years of manufacturing experience in senior management and C-Suite roles. For the past 11 years Ramesh held positions of increasing responsibility at Walmart, eventually becoming SVP International Supply Chain (Omnichannel) and Food Manufacturing where he led a $120-billion international business organization. Prior to this position, Ramesh was also Walmart’s SVP, Information Technology overseeing the technology supporting a $500-billion business across all segments of US, Sam’s, International, eCommerce, and Corporate.

After retiring from full-time work at Walmart, Ramesh Chikkala is now a board member and Adjunct Faculty at UNC, Charlotte, as well as an advisor to AT Kearney for their Operations and Consumer Industry & Retail Practice and an advisor/consultant to Walmart/Flipkart.

Ramesh Chikkala has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Osmania University in Andhra Pradesh, India, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mumbai in Maharashtra, India, and a Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio.

Hector Geist

Highly experienced and proven operations executive with an exceptional record of performance and continual career progression with two industry leaders over a 20-year career.

Ability to optimize team performance through empowering leadership and smart application of lean manufacturing practices.

Ability to use international business perspective and multi-language and culture strengths to produce high levels of productivity, morale and profitability.

Degree in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University and a Master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Management from Southern Methodist University.

Member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)

Sergio Huerga

Sergio Huerga has successfully led transformational changes in supply chain, increased profitability and operational efficiency, and increased productivity at leading global organizations such as Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods and L’Oreal.

Currently, he is leading manufacturing transformation initiatives at L’Oreal North Americas. His team works with internal and external partners to design flexible equipment capable of adapting to frequent product changes. They also leverage LEAN and industry 4.0 methodology to bring ‘Connected Lines’ and ‘Connected Operators’ visions to life. The combination of these initiatives is increasing the company’s agility to embrace consumer-centricity.

Prior to his current role, Sergio built more than 20 years of experience in international roles. He led manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, operational excellence and other operations functions. Sergio began his career as IT manager with P&G, in Argentina.

Sergio holds a BS degree from the Universidad de Rosario (Argentina) in Electronics Engineering and an Executive Coach for Leadership certification from the Universidad Adolfo Ibanez (Chile).

Sergio, his wife and two children reside in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

Tamberlin Golden

Tamberlin Golden is the Plant Director, Flint Engine Operations for General Motors. She is responsible for leading and inspiring the team to drive and deliver positive business performance through exceptional execution of the lean principles impacting safety, quality and cost.

Tamberlin is a very focused and results oriented manufacturing professional that has a depth of knowledge in large vehicle assembly plants and has held leadership positions with critical programs in GM such as the crossovers, full size pickups and small cars. She has held positions in manufacturing staff, global facilities, manufacturing operations, quality, labor relations and human resources. Tamberlin has proven leadership in leading teams to achieve effective business performance.

Tamberlin began her career with General Motors in 1985 and graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She devotes time to mentoring and various charitable activities. She’s on the leadership boards for GM WOMEN, General Motors African Ancestry Network and GM Women In Manufacturing. Her highest priority is being wife, a mother and grandmother.

David Jimenez

As Managing Director for the CPG industry, David leads the design of solutions and services globally, as well as the delivery of all Softtek projects oriented to CPG. His team develops the digital capabilities necessary to efficiently manage complex supply chains and strengthen personalized connections with increasingly demanding customers.

David has great insight into the factors impacting the CPG sector today and has intimate knowledge of the solutions that have worked for leading companies.

Beni Lopez

Beni Lopez currently holds a dual role as Managing Director for Softtek’s Industrial vertical and overall US market. Prior to Softtek’s vertical restructuring, Beni held the role of Chief Globalization Officer, where he directed and coordinated the firm’s global accounts strategy.

Beni has played a central role in defining and executing Softtek’s technology developments, in addition to the firm’s globalization and growth strategies. He is experienced in leading innovative new offerings, directing globalization efforts, and establishing long lasting partnerships with Softtek’s largest clients. Furthermore, Beni mentored the concept of Neashore™ services, pioneered by Softtek in 1997, expanding Softtek’s frontiers first to the US market, and later globally.

Allison Grealis

Allison Grealis is founder and president of Women in Manufacturing (WiM), a national trade association focused on supporting, promoting and inspiring women in the manufacturing sector. She is also the vice president of association services of the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), a full-service trade association representing the metalforming industry.

Since joining PMA in 2001, Grealis has held a variety of positions that included district, committee and division management; affinity partner relations; sponsorship sales; new product and service development; and member services.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a certificate in Women’s Studies from Ohio University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Akron.

Grealis serves as a member of the Community Advisory Board and Outreach Committee of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women of Case Western Reserve University. She previously served as a board member for the Greater Cleveland Society of Association Executives and Our Lady of the Elms High School.

Grealis was recognized as one of 2018 Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Women of Note. Honorees are celebrated for their outstanding leadership in the community.

Shane Yount

Shane A. Yount is a nationally recognized thought leader, author, and President of Competitive Solutions, Inc., an international Business Transformation consulting firm which pioneered the acclaimed organizational development system known as Process Based Leadership® – A business transformation methodology designed to create a sustainable culture of clarity, connectivity, and consistency through the use of Non-Negotiable Business Processes.

Shane began his career with Perdue Farms, Inc.  Having performed such roles as Front Line Supervisor, Site Operations Manager, Quality Manager, Director of Human Resources, and Corporate Continuous Improvement Champion, Shane brings extensive experience in every aspect of organizational dynamics.  His “Real World” process driven approach to creating and sustaining high performance has led leaders across the world to embrace the Process Based Leadership® methodology as a core operating system in driving organizational focus, urgency, and accountability.

Since 1991 he has led the offices of Competitive Solutions, Inc. (CSI), personally working with such organizations as Michelin, Genentech, Pfizer, Lockheed Martin, the Department of Defense, and many others. His three books, “Buried Alive: Digging out of the Management Dumpster,” “Leaving Your Leadership Legacy” and “Leading Your Business Forward: Aligning Goals, People, and Systems for Sustainable Success” are required reading in many organizations.

Steven Hoink

30 years practical experience in manufacturing and supply chain operations for PepsiCo with experience in every aspect of value chain execution… sales, merchandizing, all aspects of manufacturing operations, sales operations, and go-to-market. Currently, the Digital Strategy Lead for PepsiCo, Latin America. In previous role led Global Supply Chain Planning for PepsiCo.

Tony Snyder

Tony Snyder joined the tobacco industry in 1992 and his varied career has taken him around the world with roles in tobacco procurement, factory management and R&D in three continents, including 12 years leading global product development at PMI. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, with satellite teams covering the whole world, his organization is responsible for product commercialization, portfolio management, printing, converting, product & process improvement, and innovation pipeline.

The business transformation driving a Smoke-Free Future has enhanced the need for speed to market, agility and scale, areas where digital printing has the potential to make a real contribution. With a dedicated team working on digital solutions, PMI’s first hybrid digital presses are in commercial production for folding box board packaging.

Jon Sobel

Jon has served on the management teams of several companies in pioneering industries, including Tesla Motors, SourceForge, and in its early years, Yahoo! Jon holds an BA from Princeton, a JD from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from Wharton.

Manny Pineiro

Manuel (Manny) Pineiro is Vice President, LATAM Supply Chain Strategy, leading the development and deployment of the SC Transformational agenda. LATAM serves 34 developing and emerging markets with more than 70,000 of the company’s associates which represent almost $8 billion in revenue.

Manny held a similar position for the South American, Caribbean and Central America Foods division (SACCAF) where his strategies delivered more than $300 million in Move productivity, 6 day reduction in DII and a 7 point improvement in service across the region resulting in $130 million of revenue growth. He sees supply chain as an untapped competitive advantage that can transform many businesses.

Prior to his 19 years at PepsiCo, Manny worked for Procter & Gamble for 15 years, serving in roles across all areas of the supply chain which included manufacturing, logistics, planning, commercialization, engineering and IT. He feels honored to have served in the United States Air Force prior to joining Procter & Gamble where teamwork, collaboration and common goals were keys to survival. Manny sees a similar need in today’s world environment which is referred to as “VUCA” (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous).

Manny has solid experience inspiring collaborative multi-disciplined/functional teams to perform while transforming the organization across many facets of the business. He has a strong belief that strategy can only be as great as the ability to land it where the work is accomplished. He is fascinated with different cultures and has worked in 26 countries. He attributes much of this professional and personal growth to these experiences which require a unique ability to bring diverse people together in the transformational process. He has integrated best practices like Lean Six Sigma, S&OP, HPO and others across many supply chain operations.

Manny earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University and holds MBA’s from Golden Gate and the Jack Welch Management Institute. He views his 37 year marriage with Lori, along with daughter Noelle and sons Manuel and Dominic as his mission in life, while enjoying cycling and most outdoor activities.

Ronda Wright

Ronda Wright has been interested in solving problems and understanding how things worked since she was a child. Naturally inquisitive, it was not uncommon for her to take apart every watch that her parents gave her to understand how the watch worked. Over time, she also developed a passion for helping people and trying to make processes simpler and repeatable. Respected as a credible voice in manufacturing and operations, Ronda has earned a seat at the table in strategic decision making, determining policy, and establishing governance boundaries.

Currently, as Director of Process Improvement for Coca-Cola North America, Ronda develops strategy for the division’s maintenance excellence journey. She also leads several nationwide initiatives that drive site efficiencies, productivity, and reduce overall costs. Ronda is also involved in developing the roadmap for digitization capability for the Coca-Cola North American sites.

Previously, Ronda held several leadership roles at General Mills, Inc including Zero Loss Culture leader where she developed the strategy for Autonomous Maintenance implementation for the North American region. She also held several operational leadership roles at multiple General Mills plants and was the appointed leader of the African American affinity network for Supply Chain. Prior to General Mills, Ronda also made key contributions at Anheuser Busch, Inc – she held several operational leadership roles, trained and taught peers at other sites, and became a system expert on waste management tracking.

Ronda holds an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and a BS in Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. She is Six Sigma Black Belt Certified through the American Society for Quality. Ronda previously served on the Board of Directors for the Hannibal Regional Healthcare System. She enjoys traveling, wine tasting, and watching college football.

Daniel Myers

• 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.

Amy Meyer

Amy M. Meyer is Vice President, Technical Services for Kohler Co. In this role, Amy is responsible for the management of all aspects of Global Procurement; Aviation and Business Travel; Architecture and Interior Design; Construction Engineering and Management; Facilities, Maintenance and Grounds; Machine Build and Process Automation; Global EHS; Energy Management; and Kohler Operating Systems.

In February 2009, Amy joined Kohler Co. as Vice President-Engineering, Kohler Engines, where she was responsible for global engineering and the execution of product innovation for Kohler Engines. In January 2014, Amy was promoted to Vice President, Kohler Operating Systems, where she was responsible for company-wide supply chain and manufacturing Centers of Excellence along with three service-based, global organizations: the Chemical and Metallurgical Laboratory, the Machine Build and Process Automation Team and the India Technical Center.

Passionate about the personal development of her associates, Amy lives by the motto of “hire great people and enable them to do great work” by providing clear goals and authority, giving direct and honest feedback on both strengths and weaknesses, and celebrating personal growth through successful results and challenging setbacks.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in applied Mathematics from Michigan Technological University. Additionally, she has completed a Master of Science degree in Computational Mathematics from Michigan State University and a Master of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

Tim Jamison

Tim Jamison is the Worldwide Production Excellence Leader for Cargill’s Global Operations. In his role, Tim is responsible for operational excellence and continuous improvement practices at over 1400 operating facilities in 70 countries and spanning 155,000 employees. His responsibilities include improving operational efficiency and reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining world class safety, sustainability and customer service standards. Tim joined Cargill in 2015 in their Food Ingredients & Bio-Industrial enterprise before moving to the Global Operations role.

Tim has over 20 years of expertise building and managing international operational excellence and continuous improvement programs. Before joining Cargill, Tim served as the Director of Voyager Plant Optimization for AB-InBev’s North American breweries, malt processing and can manufacturing facilities. Previous to AB-InBev, Tim spent 8 years defining and implementing the Lean and Six Sigma applications for surface and underground mining operations in the United States and Australia for Peabody Energy. Tim began his continuous improvement career working with Ford Motor Company implementing the Ford Production System at their Kansas City Assembly Plant.

Tim has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Operations Management, both from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He holds a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification. Tim also proudly served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.

Eric Norris

Eric Norris is the Global Continuous Improvement Leader for the DuPont Corporation.  In his role, Eric is leading Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement across the DuPont enterprise focusing on sustainability and profitable growth. His responsibilities include global productivity and performance, digital-lean productivity and business critical capacity release initiatives.

Eric joined DuPont in 1989 and has progressed in operational experiences through leadership roles in Safety, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Plant Start-up and Continuous Improvement.

Eric graduated from Pennsylvania State University with Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering.  He is holds certifications as a Lean Six Sigma Champion and Certified Supply Chain Professional.

Rebecca Teeters

Rebecca Powers Teeters, holds a PH.D., in Chemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia and brings 20 plus years of dedication, commitment and leadership to 3M.  She has served in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility over the course her career including SS Black Belt, Plant Manager, and Manufacturing and Supply Chain Director for several businesses.  She now serves as the Global Enterprise Operations Director for Strategy and Execution.

As Enterprise Operations Director, Rebecca is the chief designer and champion of the 3M Execution System (3MEx) and is working with all business groups, and more than 200 facilities around the globe, to drive operational excellence and rearchitect end-to-end value streams. She is leading the strategic design for Enterprise Operations as well as serving as the operations leader in the corporation’s operating model transformation.

Chad Toney

Chad Toney is the Executive Director, Advanced Engineering at GE Appliances, a Haier company.  He started working for Maytag, who was then purchased by Whirlpool, where Chad held roles of increasing responsibility such as Lean Manager, Materials Manager, Assembly Manager, Business Unit Manager, 3^rd shift Manager, and Senior Operations Manager within three different plants.

Chad then joined GE Appliances, where he was the Assembly Operations Leader for laundry operations, and then Plant Leader for the Decatur, AL top freezer refrigeration facility and then Dishwasher Plant Leader in Louisville, KY.

In Chad’s latest role he is responsible for the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering organization, Central Materials, and the infrastructure for Appliance Park in Louisville, KY. Chad’s career interests include team building, lean, supply chain initiatives, and people/automation integration.

Doug Bayer

Doug Bayer is the Global Manufacturing Associate Director at the Procter & Gamble Company. Doug’s key responsibilities include institutionalizing operational excellence in manufacturing and across the supply chain, leading the digital transformation in Manufacturing as well as developing and implementing P&G’s Manufacturing of the Future program.

In his 28 years with Procter & Gamble, Doug has held numerous leadership roles across the supply chain including manufacturing and logistics operations in Canada, supply network design and integration of a joint venture, and leading global supply network operations for a $7.5B business.

Doug holds an MBA from McMaster University and a BASc. In Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and four children. Doug has a passion for ice hockey and enjoys outdoor adventures.

Debbie Poppas

Debbie Poppas was named PACCAR Vice President – Global Quality beginning January 2016. Ms. Poppas also currently serves as board member of the Automotive Industry Action Group.

Prior to her current roles, Ms. Poppas held positions as the Senior Vice President of global engineering, quality and it at Remy International and Vice President of global engineering and innovation at Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. She also held positions of increasing responsibility at Delphi Delco Electronics, including general director of global engineering, quality and program management.

Ms. Poppas holds a BME, electrical engineering from Kettering University and a master of science, electrical engineering from Purdue University. Ms. Poppas has extensive experience in structured problem solving, six sigma program implementation, global capability development, as well as over 35 years of business experience in product and manufacturing engineering, product validation, program management, quality operations and business process transformation.

Tim Blubaugh

Tim is currently the Director of Operational Excellence at United States Gypsum Company, where he leads the Continuous Improvement, Reliability, Quality, and the Enterprise Project Management Office and reports to the Chief Technology Officer.    This role serves 45 operations between the US and Canada.

USG’s Continuous Improvement Program has been recognized internationally by the Lean and Six Sigma Conference for both Deployment of the Year and Project of the Year.  Tim leads the Lean Six Sigma deployment in manufacturing and corporate office as well as the Lean Management deployment.  His experience includes certification as a Black Belt and Master Black Belt, as well as Deployment Leader.  The Quality role involves interface between sales, manufacturing, and customers in managing product warranty and customer relationships.  The reliability role interfaces with manufacturing reliability professionals in the execution of our reliability performance model.  The project management office serves many different functional groups at the corporate office in the execution of key strategic projects.

Tim continues to serve USG over the last 24 years, 11 of which have been closely involved in process improvement leadership.  Before that, Tim has worked in operations management roles within manufacturing in paper, Sheetrock, and ready mix.  Before his time with USG, Tim served in the US Army Engineer Branch after graduating from the University of Dayton with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Gerald Johnson

Gerald Johnson was named executive vice president, Global Manufacturing effective April 1, 2019. In this role, he leads GM’s global manufacturing operations, manufacturing engineering and labor relations organizations, and is a member of the GM Senior Leadership Team.

Previously Johnson served as GM vice president of North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations, a position he held since August 2017.

Before that he served as vice president of Operational Excellence, where he worked to develop and execute an enterprise-wide cultural transformation with a focus on process discipline, continuous improvement and waste elimination. Under Johnson’s leadership, a team of Lean Six Sigma experts developed a training initiative and coached employees in projects that improved the company’s operations efficiency.

Johnson started at General Motors in 1980 at the Fisher Body Plant in Euclid, Ohio. His career includes a long list of manufacturing and quality roles both in North America and abroad. Throughout his career, he has served as a mentor to many young professionals as well as played an active role in community organizations, and is currently on the Kettering University Board of Trustees.

Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial administration from Kettering University and a master’s degree in manufacturing operations from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Massimo Andolina

Massimo Andolina joined Philip Morris in Lausanne in 2008 as Director, Operations Planning. He became Vice President, Operations of the Latin America & Canada Region in 2011 and moved to oversee our European Union Region’s operations two years later. In 2016 Massimo was appointed Vice President, PMI Business Transformation and in January 2018, he became Senior Vice President, Operations.

Prior to joining PMI, Massimo held a variety of international positions in strategic marketing and general management for Tetra Pak International and in operations for R.J. Reynolds International. Massimo holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Palermo, Italy and an MBA from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.