Critical Technologies for Sustainable Vehicle Production 2024
DEVELOPMENTS SHAPING INTERIOR, EXTERIOR, AND POWERTRAIN APPLICATIONS, MATERIALS, AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
Date: February 28 and 29, 2024
Venue: Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel. 21111 Haggerty Rd., Novi, MI 48375 USA
Format: In-Person
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Mitra O'Malley
Managing Director - 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 cabin technologies (materials, processing and function integration). Ms. O’Malley has 40 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 a PACE Judge for the Automotive News and has served on the Automotive Advisory Board of Directors for Carbon 3D as well as a Business Development Partner for 10EQS. Dr. Ryntz has 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.
Matt Roling
Director of Energy Transition and Climate Advisory - KPMG
Mr. Roling has over 15 years of experience in the clean energy, corporate finance, and technology commercialization sectors and he currently operates as a Director in KPMG’s Energy Transition & Climate Advisory practice. Here he focuses on supporting client development and execution of value-creating decarbonization strategies and sustainability policies and tools, such as clean hydrogen, carbon pricing, and greenhouse gas accounting. Mr. Roling holds a Master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor’s and Master’s in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Kari Bliss
Principal Sustainability - Padnos
Ms. Bliss leads Sustainability at PADNOS and holds many industry leadership roles as a GreenBiz certified professional, a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional, a board member of the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, and the Treasurer of the Society of Plastic Engineers Recycling Division. Ms. Bliss is a result driven leader skilled at bringing stakeholders together to develop sustainability initiatives and solve complex circular economy challenges.
Jelle Saint-Germain
Sales Engineer - Ad Rem
Mr. Saint-Germain works as a Sales Engineer for Ad Rem and has been involved with the start-up and commissioning of many plants, focusing on the separation of metals and plastics from shredder residue. He is also responsible for various flotation plants worldwide and has been involved in numerous research projects related to the optimization of material flows in recycling processes, removing hazardous substances from recycled plastics, and developing sampling devices. Mr. Saint-Germain holds a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Ghent, Belgium.
Carrie Young
Chief Engineer - Magna Seating
Ms. Young has more than 20 years of automotive seating experience and is currently the Chief Engineer in the Innovation Group. Here she is responsible for innovation projects related to seating integration, foam, and trim. She is also the Seating Group’s Core Product Manager, responsible for collaborative discussions between all Magna Groups related to industry trends. Ms. Young is a mentor and is currently an executive member on the Magna Women’s Exchange ERC where she has held the roles of Pod Mentor and US Facilitator in the Mentoring Matters Program. She is also a member of the D&I committee for both Magna International and the Seating Group. Ms. Young graduated from Kettering University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Cheryl Coleman
SVP of Sustainability - The Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)
Ms. Coleman is the Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Safety and Sustainability at The Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). In this role she is leading efforts with ISRI members and other stakeholders to strengthen the industry’s voice in domestic and global policy, safety, and sustainability perspectives. This includes environmental, social and governance issues, as well as decarbonization impacting electrical vehicles, batteries management and workforce development. Prior to this role, Ms. Coleman served as the Director of the Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division at the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Dr. Matthew Korey
Associate R&D Staff - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dr. Korey is an Associate R&D Scientist at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Here his work specializes in the development and industrialization of novel, sustainable manufacturing technologies for plastics and their composites. He also focuses on mechanical, chemical, biological, and thermochemical methods of composite recycling and the use of advanced re-processing techniques and repurposing to recycle industrial composites waste. Dr. Korey is a co-chair of the Circular Economy Working Group at the Institute of Advanced Composites Manufacturing and Innovation (IACMI) and Founding Chair of TMS PRIDE. He has been awarded the 2024 SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, Top 10 Under 40 award through the Lafayette, IN Chamber of Commerce and the Graduate Service Award through the Purdue College of Engineering.
Susan Kozora
Director of Innovation - IAC Group
Ms. Kozora has over 37 years of experience in plastics and adhesives technologies in both the aerospace and automotive industries. She has held positions at Textron Aerospace and Ford Motor Company, and currently works at IAC Group as Director, Innovation. Here she focuses on recycling and sustainability for all products across IAC and applies her expertise in polymers and adhesives in product design and development. She also functions as the Sustainability champion for the IAC Troy Campus. Ms. Kozora holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Detroit with an emphasis in polymers. She has also authored several publications relating to plastics & recycling and holds 3 patents.
Thomas Andre
Research Engineer - Ford Motor Company
Mr. Andre is a research engineer at Ford Motor Company in the advanced polymer technology team. He received his bachelors in material chemistry at Union College and is currently pursuing a masters in material science and engineering at The University of Michigan. Mr. Andre’s main research focus is on polyurethane foams and investigating avenues to achieve higher sustainability for their various automotive applications.
Chris Korson
Market Segment Manager, Transportation - BASF
Mr. Korson is the Market Segment Manager for Automotive Exterior, Interior and Chassis applications at BASF Corporation. He graduated from Michigan Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is focused on growing BASF composite market share focusing on metal replacement, sustainability, NVH reduction/elimination, and energy management.
Javier Cuadrado
Business Development, Technology Solutions - Antolin
Mr. Cuadrado works as Technology Solutions Business Development Manager for Antolin in North America. Focused on integration, he is responsible for promoting and introducing Antolin's latest innovations to OEMs. He attended the School of Industrial Engineering at the University of Valladolid (Spain) specializing in Electrotechnical Systems.
Frank Schumann
Segment Director Mobility - Trinseo
Mr. Schumann is currently Global Segment Director for Trinseo’s automotive business where he heads marketing strategy. Here he is engaged with plastics with a quantified environmental advantage, and tailored products to enable sustainability with regards to lightweighting or metal replacement. Mr. Schumann has experience working at major exterior and under-the-hood automotive tiers and prior to joining Trinseo in 2018, he spent 11 years working with IAC Group leading the Advanced Material and Process Group in Europe. Mr. Schumann holds an MBA from Aston University and a degree in material science from the University of Applied Sciences, Bonn.
Fred Gersdorff
Senior Manager, Socially Responsible and Sustainable Supply Chains - General Motors
Mr. Gersdorff is passionate about unlocking human potential and views sustainability as a pursuit that puts people at the center of what we do. Mr. Gersdorff currently leads the sustainability efforts in GM’s Global Purchasing and Supply Chain organization and has prior extensive business experience working in medical devices, power distribution and automotive industries. His educational background is in Chemistry with an MBA, and he is currently pursuing a PhD in Systems Engineering.
Adriano Pistola
Sales and Development - NUO
Mr. Pistola is an automotive expert with a deep background in the fashion industry. His journey began in 2008 when he studied at the Accademia Costume e Moda fashion school in Rome. Since joining NUO in 2015, he has leveraged his automotive expertise to elevate the company to meet rigorous automotive standards and is actively involved in the development of a new automotive collection in collaboration with NUO's TIER1 partners.
Akim Khalef
Feedstock and Recycling Manager - MATERI’ACT
Mr. Khalef is a Sustainable Feedstock and Recycling Manager where he is directly responsible for the creation and development of feedstock supply and value chain for FORVIA’s new sustainable materials entity, MATERI’ACT. In his 6 years with FORVIA, he has held a number of purchasing roles within the US, Czech Republic, and Japan. Mr. Khalef holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Lille and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Procurement Management from Grenoble IAE.
Felicia Seyedkalal
Global Materials & Industrial Sustainability Manager - Huntsman
Ms. Seyedkalal joined Huntsman in 2007 and is a member of the Global Materials & Industry Sustainability Team. Here she has worked primarily in a technical service capacity formulating a wide range of rigid foam systems including spray foam systems. She is also versed in product development, project management, and customer management. Ms. Seyedkalal represents Huntsman on various industry committees and most recently served as the Chair of the CPI Sustainability Committee and the PIMA Education Work Group Committee. Ms. Seyedkalal earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Brian Haggart
Application Engineer Automotive - INEOS Styrolution America
Mr. Haggart currently works for INEOS Styrolutions as the Technical Application Development Engineer where he helps to provide styrenic material solutions primarily for automotive customers. Prior to this role he worked for 10 years at Ford Motor Company in the materials engineering department where he developed material specifications, testing methods, and validation procedures. Mr. Haggart holds a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree from Purdue University in Plastic Engineering and Material Science.
Karen Guzman
Automotive Marketing Manager - Covestro
Ms. Guzman is a Mobility Marketing Manager at Covestro where she leads and coordinates strategy and marketing activities for polycarbonate-based material applications for the Automotive industry. She is also responsible for identifying and developing new market opportunities. Prior to joining Covestro, Ms. Guzman held technical and business development positions at BASF. Ms. Guzman is a Chemical Engineer by trade and holds a Master Degree in Marketing and International Business and a diploma in Automotive Design and Engineering.
Dr. George Luckey
Manager, Research and Advanced Engineering - Ford Motor Company
Dr. Luckey has 23 years of experience in sheet metal and advanced manufacturing technology development and is currently the Manager of the Advanced Metal Technology Department at Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. Here he is focused on research and advanced development of wrought and cast metal alloys, virtual stamping, virtual casting, stamping technology, advanced material characterization and microscopy, and metal additive manufacturing. Dr. Luckey has been recipient of two Henry Ford Technical Achievement Awards, a co-inventor of 35 US patents and co-authored over 30 technical papers on automotive materials and manufacturing technology. Dr. Luckey received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tulsa, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Dr. Yasuhisa Ichihashi
Manager - Asahi Kasei
Dr. Ichihashi has over 20 years’ experience in R&D and technical service in chemicals and polymers industry in Japan and Europe. He is currently Manager of the Sustainable Polymers Laboratory at Asahi Kasei where he is working on chemical recycling of Polyamide 66 to realize the circular economy system of plastics. Dr. Ichihashi received his Ph.D. at University Karlsruhe and a Master’s degree in engineering at Osaka University in 2001.
Johanne Wilson
Business Development Manager for ChemCycling® - BASF
Ms. Wilson is the business development manager responsible for implementing ChemCycling® in North America. She has been with BASF for 17 years working in marketing, business development and purchasing roles. Prior to that she worked with Ford Motor Company and Visteon Corporation in various technical and business functions. Ms. Wilson has a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.
Dr. Joel Kopinsky
Managing Director & Co-founder - The ITB Group
Dr. Kopinsky (Ph.D. Chemical Engineering and MBA) is responsible for The ITB Group’s consulting assignments in energy storage, vehicle emissions, plastic engine parts and glazing systems. Over the past 25 years he has completed a variety of strategic and technical feasibility consulting projects for leading suppliers, OEMs and investment banks in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, he has completed numerous multiclient reports concerned with energy storage, glazing and powertrain technologies. In the 1980’s, Dr. Kopinsky worked at the General Motors Research Labs followed by the completion of his MBA at Columbia University. On the side, Dr. Kopinsky is an avid clarinetist and long-haul hiker.
John Ely
Chief Marketing Officer
Mr. Ely joined Heartland in 2021 with more than 20 years of B2B marketing experience and currently operates as Chief Marketing officer. In this role he is responsible for evaluating, developing, and implementing strategic marketing and corporate growth plans as well as directing all business development initiatives. Mr. Ely holds an Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a Master’s degree in Marketing and Communications. He also served as an adjunct professor at Franklin University where he taught business, marketing and advertising courses. Mr. Ely sits on the Board of Directors at the Ohio Energy Project, and is a former Corporate Mentor at the Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.
Madison Maxey
Founder and CEO - Loomia Technologies
Ms. Maxey is the CEO & Founder of Loomia where she focuses on innovations in the e-textile industry. Here she has spent the past 7 years conducting research and product development for soft, flexible circuits and is the primary inventor on 6 granted patents that make up Loomia’s core technology, the Loomia Layer. Ms. Maxey also serves on standards committees to help develop the future of the e-textiles industry. Among her accomplishments, Ms. Maxey has been named a Forbes 30 under 30 Member, TED@NYC selected speaker, Thiel Fellow, Lord & Taylor Rose Award Recipient, Future of Storytelling Fellow, and a Project Diane Founder. She studied Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University.
Summer Javed
Managing Director - The ITB Group
Ms. Javeed joined Kautex in June of 2020 and works in a Sustainability Engineering role. Here she is tasked with spearheading initiatives aimed at supporting the reduction and meticulous analysis of Scope 3 emissions. Ms. Javeed has experience in developing LCA models, reporting and improving product sustainability metrics, and managing data inventories. She actively supports product development engineering and the supply chain to define and execute product sustainability strategies. Ms. Javeed holds a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oakland University.
Amirreza Amighi
President - Mazlite
Mr. Amighi is the co-founder and CEO of Mazlite. His Ph.D. and post-Doc work focused on optics and sensor development for spray detection. With 15+ years research in sprays and atomization, his experience ranges from founding an engineering/consulting company to collaborating with diverse heavy industries.
Michael Koper
Business Development Manager & Vision Expert - EINES VISION SYSTEMS
Mr. Koper has over 20 years working and consulting in the manufacturing industry and currently operates as the Digital Vision Solutions Business Development Manager for Eines. His background includes expertise in robotics, vision, advanced automation, smart sensors and augmented reality applications for automotive OEMs. Mr Koper holds certifications as a Manufacturing Engineer, Professional Engineering Manager, and certified Technologist, and earned a Bachelor's degree in engineering from Oakland University, and a Master’s degree in management from Nazareth College. He is also a senior member of Society of Manufacturing Engineers as well as the Society of Maintenance and Reliability Professionals.
Art Ackerman
Director, Global Product and Technology
Bio not available
Pravin Patel
Director PD Thermosets NA - Henkel
Mr. Patel has more than 39 years of professional experience and is currently Director of Product Development Thermosets at Henkel Adhesive Technologies for North America. His group’s latest sustainability projects include compact paint process (3 & 4 wet) compatible products, lightweight materials, phthalate, PVC, and sulfur free products. Mr. Pravin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Wayne State University.
Fred Lee
Chief Executive Officer - KTON
Mr. Lee’s career spans the global automotive and testing, inspection and certification industries where he has applied his degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering to the development of automotive component test chambers and systems. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of KTON where he focuses on bringing EV battery testing technology to the American automotive market. In addition, he is CEO and co-founder of Pacific Tango Group where he assists APAC companies to successfully onshore to the US market. In this capacity, he is also the Co-chair of the newly created OnShoring Technology Committee at NAATBatt.
Erich Esser
Managing Director Germany & Austria / Vice President Global PP - Ecobat Resources
Mr. Esser has more than 25 years of experience in automotive and chemical industries and operates as Managing Director and Vice President, Global Polyproylene at Ecobat Resources. Prior to this role he served as Sales Director and Business Unit Manager at Recticel where he worked closely with German automotive Manufacturers. Mr. Esser holds a Master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Fachhochschule in Cologne.
Danielle Spalding
Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs - Cirba Solutions
Ms. Spalding serves as VP, Communications & Public Affairs for Cirba Solutions, where she leads a diverse team in communications and marketing, government affairs, and community engagement. For nearly 20 years, she has worked with brands focusing on strategic positioning and market leadership. Ms. Spalding holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management and an MBA in International Business.
Mike Coraci
New Business Development Manager - Ascend Elements
Mr. Coraci joined the Ascend Elements team in 2022 and brings with him more than 20 years of automotive industry experience, specializing in vehicle electrification. His current focus on the North American Business Development team is helping Automotive OEMs create their circular battery economies by leveraging Ascend Elements’ patented Hydro-to-Cathode technology. Mr. Coraci holds a Master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Oakland University and has recently been studying the economics of battery recycling while earning his MBA.
Laura Wagner
EV Battery Sustainability & Recycling Manager - General Motors
Ms. Wagner is Manager EV Battery Sustainability & Recycling at General Motors. Here she develops strategies for second-use, recycling, and tracking of EV batteries throughout their life cycle. She spent her early career in purchasing but her passion for the environment led her to seek out a Master’s degree in environmental science. For the last five years she has been working to ensure that EV batteries are recycled at the end of their lives with a goal towards a closed-loop economy for EV battery raw materials.
