8:30 am to 8:40 am CDT
Chair's Opening Remarks
Christine Frank
President and CEO, TCIC, Inc.

Advisor and Industry Leader SME on Industrial Automation and Enterprise Infrastructure – Bridging the Gap between IT and OT in IIoT, Smart Manufacturing, and Industry4.0
Christine brings more than 20+ years of experience in Industrial Automation, Process Control and Building Automation in Channel, Sales, Marketing, Product Management and Business Development globally for major companies such as: Siemens, Honeywell and SICK. For the past 11 years she has been focused on helping companies bridge IT and OT for proven results in IoT, IIoT and Industry 4.0. Her experience also includes control devices such as industrial Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s), SCADA, Industrial Communications, & Industrial Ethernet Networks, Machine & Process Safety, IoT Gateways, Software, and Industrial Wireless Solutions.
Christine Frank is the President and Owner of TCIC, Inc. (Technology Controls | Industrial Communications) in Minneapolis, MN. Before becoming an owner in 2020, she held the title of Global Director of IoT Channels for major IT companies such as, Progress, HPE, and DELL. She holds a BS in Industrial Technology from Metropolitan State University and a degree in Fluid Power from HTC, Eden Prairie, MN.
8:40 am to 9:00 am CDT
Edge Computing: Bringing the Capabilities of the Cloud Closer to Smart Factories
- What is edge computing, and why is it necessary in many advanced manufacturing settings?
- Edge computing use cases from diverse areas of smart manufacturing
- Edge computing implementation trade-offs, including heterogeneous compute (CPUs, GPUs, TPUs, FPGAs, etc.), hieratical storage architectures (in-memory, flash, rotating, network attached), networking alternatives (copper vs. fibre wired and licensed vs. unlicensed for wireless), and software / protocol architectures to support trustworthiness (security, privacy, safety, reliability, resilience)
Chuck Byers
Chief Technical Officer, Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC)

CHARLES C. BYERS is Associate Chief Technology Officer of the Industry Internet Consortium and also Chief Technology Officer at Valqari. He works on the architecture and implementation of edge computing systems, common platforms, media processing systems, and the Internet of Things. Previously, he was a Principal Engineer and Platform Architect with Cisco, and a Bell Labs Fellow at Alcatel-Lucent. During his three decades in the telecommunications networking industry, he has made significant contributions in areas including voice switching, broadband access, converged networks, VoIP, multimedia, video, modular platforms, edge-fog computing and IoT. He has also been a leader in several standards bodies, including serving as CTO for the Industrial Internet Consortium and OpenFog Consortium, and was a founding member of PICMG’s AdvancedTCA, AdvancedMC, and MicroTCA subcommittees.
Mr. Byers received his B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In his spare time, he likes travel, cooking, bicycling, and tinkering in his workshop. He holds over 110 US patents.
9:00 am to 9:20 am CDT
Is your I4.0 Roadmap Leading you to a Dead End?
- Industry modernization trends driving I4.0
- Application attributes above the network
- Verizon Edge Compute solutions for manufacturing
- CALL TO ACTION: Let’s do a Plant tour – see us at our Verizon booth
Maureen Foresman
Manufacturing Innovation Specialist, Verizon

Throughout her career, Maureen Foresman has engaged numerous leading-edge technologies to deliver transformative solutions for manufacturers. She believes 5G, deployed as a private network, can enable a new generation of solutions that will boost manufacturing effectiveness and help abate labor and supply chain disruptions.
Maureen and her family live in Chicago. She enjoys hiking, kayaking and travel. Maureen is a member of Chicago Innovation and volunteers with youth programs.
9:20 am to 10:00 am CDT
Panel Session: Industrial Digital Transformation in Manufacturing – What's New, and What’s Next?
Ryan Martin
Research Director, ABI Research

Ryan Martin is a Research Director at ABI Research covering new and emerging transformative technologies, including Industry 4.0, Digital Transformation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He currently leads the firm’s Manufacturing, Industrial, and Enterprise IoT research.
Prior to joining ABI Research, Ryan spent the past several years working at technology market research firms, including Yankee Group and, most recently, 451 Research. Before his time as a market research analyst, Ryan served as a consultant at Mobile Future Institute, a U.S.-based think tank focused on business strategies and marketing tactics for the mobile ecosystem. Additionally, he held advisory, consultative, and managerial positions at a number of early- to late-stage startups.
Ryan is frequently quoted and published in a variety of industry and business media, including BBC, CIO, LA Times, and Forbes. He is also a regular speaker at client and industry events, and a judge for major awards programs such as the CES Innovation Awards and the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards.
Ryan holds degrees in economics and political science, with an additional concentration in global studies, from the University of Vermont and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.
Follow Ryan on twitter
Susanne Lauda
Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology, AGCO

Susanne joined AGCO Corporation in 2012, initially as a project manager for Manufacturing Automation. In her current role as Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology she represents the business in regards to the Enterprise PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) implementation at all global sites. This is an enabler for AGCO’s Design Anywhere Build Anywhere platform strategy, because it allows the virtual collaboration between the plants. Expanding on this she also governs projects in other areas of the digital shop floor transformation. Susanne is therefore one of the main contributors to the global strategy for Manufacturing 4.0 (Smart Factory),and is part of a team that investigates the applications for advanced production tools, such as Additive Manufacturing, Collaborative Robots, AGV’s and Wearable Technologies, as well as simulation tools. Susanne holds a degree in Production Engineering from her native Germany, and came to the United States in 1993 as part of the Space Shuttle manufacturing team. In April of 2017 Susanne received the prestigious STEP Ahead Award from the Manufacturing Institute for her achievements as a female in the manufacturing industry, and a few weeks later she was voted on the national BoD for Women in Manufacturing. Later that year she also received the Front Line Leadership Award from the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. In February of 2021 Susanne was being named one of 20 women making their mark in robotics and automation by the Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME).Susanne currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women in Manufacturing(WiM) Educational Foundation, and heads the WiM Georgia chapter. She also serves on the BoD for the ASM Materials Education Foundation. In her spare time Susanne is an avid equestrian.
Neil Betteridge
Senior Vice President Category Development , Fairlife

Neil Betteridge is currently Senior Vice President Category Development for fairlife in USA. fairlife is the fastest growing consumer milk brand in North America which has patented innovative protein concentrating technology. They were recently acquired by The Coca-Cola Company.
Neil grew up in New Zealand on a dairy farm and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Canterbury. Neil has more than 20 years in the dairy industry in a range of roles from Operations Leadership, Maintenance & Technology Leadership through to Capital Project management in a wide array of dairy products from infant formula, aseptic drinks, lipids and whey-based ethanol.
Neil is passionate about leadership, developing high performance teams and loves taking great nutritious dairy products to the world. He has been active on University Advisory Boards along with Food & Engineering Society Committees. In 2016 Neil was awarded the NZ Prime Ministers Scholarship to attend the INSEAD Business School in France.
Previous employers have been Fonterra Co-operative, Synlait Milk Ltd and Tetra Pak. Neil has helped design, build, commission and manage more than 15 large dairy production lines during his career, and has been lucky enough to work across Oceania, Asia, Europe and now North America. Neil’s current role is looking to expand the current product portfolio of fairlife
Cameron Peahl
Additive Manufacturing Manager, Eaton

Cameron Peahl has an extensive career in aerospace manufacturing at Eaton and now leads the Eaton Research Labs – AM Center of Excellence. Cameron started his career in conventional aerospace manufacturing in various roles across in manufacturing and quality functions working with multiple processes such as milling, turning, grinding, EDM, and Welding. Cameron joined the ERL in 2018 to lead the AMCoE in obtaining their AS9100 certification and becoming Eaton’s first aerospace AM production site. He and the ERL team, with support from Eaton Aerospace’s AM Team, have successfully developed L-PBF aluminum parameters, developed Qualified Metallurgical Processes, and obtained aerospace customer manufacturing approval. Cameron holds a bachelors of science in Mechanical Engineering from Roger Williams University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth.
Ryan Martin
Research Director, ABI Research

Ryan Martin is a Research Director at ABI Research covering new and emerging transformative technologies, including Industry 4.0, Digital Transformation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He currently leads the firm’s Manufacturing, Industrial, and Enterprise IoT research.
Prior to joining ABI Research, Ryan spent the past several years working at technology market research firms, including Yankee Group and, most recently, 451 Research. Before his time as a market research analyst, Ryan served as a consultant at Mobile Future Institute, a U.S.-based think tank focused on business strategies and marketing tactics for the mobile ecosystem. Additionally, he held advisory, consultative, and managerial positions at a number of early- to late-stage startups.
Ryan is frequently quoted and published in a variety of industry and business media, including BBC, CIO, LA Times, and Forbes. He is also a regular speaker at client and industry events, and a judge for major awards programs such as the CES Innovation Awards and the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards.
Ryan holds degrees in economics and political science, with an additional concentration in global studies, from the University of Vermont and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.
Follow Ryan on twitter
Susanne Lauda
Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology, AGCO

Susanne joined AGCO Corporation in 2012, initially as a project manager for Manufacturing Automation. In her current role as Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology she represents the business in regards to the Enterprise PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) implementation at all global sites. This is an enabler for AGCO’s Design Anywhere Build Anywhere platform strategy, because it allows the virtual collaboration between the plants. Expanding on this she also governs projects in other areas of the digital shop floor transformation. Susanne is therefore one of the main contributors to the global strategy for Manufacturing 4.0 (Smart Factory),and is part of a team that investigates the applications for advanced production tools, such as Additive Manufacturing, Collaborative Robots, AGV’s and Wearable Technologies, as well as simulation tools. Susanne holds a degree in Production Engineering from her native Germany, and came to the United States in 1993 as part of the Space Shuttle manufacturing team. In April of 2017 Susanne received the prestigious STEP Ahead Award from the Manufacturing Institute for her achievements as a female in the manufacturing industry, and a few weeks later she was voted on the national BoD for Women in Manufacturing. Later that year she also received the Front Line Leadership Award from the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. In February of 2021 Susanne was being named one of 20 women making their mark in robotics and automation by the Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME).Susanne currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women in Manufacturing(WiM) Educational Foundation, and heads the WiM Georgia chapter. She also serves on the BoD for the ASM Materials Education Foundation. In her spare time Susanne is an avid equestrian.
Neil Betteridge
Senior Vice President Category Development , Fairlife

Neil Betteridge is currently Senior Vice President Category Development for fairlife in USA. fairlife is the fastest growing consumer milk brand in North America which has patented innovative protein concentrating technology. They were recently acquired by The Coca-Cola Company.
Neil grew up in New Zealand on a dairy farm and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Canterbury. Neil has more than 20 years in the dairy industry in a range of roles from Operations Leadership, Maintenance & Technology Leadership through to Capital Project management in a wide array of dairy products from infant formula, aseptic drinks, lipids and whey-based ethanol.
Neil is passionate about leadership, developing high performance teams and loves taking great nutritious dairy products to the world. He has been active on University Advisory Boards along with Food & Engineering Society Committees. In 2016 Neil was awarded the NZ Prime Ministers Scholarship to attend the INSEAD Business School in France.
Previous employers have been Fonterra Co-operative, Synlait Milk Ltd and Tetra Pak. Neil has helped design, build, commission and manage more than 15 large dairy production lines during his career, and has been lucky enough to work across Oceania, Asia, Europe and now North America. Neil’s current role is looking to expand the current product portfolio of fairlife
Cameron Peahl
Additive Manufacturing Manager, Eaton

Cameron Peahl has an extensive career in aerospace manufacturing at Eaton and now leads the Eaton Research Labs – AM Center of Excellence. Cameron started his career in conventional aerospace manufacturing in various roles across in manufacturing and quality functions working with multiple processes such as milling, turning, grinding, EDM, and Welding. Cameron joined the ERL in 2018 to lead the AMCoE in obtaining their AS9100 certification and becoming Eaton’s first aerospace AM production site. He and the ERL team, with support from Eaton Aerospace’s AM Team, have successfully developed L-PBF aluminum parameters, developed Qualified Metallurgical Processes, and obtained aerospace customer manufacturing approval. Cameron holds a bachelors of science in Mechanical Engineering from Roger Williams University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth.
Ryan Martin
Research Director, ABI Research

Ryan Martin is a Research Director at ABI Research covering new and emerging transformative technologies, including Industry 4.0, Digital Transformation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He currently leads the firm’s Manufacturing, Industrial, and Enterprise IoT research.
Prior to joining ABI Research, Ryan spent the past several years working at technology market research firms, including Yankee Group and, most recently, 451 Research. Before his time as a market research analyst, Ryan served as a consultant at Mobile Future Institute, a U.S.-based think tank focused on business strategies and marketing tactics for the mobile ecosystem. Additionally, he held advisory, consultative, and managerial positions at a number of early- to late-stage startups.
Ryan is frequently quoted and published in a variety of industry and business media, including BBC, CIO, LA Times, and Forbes. He is also a regular speaker at client and industry events, and a judge for major awards programs such as the CES Innovation Awards and the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards.
Ryan holds degrees in economics and political science, with an additional concentration in global studies, from the University of Vermont and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.
Follow Ryan on twitter
Susanne Lauda
Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology, AGCO

Susanne joined AGCO Corporation in 2012, initially as a project manager for Manufacturing Automation. In her current role as Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology she represents the business in regards to the Enterprise PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) implementation at all global sites. This is an enabler for AGCO’s Design Anywhere Build Anywhere platform strategy, because it allows the virtual collaboration between the plants. Expanding on this she also governs projects in other areas of the digital shop floor transformation. Susanne is therefore one of the main contributors to the global strategy for Manufacturing 4.0 (Smart Factory),and is part of a team that investigates the applications for advanced production tools, such as Additive Manufacturing, Collaborative Robots, AGV’s and Wearable Technologies, as well as simulation tools. Susanne holds a degree in Production Engineering from her native Germany, and came to the United States in 1993 as part of the Space Shuttle manufacturing team. In April of 2017 Susanne received the prestigious STEP Ahead Award from the Manufacturing Institute for her achievements as a female in the manufacturing industry, and a few weeks later she was voted on the national BoD for Women in Manufacturing. Later that year she also received the Front Line Leadership Award from the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. In February of 2021 Susanne was being named one of 20 women making their mark in robotics and automation by the Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME).Susanne currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women in Manufacturing(WiM) Educational Foundation, and heads the WiM Georgia chapter. She also serves on the BoD for the ASM Materials Education Foundation. In her spare time Susanne is an avid equestrian.
Neil Betteridge
Senior Vice President Category Development , Fairlife

Neil Betteridge is currently Senior Vice President Category Development for fairlife in USA. fairlife is the fastest growing consumer milk brand in North America which has patented innovative protein concentrating technology. They were recently acquired by The Coca-Cola Company.
Neil grew up in New Zealand on a dairy farm and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Canterbury. Neil has more than 20 years in the dairy industry in a range of roles from Operations Leadership, Maintenance & Technology Leadership through to Capital Project management in a wide array of dairy products from infant formula, aseptic drinks, lipids and whey-based ethanol.
Neil is passionate about leadership, developing high performance teams and loves taking great nutritious dairy products to the world. He has been active on University Advisory Boards along with Food & Engineering Society Committees. In 2016 Neil was awarded the NZ Prime Ministers Scholarship to attend the INSEAD Business School in France.
Previous employers have been Fonterra Co-operative, Synlait Milk Ltd and Tetra Pak. Neil has helped design, build, commission and manage more than 15 large dairy production lines during his career, and has been lucky enough to work across Oceania, Asia, Europe and now North America. Neil’s current role is looking to expand the current product portfolio of fairlife
Cameron Peahl
Additive Manufacturing Manager, Eaton

Cameron Peahl has an extensive career in aerospace manufacturing at Eaton and now leads the Eaton Research Labs – AM Center of Excellence. Cameron started his career in conventional aerospace manufacturing in various roles across in manufacturing and quality functions working with multiple processes such as milling, turning, grinding, EDM, and Welding. Cameron joined the ERL in 2018 to lead the AMCoE in obtaining their AS9100 certification and becoming Eaton’s first aerospace AM production site. He and the ERL team, with support from Eaton Aerospace’s AM Team, have successfully developed L-PBF aluminum parameters, developed Qualified Metallurgical Processes, and obtained aerospace customer manufacturing approval. Cameron holds a bachelors of science in Mechanical Engineering from Roger Williams University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth.
Ryan Martin
Research Director, ABI Research

Ryan Martin is a Research Director at ABI Research covering new and emerging transformative technologies, including Industry 4.0, Digital Transformation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He currently leads the firm’s Manufacturing, Industrial, and Enterprise IoT research.
Prior to joining ABI Research, Ryan spent the past several years working at technology market research firms, including Yankee Group and, most recently, 451 Research. Before his time as a market research analyst, Ryan served as a consultant at Mobile Future Institute, a U.S.-based think tank focused on business strategies and marketing tactics for the mobile ecosystem. Additionally, he held advisory, consultative, and managerial positions at a number of early- to late-stage startups.
Ryan is frequently quoted and published in a variety of industry and business media, including BBC, CIO, LA Times, and Forbes. He is also a regular speaker at client and industry events, and a judge for major awards programs such as the CES Innovation Awards and the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards.
Ryan holds degrees in economics and political science, with an additional concentration in global studies, from the University of Vermont and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.
Follow Ryan on twitter
Susanne Lauda
Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology, AGCO

Susanne joined AGCO Corporation in 2012, initially as a project manager for Manufacturing Automation. In her current role as Director, Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology she represents the business in regards to the Enterprise PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) implementation at all global sites. This is an enabler for AGCO’s Design Anywhere Build Anywhere platform strategy, because it allows the virtual collaboration between the plants. Expanding on this she also governs projects in other areas of the digital shop floor transformation. Susanne is therefore one of the main contributors to the global strategy for Manufacturing 4.0 (Smart Factory),and is part of a team that investigates the applications for advanced production tools, such as Additive Manufacturing, Collaborative Robots, AGV’s and Wearable Technologies, as well as simulation tools. Susanne holds a degree in Production Engineering from her native Germany, and came to the United States in 1993 as part of the Space Shuttle manufacturing team. In April of 2017 Susanne received the prestigious STEP Ahead Award from the Manufacturing Institute for her achievements as a female in the manufacturing industry, and a few weeks later she was voted on the national BoD for Women in Manufacturing. Later that year she also received the Front Line Leadership Award from the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. In February of 2021 Susanne was being named one of 20 women making their mark in robotics and automation by the Society of Manufacturing Engineering (SME).Susanne currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women in Manufacturing(WiM) Educational Foundation, and heads the WiM Georgia chapter. She also serves on the BoD for the ASM Materials Education Foundation. In her spare time Susanne is an avid equestrian.
Neil Betteridge
Senior Vice President Category Development , Fairlife

Neil Betteridge is currently Senior Vice President Category Development for fairlife in USA. fairlife is the fastest growing consumer milk brand in North America which has patented innovative protein concentrating technology. They were recently acquired by The Coca-Cola Company.
Neil grew up in New Zealand on a dairy farm and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Canterbury. Neil has more than 20 years in the dairy industry in a range of roles from Operations Leadership, Maintenance & Technology Leadership through to Capital Project management in a wide array of dairy products from infant formula, aseptic drinks, lipids and whey-based ethanol.
Neil is passionate about leadership, developing high performance teams and loves taking great nutritious dairy products to the world. He has been active on University Advisory Boards along with Food & Engineering Society Committees. In 2016 Neil was awarded the NZ Prime Ministers Scholarship to attend the INSEAD Business School in France.
Previous employers have been Fonterra Co-operative, Synlait Milk Ltd and Tetra Pak. Neil has helped design, build, commission and manage more than 15 large dairy production lines during his career, and has been lucky enough to work across Oceania, Asia, Europe and now North America. Neil’s current role is looking to expand the current product portfolio of fairlife
Cameron Peahl
Additive Manufacturing Manager, Eaton

Cameron Peahl has an extensive career in aerospace manufacturing at Eaton and now leads the Eaton Research Labs – AM Center of Excellence. Cameron started his career in conventional aerospace manufacturing in various roles across in manufacturing and quality functions working with multiple processes such as milling, turning, grinding, EDM, and Welding. Cameron joined the ERL in 2018 to lead the AMCoE in obtaining their AS9100 certification and becoming Eaton’s first aerospace AM production site. He and the ERL team, with support from Eaton Aerospace’s AM Team, have successfully developed L-PBF aluminum parameters, developed Qualified Metallurgical Processes, and obtained aerospace customer manufacturing approval. Cameron holds a bachelors of science in Mechanical Engineering from Roger Williams University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth.
10:00 am to 10:20 am CDT
How AM is Disrupting the Aerospace Industry: Opportunities and Challenges on the Road Ahead
- Additive Manufacturing will displace traditional manufacturing when Additive Manufacturing is utilized to create differentiating products with improved performance and durability, in shorter timeframes and at lower cost by incorporating engineering designs that are very difficult, if not impossible, to fabricate with traditional methods. In such cases, engineers ask themselves what function the end product needs to provide and in turn, design for its function, rather than design for traditional manufacturability.
- The disruption to the aerospace industry will occur when the Additive Manufacturing industry has demonstrated that risk associated with AM can be mitigated. The industry is currently on the steady path forward, through data generation and a deep understanding of the science of Additive Manufacturing, of mitigating risk, which enables engineers to incorporate Additive-only solutions to their product designs.
Dr. Melissa Orme
Vice President, Boeing Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Test & Technology , The Boeing Company

Dr. Melissa Orme is the vice president of Boeing Additive Manufacturing for The Boeing Company, and is responsible for continuing to grow and scale additive manufacturing capabilities and helping to rapidly expand understanding of the unique features that 3D printing can bring to Boeing factories and production lines. Orme’s organization is also driving application scalability for existing products, and maturing technology for future franchise platforms across Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Boeing Global Services. Prior to joining Boeing, Orme led the Additive Manufacturing activities in the capacity of chief technology officer at MORF3D, a supplier of AM components to the aerospace and defense industry. Over the span of her career, Orme held senior leadership roles at start-up technology companies, including chief scientist and head of clinical research. Orme’s career began in academia, where she rose to the rank of tenured, Full Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where her research program on Additive Manufacturing drew international recognition. An early pioneer of additive manufacturing, Orme’s work has resulted in 15 U.S. patents. Her research and technology developments have received international recognition and numerous awards. As an author and technical advisor, she serves on several advisory and professional committees for additive manufacturing and aerospace. Orme has doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.
10:20 am to 10:50 am CDT
Morning Coffee Break & 1-2-1 Meetings
10:50 am to 11:35 am CDT
Roundtable Discussion
1- Enhancing Operational Efficiency with Smart Manufacturing
- Speaker: Vats Vana, Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX
2- The Data Maturity Journey: Your Path to a Successful Digital Manufacturing Architecture
- Speaker: John Harrington, Chief Business Officer, HighByte
3- How can Machine Learning at the Edge enable Condition Monitoring into Predictive Maintenance?
- Speaker: Ernesto Manuel Cantone, Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics, Inc.
4- Developing Manufacturing Agility for that Competitive Edge
- Speaker: Gary Cassell – Global Industry Leader, Manufacturing & Automotive, Appian
5- Aligning People and Process Analytics for Optimal Manufacturing Outcomes
- Speaker: Dave Landreth – VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir
6- BOOM!!! Intergalactic Collision Avoidance Strategies – Manufacturing Innovation and Infrastructure
Speaker: Steve Mathers – Global Innovation Partner, Verizon
7- A Path to Interoperability and Cybersecurity for IoT Sensors
Speaker: Ravi Subramaniam – Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP), IEEE
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ernesto Manuel Cantone
Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics

Ernesto Manuel Cantone is Product Marketing Manager for MEMS and Sensors in the Americas. Starting his career as a mixed-signal IC designer, he has promoted ST’s complete IoT ecosystem to help developers succeed in Smart Industry, Smart City, Smart Home and Smart Things and to ensure that ST offers the latest Cloud, Connectivity, and Sensor Fusion building blocks for these markets. Manuel has also covered key roles developing and promoting ST products for data centers. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Universita’ di Pisa, Italy.
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave Landreth
VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir

Dave Landreth, Augmentir’s VP of Customer Strategy, has over 25 years of experience building and leading go to market teams, primarily focusing on early-stage technologies that bring new and differentiated analytics-driven solutions to market. Since attaining his MBA from Kellogg, Dave has worked in various leadership roles where he has successfully built and fostered teams and businesses that have serviced some of the largest industrial clients.
Steve Mathers
Global Innovation Partner, Verizon

Meet Steve the agronomist morphed to innovationist! I grew up on a farm and have been blessed to leverage my agricultural background and BS degree in soil science to selling retail shelf optimization software, to managing software consulting teams, to VP Marketing, to co-creating business value with manufacturers utilizing secure cellular connectivity of IOT devices, sensors and workers that align accelerate their strategic transformational roadmaps.
Ravi Subramaniam
Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) , IEEE

Ravi Subramaniam is currently serving in the role of Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP). In this role Ravi advises and consults for numerous working groups on post standards implementation which encompasses test plan, certification program development and interoperability. Currently he is focused on developing programs in interconnection of distributed energy resources (IEEE 1547), Digital Resiliency and security, EV charging, Autonomous Vehicles, Blockchain and sensors/IoT technologies. He has helped form and support various IEEE certification programs and holds leadership roles within numerous committees, including the IEEE Sensors Council Industry Committee.
Prior to taking on this role, Ravi has served in various technology management roles across the globe. He has previously worked for MET Eurofins, Honeywell and Ericsson. Ravi studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University and has an executive MBA from Rutgers University.
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ernesto Manuel Cantone
Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics

Ernesto Manuel Cantone is Product Marketing Manager for MEMS and Sensors in the Americas. Starting his career as a mixed-signal IC designer, he has promoted ST’s complete IoT ecosystem to help developers succeed in Smart Industry, Smart City, Smart Home and Smart Things and to ensure that ST offers the latest Cloud, Connectivity, and Sensor Fusion building blocks for these markets. Manuel has also covered key roles developing and promoting ST products for data centers. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Universita’ di Pisa, Italy.
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave Landreth
VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir

Dave Landreth, Augmentir’s VP of Customer Strategy, has over 25 years of experience building and leading go to market teams, primarily focusing on early-stage technologies that bring new and differentiated analytics-driven solutions to market. Since attaining his MBA from Kellogg, Dave has worked in various leadership roles where he has successfully built and fostered teams and businesses that have serviced some of the largest industrial clients.
Steve Mathers
Global Innovation Partner, Verizon

Meet Steve the agronomist morphed to innovationist! I grew up on a farm and have been blessed to leverage my agricultural background and BS degree in soil science to selling retail shelf optimization software, to managing software consulting teams, to VP Marketing, to co-creating business value with manufacturers utilizing secure cellular connectivity of IOT devices, sensors and workers that align accelerate their strategic transformational roadmaps.
Ravi Subramaniam
Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) , IEEE

Ravi Subramaniam is currently serving in the role of Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP). In this role Ravi advises and consults for numerous working groups on post standards implementation which encompasses test plan, certification program development and interoperability. Currently he is focused on developing programs in interconnection of distributed energy resources (IEEE 1547), Digital Resiliency and security, EV charging, Autonomous Vehicles, Blockchain and sensors/IoT technologies. He has helped form and support various IEEE certification programs and holds leadership roles within numerous committees, including the IEEE Sensors Council Industry Committee.
Prior to taking on this role, Ravi has served in various technology management roles across the globe. He has previously worked for MET Eurofins, Honeywell and Ericsson. Ravi studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University and has an executive MBA from Rutgers University.
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ernesto Manuel Cantone
Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics

Ernesto Manuel Cantone is Product Marketing Manager for MEMS and Sensors in the Americas. Starting his career as a mixed-signal IC designer, he has promoted ST’s complete IoT ecosystem to help developers succeed in Smart Industry, Smart City, Smart Home and Smart Things and to ensure that ST offers the latest Cloud, Connectivity, and Sensor Fusion building blocks for these markets. Manuel has also covered key roles developing and promoting ST products for data centers. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Universita’ di Pisa, Italy.
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave Landreth
VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir

Dave Landreth, Augmentir’s VP of Customer Strategy, has over 25 years of experience building and leading go to market teams, primarily focusing on early-stage technologies that bring new and differentiated analytics-driven solutions to market. Since attaining his MBA from Kellogg, Dave has worked in various leadership roles where he has successfully built and fostered teams and businesses that have serviced some of the largest industrial clients.
Steve Mathers
Global Innovation Partner, Verizon

Meet Steve the agronomist morphed to innovationist! I grew up on a farm and have been blessed to leverage my agricultural background and BS degree in soil science to selling retail shelf optimization software, to managing software consulting teams, to VP Marketing, to co-creating business value with manufacturers utilizing secure cellular connectivity of IOT devices, sensors and workers that align accelerate their strategic transformational roadmaps.
Ravi Subramaniam
Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) , IEEE

Ravi Subramaniam is currently serving in the role of Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP). In this role Ravi advises and consults for numerous working groups on post standards implementation which encompasses test plan, certification program development and interoperability. Currently he is focused on developing programs in interconnection of distributed energy resources (IEEE 1547), Digital Resiliency and security, EV charging, Autonomous Vehicles, Blockchain and sensors/IoT technologies. He has helped form and support various IEEE certification programs and holds leadership roles within numerous committees, including the IEEE Sensors Council Industry Committee.
Prior to taking on this role, Ravi has served in various technology management roles across the globe. He has previously worked for MET Eurofins, Honeywell and Ericsson. Ravi studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University and has an executive MBA from Rutgers University.
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ernesto Manuel Cantone
Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics

Ernesto Manuel Cantone is Product Marketing Manager for MEMS and Sensors in the Americas. Starting his career as a mixed-signal IC designer, he has promoted ST’s complete IoT ecosystem to help developers succeed in Smart Industry, Smart City, Smart Home and Smart Things and to ensure that ST offers the latest Cloud, Connectivity, and Sensor Fusion building blocks for these markets. Manuel has also covered key roles developing and promoting ST products for data centers. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Universita’ di Pisa, Italy.
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave Landreth
VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir

Dave Landreth, Augmentir’s VP of Customer Strategy, has over 25 years of experience building and leading go to market teams, primarily focusing on early-stage technologies that bring new and differentiated analytics-driven solutions to market. Since attaining his MBA from Kellogg, Dave has worked in various leadership roles where he has successfully built and fostered teams and businesses that have serviced some of the largest industrial clients.
Steve Mathers
Global Innovation Partner, Verizon

Meet Steve the agronomist morphed to innovationist! I grew up on a farm and have been blessed to leverage my agricultural background and BS degree in soil science to selling retail shelf optimization software, to managing software consulting teams, to VP Marketing, to co-creating business value with manufacturers utilizing secure cellular connectivity of IOT devices, sensors and workers that align accelerate their strategic transformational roadmaps.
Ravi Subramaniam
Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) , IEEE

Ravi Subramaniam is currently serving in the role of Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP). In this role Ravi advises and consults for numerous working groups on post standards implementation which encompasses test plan, certification program development and interoperability. Currently he is focused on developing programs in interconnection of distributed energy resources (IEEE 1547), Digital Resiliency and security, EV charging, Autonomous Vehicles, Blockchain and sensors/IoT technologies. He has helped form and support various IEEE certification programs and holds leadership roles within numerous committees, including the IEEE Sensors Council Industry Committee.
Prior to taking on this role, Ravi has served in various technology management roles across the globe. He has previously worked for MET Eurofins, Honeywell and Ericsson. Ravi studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University and has an executive MBA from Rutgers University.
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ernesto Manuel Cantone
Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics

Ernesto Manuel Cantone is Product Marketing Manager for MEMS and Sensors in the Americas. Starting his career as a mixed-signal IC designer, he has promoted ST’s complete IoT ecosystem to help developers succeed in Smart Industry, Smart City, Smart Home and Smart Things and to ensure that ST offers the latest Cloud, Connectivity, and Sensor Fusion building blocks for these markets. Manuel has also covered key roles developing and promoting ST products for data centers. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Universita’ di Pisa, Italy.
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave Landreth
VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir

Dave Landreth, Augmentir’s VP of Customer Strategy, has over 25 years of experience building and leading go to market teams, primarily focusing on early-stage technologies that bring new and differentiated analytics-driven solutions to market. Since attaining his MBA from Kellogg, Dave has worked in various leadership roles where he has successfully built and fostered teams and businesses that have serviced some of the largest industrial clients.
Steve Mathers
Global Innovation Partner, Verizon

Meet Steve the agronomist morphed to innovationist! I grew up on a farm and have been blessed to leverage my agricultural background and BS degree in soil science to selling retail shelf optimization software, to managing software consulting teams, to VP Marketing, to co-creating business value with manufacturers utilizing secure cellular connectivity of IOT devices, sensors and workers that align accelerate their strategic transformational roadmaps.
Ravi Subramaniam
Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) , IEEE

Ravi Subramaniam is currently serving in the role of Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP). In this role Ravi advises and consults for numerous working groups on post standards implementation which encompasses test plan, certification program development and interoperability. Currently he is focused on developing programs in interconnection of distributed energy resources (IEEE 1547), Digital Resiliency and security, EV charging, Autonomous Vehicles, Blockchain and sensors/IoT technologies. He has helped form and support various IEEE certification programs and holds leadership roles within numerous committees, including the IEEE Sensors Council Industry Committee.
Prior to taking on this role, Ravi has served in various technology management roles across the globe. He has previously worked for MET Eurofins, Honeywell and Ericsson. Ravi studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University and has an executive MBA from Rutgers University.
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ernesto Manuel Cantone
Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics

Ernesto Manuel Cantone is Product Marketing Manager for MEMS and Sensors in the Americas. Starting his career as a mixed-signal IC designer, he has promoted ST’s complete IoT ecosystem to help developers succeed in Smart Industry, Smart City, Smart Home and Smart Things and to ensure that ST offers the latest Cloud, Connectivity, and Sensor Fusion building blocks for these markets. Manuel has also covered key roles developing and promoting ST products for data centers. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Universita’ di Pisa, Italy.
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave Landreth
VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir

Dave Landreth, Augmentir’s VP of Customer Strategy, has over 25 years of experience building and leading go to market teams, primarily focusing on early-stage technologies that bring new and differentiated analytics-driven solutions to market. Since attaining his MBA from Kellogg, Dave has worked in various leadership roles where he has successfully built and fostered teams and businesses that have serviced some of the largest industrial clients.
Steve Mathers
Global Innovation Partner, Verizon

Meet Steve the agronomist morphed to innovationist! I grew up on a farm and have been blessed to leverage my agricultural background and BS degree in soil science to selling retail shelf optimization software, to managing software consulting teams, to VP Marketing, to co-creating business value with manufacturers utilizing secure cellular connectivity of IOT devices, sensors and workers that align accelerate their strategic transformational roadmaps.
Ravi Subramaniam
Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) , IEEE

Ravi Subramaniam is currently serving in the role of Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP). In this role Ravi advises and consults for numerous working groups on post standards implementation which encompasses test plan, certification program development and interoperability. Currently he is focused on developing programs in interconnection of distributed energy resources (IEEE 1547), Digital Resiliency and security, EV charging, Autonomous Vehicles, Blockchain and sensors/IoT technologies. He has helped form and support various IEEE certification programs and holds leadership roles within numerous committees, including the IEEE Sensors Council Industry Committee.
Prior to taking on this role, Ravi has served in various technology management roles across the globe. He has previously worked for MET Eurofins, Honeywell and Ericsson. Ravi studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University and has an executive MBA from Rutgers University.
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Ernesto Manuel Cantone
Product Marketing Manager, MEMS and Sensors, STMicroelectronics

Ernesto Manuel Cantone is Product Marketing Manager for MEMS and Sensors in the Americas. Starting his career as a mixed-signal IC designer, he has promoted ST’s complete IoT ecosystem to help developers succeed in Smart Industry, Smart City, Smart Home and Smart Things and to ensure that ST offers the latest Cloud, Connectivity, and Sensor Fusion building blocks for these markets. Manuel has also covered key roles developing and promoting ST products for data centers. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Universita’ di Pisa, Italy.
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave Landreth
VP of Customer Strategy, Augmentir

Dave Landreth, Augmentir’s VP of Customer Strategy, has over 25 years of experience building and leading go to market teams, primarily focusing on early-stage technologies that bring new and differentiated analytics-driven solutions to market. Since attaining his MBA from Kellogg, Dave has worked in various leadership roles where he has successfully built and fostered teams and businesses that have serviced some of the largest industrial clients.
Steve Mathers
Global Innovation Partner, Verizon

Meet Steve the agronomist morphed to innovationist! I grew up on a farm and have been blessed to leverage my agricultural background and BS degree in soil science to selling retail shelf optimization software, to managing software consulting teams, to VP Marketing, to co-creating business value with manufacturers utilizing secure cellular connectivity of IOT devices, sensors and workers that align accelerate their strategic transformational roadmaps.
Ravi Subramaniam
Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) , IEEE

Ravi Subramaniam is currently serving in the role of Director, IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP). In this role Ravi advises and consults for numerous working groups on post standards implementation which encompasses test plan, certification program development and interoperability. Currently he is focused on developing programs in interconnection of distributed energy resources (IEEE 1547), Digital Resiliency and security, EV charging, Autonomous Vehicles, Blockchain and sensors/IoT technologies. He has helped form and support various IEEE certification programs and holds leadership roles within numerous committees, including the IEEE Sensors Council Industry Committee.
Prior to taking on this role, Ravi has served in various technology management roles across the globe. He has previously worked for MET Eurofins, Honeywell and Ericsson. Ravi studied Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University and has an executive MBA from Rutgers University.
11:40 am to 12:10 pm CDT
1-2-1 Meetings & Networking
Analyst Group Discussion
Digital Twins, Digital Maturity, Digital Automation: What Manufacturing Leaders Need to Know
- This interactive session will dissect major changes in the $250 billion industrial automation market
- Highlight the winning use cases for digital twins plus a framework for the different types
- Provide a measuring stick for digital maturity, plus a new way to think about manufacturing optimization
Ryan Martin
Research Director, ABI Research

Ryan Martin is a Research Director at ABI Research covering new and emerging transformative technologies, including Industry 4.0, Digital Transformation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He currently leads the firm’s Manufacturing, Industrial, and Enterprise IoT research.
Prior to joining ABI Research, Ryan spent the past several years working at technology market research firms, including Yankee Group and, most recently, 451 Research. Before his time as a market research analyst, Ryan served as a consultant at Mobile Future Institute, a U.S.-based think tank focused on business strategies and marketing tactics for the mobile ecosystem. Additionally, he held advisory, consultative, and managerial positions at a number of early- to late-stage startups.
Ryan is frequently quoted and published in a variety of industry and business media, including BBC, CIO, LA Times, and Forbes. He is also a regular speaker at client and industry events, and a judge for major awards programs such as the CES Innovation Awards and the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards.
Ryan holds degrees in economics and political science, with an additional concentration in global studies, from the University of Vermont and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.
Follow Ryan on twitter
12:10 pm to 12:30 pm CDT
The New Value Paradigm: Why contextual Analytics is a necessary criteria for EaaS
External marketplace pressures and ever-increasing demands for business agility have transformed manufacturing and, more specifically, have accelerated the requirements for real time visibility in Manufacturing operations. In this session, we discover why a contextual analytics framework is required to keep pace and meet the tailored demands of the emerging anything-as-a-service (XaaS) model, and — more importantly — how the just in time operational decisions it enables can result in greater operational outcomes.
Vats Vana
Vice President, Products & Strategy – IoT, KX

Vats Vana is Vice President of Product & Strategy for IoT at KX. Here he helps manufacturing and automotive clients leverage the power of streaming and real-time distributed analytics architectures to drive better business and financial outcomes.
Vats brings over 25 years of experience across a diverse set of engagements within the manufacturing, energy, CPG, telecom and transportation industries. Well versed in edge and cloud platforms, Vats steered technology strategy, digital transformation, IoT solution consulting and implementation in Fortune 100 clients, leveraging his skills in IIOT, process control, AI and ML for edge systems. He has also worked extensively with technology providers such as BF Goodrich, Dow Chemicals, Dupont and Setpoint in implementing advanced process control strategies in refineries and petrochemical facilities to drive plant efficiencies and optimizations.
Vats holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) from Penn Engineering, also at the University of Pennsylvania.
12:30 pm to 1:20 pm CDT
Lunch Break
1:20 pm to 2:20 pm CDT
Track 1: Manufacturing Innovation - moderated by Christine Frank
Aircraft Systems Prognostics and Health Monitoring (PHM)
- Background and progress of aircraft PHM
- Benefits of aircraft systems PHM
- Connected aircraft systems & data acquisition hardware
- PHM digital data backbone
- Digital factory and other data aiding PHM
- Aircraft PHM successful use-cases and results
Magdi A. Essawy, Ph.D.
Technical Program Manager, Collins Aerospace

Dr. Magdi Essawy completed B.S., and M.S. in EE and Control Systems, 1984, and 1990, and his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Signal Processing, at University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1995. He held postdoctoral and adjunct faculty positions at UT, MTSU, and TSU, 1995 to 1999, teaching ECE courses and leading R&D in application of neural networks to PHM and chaotic systems control. He was Assistant Professor of ECE at GSU 1999-2002. He held leadership positions at Ingersoll Rand, General Dynamics, Honeywell, and Collins Aerospace. Magdi is currently leading advanced technology programs as Assoc. Director and Technical Program Manager at Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp. He has a history of successful R&D in signal processing, neural networks, fuzzy logic, machine learning, acoustic sensing, LIDAR, and control systems, and applications in ATR, Prognostics and Health Monitoring (PHM), Sensor Networks, GPS Aircraft Landing, Optical Ice Detection, Aircraft Systems, and Nuclear Safety. He was PI and technical manager on major programs such as Massively Deployable Unattended Ground Sensors (MDUGS), Ground-Based Regional Augmentation (GRAS), Optical Ice Detection, and Aircraft PHM. Dr. Essawy has more than forty publications and technical presentations, and numerous patents in various technologies.
The Connected Supply Chain - Moving Beyond Visibility
A critical part of connected manufacturing is having a connected supply chain. A connected, end-to-end supply chain should provide visibility across a manufacturing enterprise and all of its trading partners. But visibility alone stops short of transforming an organization’s supply chain into a competitive advantage. Join this session to learn more about how a connected supply chain:
- Enables smarter and more responsive business decisions.
- Transform the organization from a supply to demand-driven business.
- Improve efficiency, increase business agility and reduce costs.
- Enable greater supplier performance at all levels including sustainability performance
Gary Cassell
Industry Lead, Manufacturing & Automotive , Appian
Gary is an experienced manufacturing and supply chain executive with more than 23 years leading and managing operations and supply chain functions. Gary has held leadership positions in plant operations, EMEA and North America aftermarket businesses and corporate supply chain where he drove large scale digital transformations with focus on strategy development, performance metrics, data-driven process improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and global initiatives in supply chain & logistics. Gary joined Appian in January of this year and holds a MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Global Governance: One of the Success Factors when Implementing Industry 4.0 in Multiple Sites
- What global governance means
- How to create global governance model
- Sustaining global governance without inhibiting site or regional creativity
Alexandre Georgetti
Global Director - i4.0 & CI, Vehicle Group / eMobility, Eaton

Alexandre Georgetti (Georgetti), Global Director – i4.0 & CI, Vehicle Group / eMobility. Responsible for defining and implementing global strategy and driving organization transformation on having both Industry 4.0 & Continuous Improvement working together towards increased Operational Excellence Performance. Approximately 24 yrs working experience within Eaton Corporation split between US and Brazil. Last 10 yrs in global roles with direct interface with Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific working on cross functional matrix and regional P&L organizations.
Previous responsibilities included VG Global Manufacturing Strategy, VG Global Industry 4.0 strategy. Management positions in Brazil included S. America Supply Chain Global Sourcing Manager. Campus Mfg. Engineering Manager, Site Operations and Logistics Manager, BU Lean Coordinator, BU Shop Floor Supervisor. Georgetti holds an MBA from Ohio University, a master ‘s degree on Lean Manufacturing from Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP – Brazil) and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP – Brazil).
Track 2: Manufacturing Digitalization - moderated by Jake Hall
Smart Home Connectivity Challenges
- A user side experience on heavy connected environments.
- Where are we heading in terms of complexity?
- Building a seamless integration & user experience.
Neomar Giacomini
Senior Engineering Manager – Electronics Hardware Development , Whirlpool

Neomar is an accomplished inventor, developer and technology aficionado who has been in Electronics for more than 20 years developing hardware, firmware, sensors and user interfaces. Neomar has filed more than 40 patents and in his current position, he has been leading a team focused on Sensors and Electromechanical Actuators for more than 3 years. The work performed has actualized into component deployment on a global scale and across multiple home appliance platforms. In the Technology space, Neomar has faced numerous challenges head on while working to apply and debug Sensor based systems. Through this work he has gained the understanding of the complexity and key points associated with the technology on a very elevated scale. From an educational perspective, Neomar holds an Executive MBA, a Masters in Electronics and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
Next Wave of high-volume Intelligent Sensors for Digitalization in IoT and Industrial Applications
- The deployment of sensors is transforming every facet of effective manufacturing and they are critical to collect data for the analysis of many components of manufacturing.
- Intelligent sensors combined with innovative software solutions are being developed as part of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. These comprehensive solutions process and analyze the collected sensor data to convert them into information that is used to assess and diagnose the health condition of manufacturing and to take the appropriate steps to prevent potential safety issues and future downtimes.
- This presentation will address the fundamental role the latest intelligent sensors play in digitalization of state-of-the-art manufacturing and provide checklists for selecting the right sensors for various industrial applications.
Jay Esfandyari, Ph.D.
Sr. MEMS Product Marketing Manager, Americas Region, STMicroelectronics

Jay Esfandyari is a Sr. Product Marketing Manager at STMicroelectronics’ Americas Region, with focus on the industrial market in the Americas Region.
Jay Esfandyari has more than 20 years of industry experience in Semiconductor Technology, Integrated Circuits Fabrication Processes, MEMS development and fabrication, sensors, and strategic MEMS market and business development.
Jay has authored and co-authored several papers on solid state physics and MEMS technology and sensors. He has also contributed to many conferences with topics on MEMS sensors.
Jay Esfandyari holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Technology in Vienna, Austria.
The Age of Heavy Connected Machines
- With onboard computers, sensors and cameras, more than one million assets are transmitting data to Caterpillar, which can enable advanced IoT analytics at scale
- Unplanned downtime is not an option for our customers, so Caterpillar is working to not only detect failures but also to predict them before they even happen
- Powered by data, Caterpillar’s IoT analytics can provide customers value at a lower cost of ownership, increased productivity, safety, and reduced maintenance costs
Dr Andrei Khurshudov
Director, Advanced IoT Analytics, CAT Digital (Caterpillar)

Dr Andrei Khurshudov specializes in Big Data Analytics, the Industrial Internet of Things, cloud storage and computing, in-memory computing, and data storage technology. Andrei is a Director of IoT Analytics at CAT Digital, the digital technology arm of Caterpillar. Andrei’s organization focuses on data analysis and predictive modelling for a million connected machines and devices.
Andrei has spent over ten years at Seagate Technology, serving as a Chief Technologist and managed various R&D organizations in such areas as Big Data Analytics, cloud storage, cloud computing, quality and reliability, and others. In the recent past, Andrei served as a Chief Data Officer at Formulus Black, a New Jersey start-up developing software for in-memory computing, and a CTO and Chief Data Officer at Alchemy IoT, a Boulder-area start-up creating cloud-based analytics solutions for the Internet of Things. Andrei has a Ph.D. in Engineering and worked at IBM, Hitachi Global Storage, and Samsung. Andrei has numerous publications, patents, conference presentations, and a book.
2:20 pm to 2:40 pm CDT
Industrial DataOps: Four practical use cases to fuel your Digital Manufacturing initiatives
- What Industrial DataOps is and the problems it solves
- Why merging machine, transaction, and time series data is critical for Digital Manufacturing initiatives
- Common use cases and data architectures for Industrial DataOp
John Harrington
Chief Product Officer, HighByte

John Harrington is the Chief Product Officer of HighByte, focused on product management, customer and partner success, and company strategy. His areas of responsibility include market research, customer use cases, product priorities, go-to-market, and financial planning.
John is passionate about delivering technology that improves productivity and safety in manufacturing and industrial environments. He has spent his 25-year career both delivering software to manufacturers and working for manufacturers in operations roles. This experience has given him a unique perspective on how suppliers and end users each play an integral role in implementing new technology solutions.
John has a Master of Business Administration from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
2:40 pm to 3:20 pm CDT
Panel Session: Women in the Manufacturing Industry – Challenges, Achievements and Future Trends
Joelle Gratkowski
Director of Digital Product, Stanley Black and Decker

Joelle Gratkowski is a Business Development Manager at Stanley Black and Decker, concentrating on operations innovation within manufacturing, specifically additive manufacturing. Joelle began her career in manufacturing, learning the ins and outs of how a facility operates, as a Manufacturing Engineer at Tiffany & Co. She later specialized in additive manufacturing, focusing on how enterprise companies can benefit from leveraging evolving technology. Joelle received her B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Rhode Island and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Meaghan Ziemba
Host, Mavens of Manufacturing

Meaghan Ziemba is a brand storyteller and marketer for manufacturers with a B.A. and M.A. in Professional and Technical Writing. She has been writing for manufacturing since 2008 and hosts a live video broadcast series called Mavens of Manufacturing. The series focuses on women in the sector and its mission is to attract younger generations to join manufacturing or engineering career pathways to help close the skills and gender gaps. Meaghan has appeared on several podcasts discussing the importance of diversifying manufacturing and providing tips for manufacturers on how to be more proactive when recruiting the next generation workforce. She is a proud wife and mother of three. She enjoys cooking, CrossFit, and a great cup of coffee.
Sherry Williamson
Vice President of Global Quality & Food Safety , Kellogg Company

Sherry Williamson is the VP of Global Food Safety and Quality that oversees end to end Food Safety and Quality. This includes Sanitation, Quality Management Systems, Auditing, Supplier Quality Management, Supplier Certification, Premiums, Packaging Quality, Compliance to Design, Process Optimization, Regulatory and Co-manufacturer Quality and Food Safety for the Kellogg Company. Sherry has over 20 years in the industry and joined Kellogg’s in 2012 as part of the Pringles acquisition from P&G. She has had numerous Supply Chain roles in the company ranging from Operations to Quality. Sherry was promoted to Vice President of Global Quality Food Safety and Regulatory in January of 2020. Sherry is on the SSAFE board of directors and is affiliated with a number of other Industry associations such as the STOP Foodborne Illness as an alliance member. She also Co-chairs the national chapter of KAARG (Kellogg African American Resource Group). Sherry holds a B.S. and MBA in Business Management from Stayer University and a member of the Golden Key International National Honors Society.
Dr. Melissa Orme
Vice President, Boeing Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Test & Technology , The Boeing Company

Dr. Melissa Orme is the vice president of Boeing Additive Manufacturing for The Boeing Company, and is responsible for continuing to grow and scale additive manufacturing capabilities and helping to rapidly expand understanding of the unique features that 3D printing can bring to Boeing factories and production lines. Orme’s organization is also driving application scalability for existing products, and maturing technology for future franchise platforms across Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Boeing Global Services. Prior to joining Boeing, Orme led the Additive Manufacturing activities in the capacity of chief technology officer at MORF3D, a supplier of AM components to the aerospace and defense industry. Over the span of her career, Orme held senior leadership roles at start-up technology companies, including chief scientist and head of clinical research. Orme’s career began in academia, where she rose to the rank of tenured, Full Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where her research program on Additive Manufacturing drew international recognition. An early pioneer of additive manufacturing, Orme’s work has resulted in 15 U.S. patents. Her research and technology developments have received international recognition and numerous awards. As an author and technical advisor, she serves on several advisory and professional committees for additive manufacturing and aerospace. Orme has doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.
Joelle Gratkowski
Director of Digital Product, Stanley Black and Decker

Joelle Gratkowski is a Business Development Manager at Stanley Black and Decker, concentrating on operations innovation within manufacturing, specifically additive manufacturing. Joelle began her career in manufacturing, learning the ins and outs of how a facility operates, as a Manufacturing Engineer at Tiffany & Co. She later specialized in additive manufacturing, focusing on how enterprise companies can benefit from leveraging evolving technology. Joelle received her B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Rhode Island and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Meaghan Ziemba
Host, Mavens of Manufacturing

Meaghan Ziemba is a brand storyteller and marketer for manufacturers with a B.A. and M.A. in Professional and Technical Writing. She has been writing for manufacturing since 2008 and hosts a live video broadcast series called Mavens of Manufacturing. The series focuses on women in the sector and its mission is to attract younger generations to join manufacturing or engineering career pathways to help close the skills and gender gaps. Meaghan has appeared on several podcasts discussing the importance of diversifying manufacturing and providing tips for manufacturers on how to be more proactive when recruiting the next generation workforce. She is a proud wife and mother of three. She enjoys cooking, CrossFit, and a great cup of coffee.
Sherry Williamson
Vice President of Global Quality & Food Safety , Kellogg Company

Sherry Williamson is the VP of Global Food Safety and Quality that oversees end to end Food Safety and Quality. This includes Sanitation, Quality Management Systems, Auditing, Supplier Quality Management, Supplier Certification, Premiums, Packaging Quality, Compliance to Design, Process Optimization, Regulatory and Co-manufacturer Quality and Food Safety for the Kellogg Company. Sherry has over 20 years in the industry and joined Kellogg’s in 2012 as part of the Pringles acquisition from P&G. She has had numerous Supply Chain roles in the company ranging from Operations to Quality. Sherry was promoted to Vice President of Global Quality Food Safety and Regulatory in January of 2020. Sherry is on the SSAFE board of directors and is affiliated with a number of other Industry associations such as the STOP Foodborne Illness as an alliance member. She also Co-chairs the national chapter of KAARG (Kellogg African American Resource Group). Sherry holds a B.S. and MBA in Business Management from Stayer University and a member of the Golden Key International National Honors Society.
Dr. Melissa Orme
Vice President, Boeing Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Test & Technology , The Boeing Company

Dr. Melissa Orme is the vice president of Boeing Additive Manufacturing for The Boeing Company, and is responsible for continuing to grow and scale additive manufacturing capabilities and helping to rapidly expand understanding of the unique features that 3D printing can bring to Boeing factories and production lines. Orme’s organization is also driving application scalability for existing products, and maturing technology for future franchise platforms across Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Boeing Global Services. Prior to joining Boeing, Orme led the Additive Manufacturing activities in the capacity of chief technology officer at MORF3D, a supplier of AM components to the aerospace and defense industry. Over the span of her career, Orme held senior leadership roles at start-up technology companies, including chief scientist and head of clinical research. Orme’s career began in academia, where she rose to the rank of tenured, Full Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where her research program on Additive Manufacturing drew international recognition. An early pioneer of additive manufacturing, Orme’s work has resulted in 15 U.S. patents. Her research and technology developments have received international recognition and numerous awards. As an author and technical advisor, she serves on several advisory and professional committees for additive manufacturing and aerospace. Orme has doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.
Joelle Gratkowski
Director of Digital Product, Stanley Black and Decker

Joelle Gratkowski is a Business Development Manager at Stanley Black and Decker, concentrating on operations innovation within manufacturing, specifically additive manufacturing. Joelle began her career in manufacturing, learning the ins and outs of how a facility operates, as a Manufacturing Engineer at Tiffany & Co. She later specialized in additive manufacturing, focusing on how enterprise companies can benefit from leveraging evolving technology. Joelle received her B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Rhode Island and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Meaghan Ziemba
Host, Mavens of Manufacturing

Meaghan Ziemba is a brand storyteller and marketer for manufacturers with a B.A. and M.A. in Professional and Technical Writing. She has been writing for manufacturing since 2008 and hosts a live video broadcast series called Mavens of Manufacturing. The series focuses on women in the sector and its mission is to attract younger generations to join manufacturing or engineering career pathways to help close the skills and gender gaps. Meaghan has appeared on several podcasts discussing the importance of diversifying manufacturing and providing tips for manufacturers on how to be more proactive when recruiting the next generation workforce. She is a proud wife and mother of three. She enjoys cooking, CrossFit, and a great cup of coffee.
Sherry Williamson
Vice President of Global Quality & Food Safety , Kellogg Company

Sherry Williamson is the VP of Global Food Safety and Quality that oversees end to end Food Safety and Quality. This includes Sanitation, Quality Management Systems, Auditing, Supplier Quality Management, Supplier Certification, Premiums, Packaging Quality, Compliance to Design, Process Optimization, Regulatory and Co-manufacturer Quality and Food Safety for the Kellogg Company. Sherry has over 20 years in the industry and joined Kellogg’s in 2012 as part of the Pringles acquisition from P&G. She has had numerous Supply Chain roles in the company ranging from Operations to Quality. Sherry was promoted to Vice President of Global Quality Food Safety and Regulatory in January of 2020. Sherry is on the SSAFE board of directors and is affiliated with a number of other Industry associations such as the STOP Foodborne Illness as an alliance member. She also Co-chairs the national chapter of KAARG (Kellogg African American Resource Group). Sherry holds a B.S. and MBA in Business Management from Stayer University and a member of the Golden Key International National Honors Society.
Dr. Melissa Orme
Vice President, Boeing Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Test & Technology , The Boeing Company

Dr. Melissa Orme is the vice president of Boeing Additive Manufacturing for The Boeing Company, and is responsible for continuing to grow and scale additive manufacturing capabilities and helping to rapidly expand understanding of the unique features that 3D printing can bring to Boeing factories and production lines. Orme’s organization is also driving application scalability for existing products, and maturing technology for future franchise platforms across Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Boeing Global Services. Prior to joining Boeing, Orme led the Additive Manufacturing activities in the capacity of chief technology officer at MORF3D, a supplier of AM components to the aerospace and defense industry. Over the span of her career, Orme held senior leadership roles at start-up technology companies, including chief scientist and head of clinical research. Orme’s career began in academia, where she rose to the rank of tenured, Full Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where her research program on Additive Manufacturing drew international recognition. An early pioneer of additive manufacturing, Orme’s work has resulted in 15 U.S. patents. Her research and technology developments have received international recognition and numerous awards. As an author and technical advisor, she serves on several advisory and professional committees for additive manufacturing and aerospace. Orme has doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.
Joelle Gratkowski
Director of Digital Product, Stanley Black and Decker

Joelle Gratkowski is a Business Development Manager at Stanley Black and Decker, concentrating on operations innovation within manufacturing, specifically additive manufacturing. Joelle began her career in manufacturing, learning the ins and outs of how a facility operates, as a Manufacturing Engineer at Tiffany & Co. She later specialized in additive manufacturing, focusing on how enterprise companies can benefit from leveraging evolving technology. Joelle received her B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Rhode Island and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Meaghan Ziemba
Host, Mavens of Manufacturing

Meaghan Ziemba is a brand storyteller and marketer for manufacturers with a B.A. and M.A. in Professional and Technical Writing. She has been writing for manufacturing since 2008 and hosts a live video broadcast series called Mavens of Manufacturing. The series focuses on women in the sector and its mission is to attract younger generations to join manufacturing or engineering career pathways to help close the skills and gender gaps. Meaghan has appeared on several podcasts discussing the importance of diversifying manufacturing and providing tips for manufacturers on how to be more proactive when recruiting the next generation workforce. She is a proud wife and mother of three. She enjoys cooking, CrossFit, and a great cup of coffee.
Sherry Williamson
Vice President of Global Quality & Food Safety , Kellogg Company

Sherry Williamson is the VP of Global Food Safety and Quality that oversees end to end Food Safety and Quality. This includes Sanitation, Quality Management Systems, Auditing, Supplier Quality Management, Supplier Certification, Premiums, Packaging Quality, Compliance to Design, Process Optimization, Regulatory and Co-manufacturer Quality and Food Safety for the Kellogg Company. Sherry has over 20 years in the industry and joined Kellogg’s in 2012 as part of the Pringles acquisition from P&G. She has had numerous Supply Chain roles in the company ranging from Operations to Quality. Sherry was promoted to Vice President of Global Quality Food Safety and Regulatory in January of 2020. Sherry is on the SSAFE board of directors and is affiliated with a number of other Industry associations such as the STOP Foodborne Illness as an alliance member. She also Co-chairs the national chapter of KAARG (Kellogg African American Resource Group). Sherry holds a B.S. and MBA in Business Management from Stayer University and a member of the Golden Key International National Honors Society.
Dr. Melissa Orme
Vice President, Boeing Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Test & Technology , The Boeing Company

Dr. Melissa Orme is the vice president of Boeing Additive Manufacturing for The Boeing Company, and is responsible for continuing to grow and scale additive manufacturing capabilities and helping to rapidly expand understanding of the unique features that 3D printing can bring to Boeing factories and production lines. Orme’s organization is also driving application scalability for existing products, and maturing technology for future franchise platforms across Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Boeing Global Services. Prior to joining Boeing, Orme led the Additive Manufacturing activities in the capacity of chief technology officer at MORF3D, a supplier of AM components to the aerospace and defense industry. Over the span of her career, Orme held senior leadership roles at start-up technology companies, including chief scientist and head of clinical research. Orme’s career began in academia, where she rose to the rank of tenured, Full Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where her research program on Additive Manufacturing drew international recognition. An early pioneer of additive manufacturing, Orme’s work has resulted in 15 U.S. patents. Her research and technology developments have received international recognition and numerous awards. As an author and technical advisor, she serves on several advisory and professional committees for additive manufacturing and aerospace. Orme has doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.
3:20 pm to 3:50 pm CDT
Afternoon Coffee Break & 1-2-1 Meetings
3:50 pm to 4:10 pm CDT
Spec to Life- Digitalizing High Volume ETO Products
Not all sites are greenfield, not all products are standard, not all custom products have long lead times. How do you digitalize a high volume, engineered to order, complex wiring product
- Modularity in engineering and production
- Making Design For Manufacturing (DFM) a standard
- Leveraging tribal knowledge to optimize software
- Creating closed loop systems
Sidra Maryam
Manufacturing Systems Manager, Siemens

Sidra Maryam is a Manufacturing Systems Manager at Siemens. She is responsible for all digitalization initiatives for her product line, directly involved in all steps from requirement specification to solution implementation and change management. She has a passion for using technology and data to improve business and production processes. Sidra has held several roles in operations and has been with Siemens since graduating from Penn State University in Industrial Engineering about 9 years ago.
4:10 pm to 5:20 pm CDT
Track 1: Manufacturing Innovation - moderated by Christine Frank
Making Digital Manufacturing a reality through Global IEEE Standards
- IEEE Standards Association through its work on Smart Manufacturing, Robotics, Sensors and Industrial AI automation are developing market relevant standards which address some of the critical needs of next generation digital manufacturing.
- This talk will provide an overview of the work happening in IEEE and highlight how industries and experts can contribute to the development of these key standardisation initiatives.
- Overview of the IEEE Conformity Assessment program to drive adoption of standards into the marketplace
Srikanth Chandrasekaran
Senior Director, IEEE / Foundational Technologies Practice Lead, IEEE-SA, IEEE

Sri has been associated with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) and the IEEE India office for the past 8 years as a Sr Director, with a global focus on Foundational Technologies practice. In this role, Sri is focused on identifying and growing standardization programs in IoT/Smart Cities, Sensors, Blockchain and AR/VR focused around developing end-to-end trustworthy systems. Sri also heads the standardization activities for IEEE SA for the Asia Pacific region.
Prior to joining IEEE, Sri was associated with Freescale Semiconductor Inc. (formerly Motorola Inc.) for 18 years, managing a global Electronic Design Automation R&D team focused on modeling of mixed signal designs and Electro-magnetic compliance for Freescale products.
Sri received the Accellera Technical Excellence Award in 2009 for his leadership and contributions to design automation standardisation activities. Sri holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Madras University, India and a Post Graduation degree in Electrical Communication from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Digitalizing and Centralizing Sustainability Efforts
- How to ensure success
- Business case justification
- Tech advantages
- Web base app base
Ignacio Munoz
Operations Excellence/Quality Leader, Cummins Inc.

I am currently working as Operations Excellence/Quality Leader at Cummins Inc., leading projects for the North America Distribution manufacturing rebuild centres. I am passionate and driven to apply the continuous improvement methodologies to increase productivity and quality on manufacturing . For the past 10 years, I have been applying lean manufacturing-six sigma methodologies, leading the operations core principles, Value Stream Transformations and complex quality problem solving.
I am a critical thinker with a knack for creative problem solving and I thrive working in an environment with new technology and helping to define the product. I enjoy working with a motivated team to develop solutions that make a difference. I am well known as a mentor, someone who is keen to share my experience, make connections and help others succeed. The majority of my time with Cummins has been at the Components and Distribution businesses, but I have also spent significant time on-site with customers-suppliers, supporting efforts worldwide. I thrive in highly collaborative environments. I have experience leading multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
I hold an engineering degree from the University of Texas, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Proudly former AIESEC’er, SHPE and Tau Beta Pie honor societies leader.
1-2-1 Meetings & Networking
Track 2: Manufacturing Digitalization - moderated by Jake Hall
The Future Manufacturing Workforce: It's time to rethink how we train, guide, and support our workers
- Learn best practices for leveraging real-time workforce intelligence to provide insights into workforce training, guidance and support needs
- Hear how leading manufacturers are using digital tools to allow their workforce to work autonomously for tasks like routine maintenance and quality checks
- Discover how AI-based, data-driven performance support can intelligently closes skills gaps at the moment of need and improve safety, quality, and productivity
Chris Kuntz
Vice President of Strategic Operations , Augmentir

Chris is the VP of Strategic Operations at Augmentir, where he oversees the planning and execution of the company’s go-to-market strategy. Chris has over 20 years of experience in high tech solution delivery, marketing, business development, and consulting in the industrial software sector. Prior to Augmentir, Chris was the VP of Marketing at ThingWorx, the leading Industrial IoT (IIoT) platform company (acquired by PTC), where he managed the IoT marketing activities and partner programs. Previously, Chris held executive positions in marketing and business development at multiple successful software companies. Chris has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science from Binghamton University.
Secure Digital Transformation in Action for US Manufacturing
- This presentation will highlight work MxD does with its members to advance digital manufacturing technologies such as digital twins, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality.
- It will also highlight future work and how they are leveraging emerging technologies like 5G to secure the future of US manufacturing.
- Finally, as the National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing this presentation will highlight the importance of wrapping security within the technologies being developed.
Dr Federico Sciammarella
President and CTO, MxD

Federico Sciammarella, President, and CTO for MxD. Responsible for portfolio management and leads academic engagement that launched a program targeted for emerging technologies connecting academics to industry with the goal of bringing up early-stage technology through to later stages of technology readiness. He supports the operational execution of MxD Cyber as the national center for cybersecurity in manufacturing to ensure its continued growth and impact within the American supply chain.
Prior to joining the institute, he served as the Interim Chair for Mechanical Engineering Department at Northern Illinois University’s College of Engineering & Engineering Technology. He was the Director of the Advanced Research of Materials and Manufacturing (ARMM) Laboratory, with a focus on Additive Manufacturing. Served as the PI of a $2.4 Million NIST Measurement Science in Additive Manufacturing award entitled “Development and Validation of Physics-Based Additive Manufacturing Models for Process Control and Quality Assurance” and served as a Co-PI on an MxD subcontract, “Rapid Process Certification and Verification for High Value-Added and Low-Volume Production”. The team developed a solid foundation for processing control and modeling in metal 3D printing which is critical for the future success of the technology.
Analyst Group Discussion
Accelerated Transformation: Technology Transforms Operations, Business Models, and the Service Experience
- Key Trends Impacting Manufacturers’ Decisions for Technology Investments
- Which Tools Are Driving Accelerated Transformation, New Business Models, and Customer Value
- Pitfalls to Avoid Failed Projects and Delayed Innovation
- Recommendations to Turn Digital Tools into New Products and Service Opportunities
Aly Pinder Jr
Program Director - Service Innovation & Connected Products , IDC

As Program Director, Service Innovation & Connected Products, Aly Pinder Jr leads IDC research and analysis of the service and customer support market for the manufacturer, which includes topics such as field service, warranty operations, service parts management, and how these service areas impact the overall customer experience. Mr. Pinder Jr. is also responsible for research which aids manufacturers as they evaluate innovative technologies like 3D printing for service operations, augmented and virtual reality in field support, and the use of IoT and advanced analytics for remotely monitoring and managing assets. Mr. Pinder Jr. establishes a roadmap for the manufacturer to better understand how technology can transform service and support functions to drive exceptional customer experiences and customer value, profitable revenue growth, and improved efficiency in the field.
Previously, Aly has been an analyst researching the service and customer support market for ten years at The Service Council and the Aberdeen Group. He has established himself as a thought leader for the trends and best practices impacting manufacturers regarding field service, service parts management, and the Internet of Things.
EDUCATION/INDUSTRY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- M.B.A in Supply Chain Management from The D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University
- B.S. in Business Administration from Pepperdine University
- Frequent speaker, presenter, and moderator at industry conferences and end user events.
5:20 pm to 6:00 pm CDT
Panel Session: People, Skills and Diversity of Talent: Opportunities and Challenges
Kara Pellegrino
Senior Manager, Data Innovation, Data + Analytics, Strategy + Transformation, PepsiCo

Kara Pellegrino is a senior manager in Data + Analytics at PepsiCo, leading the Trade Data Innovation space, as well as the AI and ML innovation for data incorporation. Kara’s been at PepsiCo for four years working Insights & Analytics and Operations Transformation. Prior to PepsiCo they worked at Heineken and Terex in Revenue Management and Tax Technology. Kara earned their MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business, and their BA from Kenyon College.
Neomar Giacomini
Senior Engineering Manager – Electronics Hardware Development , Whirlpool

Neomar is an accomplished inventor, developer and technology aficionado who has been in Electronics for more than 20 years developing hardware, firmware, sensors and user interfaces. Neomar has filed more than 40 patents and in his current position, he has been leading a team focused on Sensors and Electromechanical Actuators for more than 3 years. The work performed has actualized into component deployment on a global scale and across multiple home appliance platforms. In the Technology space, Neomar has faced numerous challenges head on while working to apply and debug Sensor based systems. Through this work he has gained the understanding of the complexity and key points associated with the technology on a very elevated scale. From an educational perspective, Neomar holds an Executive MBA, a Masters in Electronics and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
Carlos Paredes
Operations Technology Manager, Amcor

Industry 4.0 Professional with an MSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering and 7+ years of experience in driving Digital Transformation for various manufacturing sectors. Adept in driving Operational Excellence using Automation and digital technologies, with clearly articulated and quantifiable business benefits. Can execute cost-effective solutions for Smart Factories leveraging Industry 4.0 and IIoT principles. Agile mindset, and highly motivated to transform the Manufacturing business by embracing disruptive technologies, creating new business models and accelerating digital adoption.
Before joining Amcor in 2016, I specialized in Industrial Automation systems, gaining extensive experience in SCADA/MES and PLC programming on different platforms, with a specialized focus on Wonderware and Schneider Electric products
Kara Pellegrino
Senior Manager, Data Innovation, Data + Analytics, Strategy + Transformation, PepsiCo

Kara Pellegrino is a senior manager in Data + Analytics at PepsiCo, leading the Trade Data Innovation space, as well as the AI and ML innovation for data incorporation. Kara’s been at PepsiCo for four years working Insights & Analytics and Operations Transformation. Prior to PepsiCo they worked at Heineken and Terex in Revenue Management and Tax Technology. Kara earned their MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business, and their BA from Kenyon College.
Neomar Giacomini
Senior Engineering Manager – Electronics Hardware Development , Whirlpool

Neomar is an accomplished inventor, developer and technology aficionado who has been in Electronics for more than 20 years developing hardware, firmware, sensors and user interfaces. Neomar has filed more than 40 patents and in his current position, he has been leading a team focused on Sensors and Electromechanical Actuators for more than 3 years. The work performed has actualized into component deployment on a global scale and across multiple home appliance platforms. In the Technology space, Neomar has faced numerous challenges head on while working to apply and debug Sensor based systems. Through this work he has gained the understanding of the complexity and key points associated with the technology on a very elevated scale. From an educational perspective, Neomar holds an Executive MBA, a Masters in Electronics and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
Carlos Paredes
Operations Technology Manager, Amcor

Industry 4.0 Professional with an MSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering and 7+ years of experience in driving Digital Transformation for various manufacturing sectors. Adept in driving Operational Excellence using Automation and digital technologies, with clearly articulated and quantifiable business benefits. Can execute cost-effective solutions for Smart Factories leveraging Industry 4.0 and IIoT principles. Agile mindset, and highly motivated to transform the Manufacturing business by embracing disruptive technologies, creating new business models and accelerating digital adoption.
Before joining Amcor in 2016, I specialized in Industrial Automation systems, gaining extensive experience in SCADA/MES and PLC programming on different platforms, with a specialized focus on Wonderware and Schneider Electric products
Kara Pellegrino
Senior Manager, Data Innovation, Data + Analytics, Strategy + Transformation, PepsiCo

Kara Pellegrino is a senior manager in Data + Analytics at PepsiCo, leading the Trade Data Innovation space, as well as the AI and ML innovation for data incorporation. Kara’s been at PepsiCo for four years working Insights & Analytics and Operations Transformation. Prior to PepsiCo they worked at Heineken and Terex in Revenue Management and Tax Technology. Kara earned their MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business, and their BA from Kenyon College.
Neomar Giacomini
Senior Engineering Manager – Electronics Hardware Development , Whirlpool

Neomar is an accomplished inventor, developer and technology aficionado who has been in Electronics for more than 20 years developing hardware, firmware, sensors and user interfaces. Neomar has filed more than 40 patents and in his current position, he has been leading a team focused on Sensors and Electromechanical Actuators for more than 3 years. The work performed has actualized into component deployment on a global scale and across multiple home appliance platforms. In the Technology space, Neomar has faced numerous challenges head on while working to apply and debug Sensor based systems. Through this work he has gained the understanding of the complexity and key points associated with the technology on a very elevated scale. From an educational perspective, Neomar holds an Executive MBA, a Masters in Electronics and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
Carlos Paredes
Operations Technology Manager, Amcor

Industry 4.0 Professional with an MSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering and 7+ years of experience in driving Digital Transformation for various manufacturing sectors. Adept in driving Operational Excellence using Automation and digital technologies, with clearly articulated and quantifiable business benefits. Can execute cost-effective solutions for Smart Factories leveraging Industry 4.0 and IIoT principles. Agile mindset, and highly motivated to transform the Manufacturing business by embracing disruptive technologies, creating new business models and accelerating digital adoption.
Before joining Amcor in 2016, I specialized in Industrial Automation systems, gaining extensive experience in SCADA/MES and PLC programming on different platforms, with a specialized focus on Wonderware and Schneider Electric products
6:00 pm to 6:05 pm CDT
Chair's Closing Remarks
Christine Frank
President and CEO, TCIC, Inc.

Advisor and Industry Leader SME on Industrial Automation and Enterprise Infrastructure – Bridging the Gap between IT and OT in IIoT, Smart Manufacturing, and Industry4.0
Christine brings more than 20+ years of experience in Industrial Automation, Process Control and Building Automation in Channel, Sales, Marketing, Product Management and Business Development globally for major companies such as: Siemens, Honeywell and SICK. For the past 11 years she has been focused on helping companies bridge IT and OT for proven results in IoT, IIoT and Industry 4.0. Her experience also includes control devices such as industrial Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s), SCADA, Industrial Communications, & Industrial Ethernet Networks, Machine & Process Safety, IoT Gateways, Software, and Industrial Wireless Solutions.
Christine Frank is the President and Owner of TCIC, Inc. (Technology Controls | Industrial Communications) in Minneapolis, MN. Before becoming an owner in 2020, she held the title of Global Director of IoT Channels for major IT companies such as, Progress, HPE, and DELL. She holds a BS in Industrial Technology from Metropolitan State University and a degree in Fluid Power from HTC, Eden Prairie, MN.