Critical Technologies for Sustainable Vehicle Production
developments shaping interior, exterior, and powertrain applications, materials, and manufacturing processes
Date: February 10, 2022
Location: The Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel – Novi, Michigan, USA
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CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Mitra O'Malley
Managing Director and Co-Founder - The ITB Group
Ms. O’Malley is one of the founding partners of The ITB Group in 1992. As Managing Director, she focuses on technology feasibility and business development activities in automotive acoustics, interior and exterior. Her specific areas of specialty include cockpit modules, door modules, overhead systems, acoustics, front-end modules (including bumper systems and lighting), roof systems and body panels. Ms. O’Malley has 31 years of experience in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Master’s degree in Plastics Engineering.
Dr. Rose Ryntz
Vice President, Sustainability - The ITB Group
Dr. Ryntz is a partner of The ITB Group and serves as Vice President, Sustainability. She is also on the Automotive Advisory Board of Directors for Carbon 3D as well as a Business Development Partner for 10EQS. Prior to this, Dr. Ryntz held several industrial positions at Dow Chemical, Akzo Nobel, Ford Motor Company, Visteon Corporation, and most recently was the VP of Global Advanced Development at IAC. Dr. Ryntz holds over 50 patents, has written over 100 technical papers, and is the author of 4 books. She has been presented with numerous awards, including the SPE Automotive Division Lifetime Achievement Award, and was named one of the Top 100 Leading Women in Automotive by Automotive News.
Breitner Marczewski
Senior Sustainability Engineer - General Motors
Mr. Marczewski is a Senior Sustainability Engineer at General Motors where he supports the “Zero Waste” program for the company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Energy Engineering from the University of ABC – São Paulo, Brazil, and a master’s degree in Engineering and Technology Management from Louisiana Tech University.
David Schmitz
Business Development Manager - Evonik
Mr. Schmitz is currently a Business Development Manager in the Segment Automotive and Mobility at the Evonik Corporation. He is leading technical marketing campaigns in North America in alignment with the global strategy of the Evonik Business Line High Performance Polymers. Prior to this, he held various positions in Application Technology, Marketing and Sales for Evonik in Germany. Mr. Schmitz holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry and Master’s Degree in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Applied Science in Aachen, Germany.
Gina Oliver
Senior Director, Automotive Team - American Chemistry Council
Ms. Oliver is the Senior Director for the American Chemistry Council’s Durable Goods Market Advocacy group which includes the Auto Team. Here she defines and leads the strategic direction for its 18 Automotive Member companies. Ms. Oliver has a background in regulatory and product support within the global automotive sector, as well as trade association leadership and management, public policy and advocacy strategy development and implementation. Ms. Oliver began her career with Ford Motor Company in 1996, where she held a variety of progressive roles including serving in regulatory compliance in coordination with NHTSA and Ford’s Product Development Group. Ms. Oliver actively participates in numerous councils and groups and holds a Master of Business Administration from Wayne State University.
Jimena Ruesta
Strategy Sustainability and Portfolio Enabling - Covestro
Ms. Ruesta is the Venture Manager of Sustainability Solutions and is responsible for the sustainability strategy for engineering plastics at Covestro. She began her Covestro career in 2005 as a project engineer, working later as a strategic technology consultant and advocacy manager. Ms. Ruesta holds Mechanical and Environmental Engineering Degrees from the PUCP and TU Dresden respectively, a Master in Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Barcelona, and an MBA for Technology Management from Manchester University.
Eileen Gallihugh
Research Specialist, Technical Service and Development - Trinseo
Mrs. Gallihugh has worked through the challenges of recycled plastics throughout her career while also specializing in quality analysis and process resolution with regards to thermoplastics, color, paint, and adhesives. Currently, she is a Research Specialist in Technical Service and Development at Trinseo where she is tasked with developing sustainably advantaged products in North America. Prior to this, she held engineering positions at Ford Motor Company and IAC Group. Mrs. Gallihugh holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s of Science in Technology Management, with an innovation concentration, from The University of Detroit Mercy.
Paul Rye
Sales Manager - KURZ Transfer Products
Mr. Rye operates as Sales Manager at KURZ Transfer Products, where he leads new business development and commercial interface with US automotive customers. Since 2004 he has held advanced engineering and sales positions at Lear, IAC, and Hella in interior plastics, lighting, and decoration product areas. Prior to repatriating to the US, he also spent 18 years at Jaguar Cars UK in Interior Trim Engineering, Launch, and Program Management roles. Mr. Rye holds a Bachelor’s degree in Automotive Engineering from Loughborough University and a Master’s degree in Automotive Engineering Design from Coventry University.
David George
Surface Treatment Technical Manager - Henkel
Mr. George has 34 years of experience at Henkel and currently operates as Surface Treatment Technical Manager. Here he provides technical expertise and support for Automotive OEMs’ conversion coating processes, focusing on innovations in sustainable metal pretreatment technology. Prior to this role, he served as Director of the Automotive Technical Service Group, Global Technical Sales Manager, and Head of Henkel’s Automotive Training Programs. Mr. George and his team have won two PACE awards and he currently serves on the board of directors for The Electrocoat Association.
Chris Johnson
Director of Sustainability - Ascend Performance Materials
As the director of sustainability for Ascend Performance Materials, Mr. Johnson is responsible for driving the company’s efforts around environmental impact reductions and setting sustainability targets throughout the business. Prior to this, Mr. Johnson held a number of roles at Ascend over the past 23 years. He has extensive experience in manufacturing and capital projects, including stints as a production supervisor for acrylonitrile, as a turnaround and reliability lead, and as director of capital planning. Mr. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas Tech University.
Chris Scarazzo
Global Segment Market Leader, Automotive - Eastman
Mr. Scarazzo leads the Automotive Global Marketing Segment for Speciality Plastics at Eastman. He brings a long and storied career with Eastman’s Advanced Circular Recycling technologies and has held similar roles with Imerys, Solvay, and DSM. Mr. Scarazzo will provide perspective on how Eastman is making molecular recycling a reality in the global Automotive market.
Kari Bliss
Customer Experience & Sustainability - PADNOS
Ms. Bliss leads Sustainability at PADNOS and is a GreenBiz and GRI certified professional with over 20 years of experience. She is a board member of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and is the Treasurer of the Society of Plastic Engineers’ Recycling Division. In 2021, Ms. Bliss’s team developed 27 solutions for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. She assumes bottom-line responsibility for market research, product development, strategic planning, pricing, forecasting, and execution plans.
Jörg Rautenstrauch
President and CEO - Kautex Textron
Mr. Rautenstrauch is president and chief executive officer of Textron's Industrial Segment and Kautex. He also serves on the Textron Executive Leadership Team. Mr. Rautenstrauch joined Textron in 2011 as the general manager of Klauke where he was responsible for expanding the business into key international markets and developing new product initiatives. Prior to this he was employed by Heraeus where he held positions with increasing levels of responsibility. Mr. Rautenstrauch holds a joint master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration from Technische Universität Darmstadt in Germany.
Peter Barna
Technical Director - Grupo Antolin
Mr. Barna is the Technical Director for Overhead Systems and Soft Trim at Grupo Antolin. He implements new product strategies in the US and Mexico, leading a group of 40+ managers and engineers. He has been published in CAD-Report, PC-World magazine, and is collaborating with Dr. A Chiru from the University of Brasov on a book covering various Industry 4.0 topics. Mr. Barna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Technologies, and a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automated Production Systems from the University of Brasov.
Ryan Bailey
Head of Tech Center Surface Solutions - Continental
Mr. Bailey has been working in the automotive industry for four years starting as a TPO chemist and spending two years as the North American Head of TPO Development for Continental Surface Solutions. Starting in January 2022, he has taken over as Head of Research & Development for the Tech Center in North America, with leadership over both the automotive and non-automotive business areas. Prior to entering the automotive industry, Mr. Bailey spent five years as a Rubber Development and Analytical Chemist for Xerium Technologies. He has a B.S. in Chemistry from Shippensburg University, and a M.S. in Analytical Chemistry from Bucknell University.
Dr. Alper Kiziltas
Sustainable and Emerging Materials Technical Expert - Ford Motor Company
Dr. Kiziltas is Technical Expert at Ford Motor Company where his research focuses on sustainability and emerging materials including nanomaterials, polymeric and soft materials, biomaterials, glassy and amorphous materials, self-healing materials, and bio-inspired and patterned functional materials. During his 7 years with the company, he has led research projects in a variety of polymer-based applications, and his technical work centered on developing sustainable and advanced materials that resulted in numerous applications within production vehicles. Dr. Kiziltas is the recipient of several key industry awards and has
10+ patents awarded/pending for sustainable and advanced materials. Dr. Kiziltas received his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Maine and holds a bachelor’s degree from Karadeniz Technical University.
Volker Plehn
Senior Manager, Smart Panels and Lighting - 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 a wealth of experience in automotive materials, having served as the global vice president of Sales and Marketing for Interface Performance Materials and director of business development for Toray. Prior to this, he accumulated up to 25 years of experience with DuPont, serving in a range of sales, marketing, and business development positions. Mr. Plehn holds a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University and an Executive MBA from the University of Michigan.
Matthew Marks
Senior Sustainability Specialist - SABIC
Mr. Marks joined the Americas Sustainability team as Sr. Sustainability Specialist where he is responsible for key strategic initiatives in the areas of circular economy, climate change, advocacy, and others. Mr. Marks has held various roles within SABIC from technical, marketing and commercial leadership roles to regulatory affairs. His experience, spanning 28 years, includes working with various industry stakeholders to foster cooperation across the value chain and with the regulatory community to promote and deliver the benefits of plastics and polymer composites in automotive applications. He is chair emeritus of the Automotive team within the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council. Mr. Marks holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University.
Robert Kaminsky
Business Development Engineers - Arkema
Mr. Kaminsky is a Business Development Engineer in the High Performance Polymers group at Arkema. He has been supporting the automotive industry through various positions in this group for over four years, and currently focuses on finding ways their advanced material portfolio can support emerging technologies such as battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles. Mr. Kaminsky earned his degree in Material Science and Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and he is pursuing an MBA from Villanova University.
Chris Mayville
Market Development Manager - Kraton Polymers
Mr. Mayville is a Market Development Manager at Kraton Polymers focusing on automotive innovation. Prior to Kraton he held roles at various automotive Tier 1 manufacturers focusing on advanced product and process development and engineering program management.
Dr. Jeffrey Helms
Automotive Director - Celanese
Dr. Helms joined Celanese in 2008 and currently operates as Automotive Director in the Engineered Materials division. Here he is responsible for driving and coordinating the growth of Celanese product lines with a particular focus on E-mobility and sustainability.
Prior to this role, Dr. Helms worked for 10 years at Ford Motor Company where he held positions in research, product development, global paint engineering, and testing. Dr. Helms received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Michigan State University. Dr. Helms is a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the American Chemical Society.
Dr. Steven Manning
Senior Global Director, Engineered Plastics - Ascend Performance Materials
Dr. Manning joined Ascend in 2004 and is currently the senior global director of engineered plastics at Ascend Performance Materials. Here he is responsible for Ascend’s engineered plastics business, including Vydyne® PA6 and PA66, HiDura™, and Starflam® compounds. In his previous roles, Dr. Manning was the director of global technology and oversaw research, development, and testing of Ascend’s engineered plastics and resins. Dr. Manning earned his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi in polymer science. He is the author or co-author of several academic papers and the inventor on several patents related to polymer science.
