ITB Automotive Surfaces 2025
Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025
NEW VENUE: MSU Management Education Center. 811 W Square Lake Rd Troy, Michigan, USA
Format: In-Person
View the Program | Register to Attend
Sponsored by (click logo for details):
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ITB's Automotive Surfaces 2025 brings together the global community advancing the next generation of interior and exterior surface technologies for vehicles. This year’s conference explores how material systems—both smart and traditional—are being developed, engineered, and integrated to enhance user experiences, meet functional targets, and align with vehicle manufacturing requirements.
Join us for a full day of presentations and valuable face-to-face networking as we convene stakeholders from across the value chain—including global OEMs, Tier One suppliers, surface system suppliers, and material innovators.
13 leading presentations are highlighted in the following conference sessions:
- Vision | Beauty | Identity - Insights into CMF trends, Consumer Expectations, and Advanced technology
- New Surface Strategies for the Road Ahead
- Process Disruption and Material Rethink
- Activated Surfaces and Light Integration
Scroll further to see the agenda and full list of industry leaders making their mark, delivering an industry leading discussion at this year's event.
Who Should Attend
Engineering leaders, CMF teams, innovation managers, business developers, surface and UX designers, component designers, suppliers, and systems integrators.
How to Participate - Opportunities are open to engage in-person, face-to-face:
- Sponsor this globally relevant event
- Exhibit your company’s innovations
- Become an Attendee - Secure your seat, learn from experts, develop actionable plans and future collaborations
For inquiries about conference participation opportunities, please contact Mr. Bryan Eldredge, Program Director – Conferences, at beldredge@itbgroup.com or call +1 (248) 380-6310.
CONFERENCE AGENDA - October 2, 2025*
Location: MSU Management Education Center. 811 W Square Lake Rd., Troy, Michigan, USA
7:30 a.m. |
Registration, Networking, and Continental Breakfast
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8:30 a.m. |
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Darren Nowak, Director Research and Analysis - The ITB Group
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Session 1 - Vision | Beauty | Identity
8:40 a.m. |
KEYNOTE: Ethereal to Material – The CMF of Precious Things
Daniel Cloke, CMF Designer for Google Pixel - Google
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9:10 a.m. |
Decoding the Cabin: What Today’s Consumers Expect from Tomorrow’s Cars
Nate Sladek, Vice President, Strategy and Product Management - Marelli North America |
9:35 a.m. |
Shaping Tomorrow’s Interiors: The Power of Illuminated Surfaces
David Gomez, Smart Lit Surfaces Responsible – Applied Innovation - Antolin
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10:00 a.m. |
Networking Break
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Session 2 - New Surface Strategies for the Road Ahead
10:40 a.m. |
LiDAR Meets Design: Surface, Size, and Style Across ADAS and Robotaxi
Peipei Zhao, President of North America - RoboSense
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11:10 a.m. |
Beyond Paint: Transforming Vehicles with Film Technologies
Destiny Rotuno, Automotive Segment Strategy Lead - Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions
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11:35 a.m. |
Innovative Materials to Support the Future of Automotive Interiors
Ryan Smith, Global Strategy & Marketing Director - Dow Mobility Science
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12:00 p.m. |
Lunch
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Session 3 - Process Disruption and Material Rethink
1:10 p.m. |
Expanding Design Possibilities with PU In-Mold Coating
Volker Plehn, Global Automotive Director - Sabic
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1:30 p.m. |
Ditch The Paint Shop: Class A Overmolded Thermoplastic Parts for Interior and Exterior Applications
Dan Rozelman, Technical Sales Manager - Krauss Maffei and
Oliver Stahl, Managing Director - Chemigon
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1:50 p.m. |
Advantages of Using High Gloss Black Plastic for Interior and Exterior Automotive Applications
Chris Korson, Market Segment Manager - BASF Corporation
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2:15 p.m. |
Decorative and Functional Additions to TPO
Jeremy Husic, Staff Engineer, and Roman Quintal, Process Development Engineer - Inteva
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2:40 p.m. |
Networking Break
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3:10 p.m. |
Transforming Smart Automotive Surfaces with Processing Techniques and Material Science
De. Mark Torgerson, Technical Manager, Automotive - Covestro
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3:30 p.m. |
Future Proof Solutions
Shawn Nahas, North America Sales Manager and Jacob Mclean, Account Manager - 3CON
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Session 4 - Activated Surfaces and Light Integration
3:45 p.m. |
Lighting Integration for Ultra-Thin Emblems and Smart Surfaces with IMSE
Derrick Defever, Business Development Manager for Americas - Tactotek
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4:15 p.m. |
Smart Surfaces with Integrated Lighting
Shammi Wickramasinghe, Head of Innovation for Exterior & Lighting - OPmobility
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4:45 p.m. |
The Reflective Blade, a Breakthrough HUD Integration from FeelInGlass® by AGC
Eric Rogers, IP Counsel & Business Development Leader - AGC North America
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5:15 p.m. |
Closing Remarks
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Note: ITB will photograph the conference for promotional purposes. By participating in the conference you grant ITB permission to use your likeness in any/all conference related promotions.
*Agenda is subject to change
CONFERENCE PRESENTERS
Darren Nowak
Director, Research and Analysis - The ITB Group
Mr. Nowak joined the ITB Group in 2007 and currently operates as Director - Research and Analysis. He is primarily responsible for direct interface with industry participants and building complex business models to facilitate ITB’s mission to assess automotive business and technology change. He has supported and been the lead investigator in many projects involved in interiors, exterior, under the hood, and most recently has concentrated on plastic/electronic integration. Mr. Nowak has over 25 years of experience in automotive, off road and heavy truck applications, including application and standards engineering roles at Eaton Corporation. He is a graduate of the University of Detroit with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations.
Daniel Cloke
CMF Designer for Google Pixel - Google
Mr. Cloke is a multi-disciplinary designer in New York. He began his career in trend-driven collections and later worked on industry-leading projects through a grant research position at NASA. He has since worked as a menswear designer for large brands, a footwear designer at Nike, and a CMF Designer at Google, working on their Pixel product. Mr. Cloke holds a degree in Fashion Design with focus in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design and numerous patents for his designs while at both Nike and Google.
Nate Sladek
Vice President, Strategy and Product Management - Marelli North America
Mr. Sladek is the Vice President of Electronics Strategy and Product Development at Marelli. He began his career as an officer in the US Air Force and then transitioned to corporate strategy and product management at Owens Corning and Lear Corporation. Mr. Sladek holds a BS and MS in Aeronautical Engineering and an MBA with emphasis in Strategy and Marketing.
David Gomez
Smart Lit Surfaces Responsible – Applied Innovation - Antolin
Mr. Gomez has over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry and currently leads Smart Lit Surfaces at Antolin, driving innovation in smart surfaces, displays, UX/UI, biometrics, haptics, lighting, and electronics. His award-winning projects expand Antolin’s global product portfolio while meeting OEM needs. Mr. Gomez is the inventor of several vehicle door system patents and holds engineering degrees from the University of Burgos, Spain.
Peipei Zhao
President of North America - RoboSense
Mr. Zhao is the President of North America at RoboSense, leading strategy, partnerships, and LiDAR deployment across the US market. He spearheaded the first American OEM production program with Lucid Motors and drove cross-border collaboration with Mcity. With 17 years of global tech experience at Ericsson, Flex, Valeo, and Changan, Mr. Zhao was named a 2024 Automotive News Champion of Diversity. Mr. Zhao holds an MS from Michigan Technological University and a BS from Hefei University of Technology, China.
Destiny Rotuno
Automotive Segment Strategy Lead - Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions
Ms. Rotuno leads the automotive segment in the Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions marketing team. She has held multiple commercial roles during her 10 years at Avery Dennison, including channel development, program management, project management, and go-to-market strategy with a current focus on strategic initiatives, innovation, and long-term success of the automotive segment. Ms. Rotuno holds an MBA in Marketing from Tiffin University.
Ryan Smith
Global Strategy & Marketing Director - Dow Mobility Science
Mr. Smith is the Global Marketing and Strategy Director for MobilityScience where he leads Dow’s global strategic plans for the mobility industry. Since joining Dow in 2013, he has held regional and global roles in marketing, product, innovation, and digital. Mr. Smith earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from Berry College in Rome, GA.
Volker Plehn
Global Automotive Director - Sabic
Mr. Plehn is the director of global automotive marketing at Sabic Innovative Plastics where he leads a global team focused on delivering material solutions for front and smart panels, lighting, display, and trim applications based on engineering thermoplastics. He has over 25 years of global experience in automotive materials and has worked in sales, marketing and business development for Toray and Dupont, previously. Mr. Plehn holds a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University and an Executive MBA from the University of Michigan.
Dan Rozelman
Technical Sales Manager - Krauss Maffei
Information coming soon
Oliver Stahl
Managing Director - Chemigon
Mr. Stahl has 30 years of experience in the polymer industry focusing on engineering plastics and coating systems for decorative surfaces and is currently Managing Director of Chemigon. Previously, Mr. Stahl held roles as Manager, Sales Director and Managing Director for A. Schulman in Europe and North America.
Chris Korson
Market Segment Manager - BASF Corporation
Mr. Korson is a Market Segment Manager for Automotive Exterior, Interior and Chassis applications at BASF Corporation. His goals are growth of the composite market share, metal replacement, sustainability, NVH reduction/elimination, and energy management. Mr. Korson is a graduate of Michigan Technological University holding a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Jeremy Husic
Staff Engineer - Inteva
Mr. Husic has worked for over 25 years in the auto industry where his career has taken him from structural analysis, to mechatronics, to in-mold & embedded electronics. After graduating from Kettering University, he started at Delphi Automotive and later moved to IME start-ups. Mr. Husic is currently a staff engineer at Inteva Products focused on integrating electronics into automotive trims and developing smart surfaces.
Dr. Mark Torgerson
Technical Manager, Automotive - Covestro
Dr. Torgerson is responsible for Technical Marketing of polycarbonates at Covestro where he works with automotive designers and engineers at Tiers and OEMs to convert their visions into beautiful, safe and durable parts. Over his 30-year career, he has held various roles in R&D, Technical Sales, Business Management and Marketing. Dr. Torgerson holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
Shawn Nahas
North America Sales Manager - 3CON
Mr. Nahas has over 30 years of Automotive Manufacturing experience specializing in the fields of Injection molds and secondary automated assembly equipment. His career began on the shop floor as an Injection Mold Maker which propelled him into Project Engineering, Program Management, and to his current role as North America Sales Manager of 3CON Corporation. Mr. Nahas’ knowledge, experience, and technical background have enabled him to explore and suggest the best methods of interior part manufacturing for Tier 1 Suppliers.
Jacob Mclean
Account Manager - 3CON
Information coming soon.
Derrick Defever
Business Development Manager for Americas - Tactotek
Mr. Defever is a Business Development Manager for TactoTek. He has worked in exterior automotive lighting for over 10 years, both in business development and engineering with Varroc and HELLA. Mr. Defever holds a BS in Material Science Engineering - Manufacturing from Michigan State University.
Shammi Wickramasinghe
Head of Innovation for Exterior & Lighting - OPmobility
Mr. Wickramasinghe is the Head of Innovation for Exterior and Lighting at OPmobility. He has managed many first to market applications over his 27-year career in the automotive lighting industry. In his role he led the introduction of the world’s premier Adaptive Driving Beam and RGB lighting for V2P communication on Rivian products. Mr. Wickramasinge has a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering together with Telecommunications from the University of East London, England.
Eric Rogers
IP Counsel & Business Development Leader - AGC North America
Mr. Rogers is IP Counsel & Business Development Leader for AGC Automotive Americas, where he leads all patent, trademark, and business development activities for North American automotive operations. He sits on SAE’s automotive glazing materials standards committee, holds granted patents, and frequently lectures on various legal, technical, and business topics. Mr. Rogers holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from Kettering University, and a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law.
