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Sean Osborne
Vice President - The ITB Group
Mr. Osborne leads vehicle efficiency, thermal and fluid management initiatives at The ITB Group. He has been developing and implementing strategic visions as a executive in several organizations for 25 years. Over the past 35 years he has accumulated extensive experience in automotive development, including experience working in Europe and China as well as the United States. Areas of his automotive specialization are vehicle efficiency, thermal and fluid management, fuel systems, and communications networks. Mr. Osborne holds Master’s degrees in Engineering and Management from MIT and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from General Motors Institute.
Adam Halsband
Managing Director - Forward Engineering North America
Mr. Halsband is Managing Director of Forward Engineering North America where he is focused on maximizing quality, performance, and cost for challenging automated manufacturing applications. He previously worked at the GM Tarrytown assembly plant involved with improving high volume multi-material vehicle manufacturing, which has been central to his roles throughout his career. Mr. Halsband holds a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from GMI Engineering and Management Institute, and a MBA from Webster University.
Dr. Vineet Rakesh
R&D Scientist - W.L. Gore
Dr. Rakesh works as an R&D Scientist at W.L. Gore & Associates, where he leads the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling efforts. He provides expertise to various Gore businesses including batteries, automotive, and clean energy. Prior to joining Gore, Dr. Rakesh worked as a Scientist at CFD Research Corporation and at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. He has published 30+ peer-reviewed journal articles, a book, and received 3 patents. Dr. Rakesh received his Bachelor’s degree from Indian Institute of Technology in 2003, as well as a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 2009.
Matt Norfolk
President - Fabrisonic
Mr. Norfolk is the President and CEO of Fabrisonic where he leads the company in the commercialization of Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) Technology. Mr. Norfolk has over 25 years of experience in manufacturing, R&D, and shop floor management. Prior to Fabrisonic, he was a Senior Project Manager at EWI, where he managed research and programs for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of Energy, as well as varied commercial customers. Mr. Norfolk holds a Bachelor’s degree in welding engineering from Ohio State University as well as an MBA from the University of Iowa.
Dr. Shaun Bruno
Lead Application Engineer - Henkel
Dr. Bruno is the Lead Application Engineer for Thermal/Battery at Henkel. With nearly six years of experience as a Core Technology Leader at a battery technology company, his expertise spans various aspects of energy storage. Dr. Bruno has led research efforts in BiPolar Lead Acid Batteries and hydrometallurgical recycling processes, focusing on innovative catalytic cycles using environmentally safe materials to produce pure raw materials for multiple battery chemistries. Dr. Bruno earned his Bachelor's and Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State University, where he focused on the synthesis and characterization of energy materials.
Cristina Uribe
Senior Technical Service Engineer - Bostik
Ms. Uribe currently serves as a Senior Technical Service Engineer for Durable Goods – Mobility at Bostik. Previously, she has worked as a Technical Development Professional in durable goods R&D, tech service, and as a product line specialist. Ms. Uribe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jesse Wenning
Technical Service Manager - Bostik
Mr. Wenning currently works as a Technical Service Manager, Structural Adhesives for Mobility at Bostik. Past roles include work in composites engineering. Mr. Wenning holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from The Ohio State University.
Dr. Matthew Parkinson
Head of Technical Development - BASF
Dr. Parkinson is the Head of Technical Development at BASF Performance Materials where he leads teams responsible for supporting customers with their engineering plastic and composite product development. Prior to joining BASF, Dr. Parkinson held various product design engineering positions at Toyota, Honda, and Chrysler with a focus on thermoplastic and thermoset component design. Dr. Parkinson received his Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering from the Rutgers University Energy Storage Group, his Master’s in Automotive Engineering from the University of Michigan, and his undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Dr. XY Li
Product Technology Lead for Mobility Interior and EV Packaging - Covestro
Dr. Li joined Covestro in 2004 and currently operates as a Product Technology Lead for Mobility in interior and EV packaging. Over the years he has held positions with increasing responsibilities ranging from product development to innovation management. Dr. Li is an inventor of 20 granted US patents and an author of peer reviewed papers. Dr. Li holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Macromolecular Science and Engineering.
Dr. Christian Kochanek
Business Development Manager - Evonik
Dr. Kochanek joined Evonik in 2016 as project manager focusing on polyamide based composite materials and worked recently as Manager Extrusion Technologies within the Application Technology division. Currently he operates as Business Development Manager for Automotive and Mobility. In this role he is working on innovative applications of long chain polyamides. Dr. Kochanek holds a diploma in mechanical engineering from Technical University Dresden and finished his doctorate in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University in 2016.
Greg Poterala
Global Marketing Manager - Syensqo
Mr. Poterala is an eMobility Marketing Manager with Syensqo’s Specialty Polymers Business. He lends marketing support to Syensqo’s commercial team on applications including elastomer sealing, transmissions/electric drive units, bearings, fuel, air, exhaust, and thermal management systems. Prior to joining Syensqo he worked in a variety of commercial roles with Arkema, Asahi Kasei Plastics, and Teknor Color. Mr. Poterala got his start in the polymers world as a summer Materials Lab associate at the Cadillac & BOC Group of GM while earning his Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Michigan.
Mike Pendleton
Technical Director of Battery - Element Materials Technology
Mr. Pendleton is Technical Director of Battery at Element Materials Technology, where he leads the safety implementation for battery, technical leadership and development of future testing capabilities and capacities. Previously, he worked at Element’s Warren Michigan lab, where he led the battery and electrical groups and grew the business to support various cell, module, and pack validation needs within automotive. Mr. Pendleton has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. His graduate research focused on materials testing and characterization for cryogenic hydrogen.
Bret Trimmer
Application Engineering Manager - NeoGraf Solutions
Mr. Trimmer works as an Applications Engineering Manager at NeoGraft Solutions and in his career, he spent many years working with leading maritime battery manufacturers to allow their systems to pass stringent European regulatory standards for thermal runaway. Recently, he has focused on the EV, Drone, and Electric Airplane industries with goals to increase range per charge, allow faster charging, and prevent thermal runaway. Mr. Trimmer received his Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from The University of Colorado Boulder and an MBA from The University of Phoenix.
Marco Barbolini
Product Manager - Thermal, Roechling
Dr. Barbolini has more than 20+ years of experience in the plastic industry and his functional experience includes engineering, production, marketing, simulation, strategy appraisal, project and business management. He began work at Röchling Automotive as a materials engineer in 1997 and later worked as technology manager for blow molding, injection molding and welding. Currently he operates as Product Manager for engine systems and in 2018 added the responsibility of battery components and systems for BEVs. Dr. Barbolini has published many articles in the trade press, holds more than 20 patents and has earned a degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Trento, with a focus in sintered metallurgy.
