2024 Conference At a Glance: Industry Week Operations Leadership Summit

Conference-at-a-Glance

Schedule subject to change.

8:00 AM - 11:30 AM	Subaru of Indiana Automotive	Plant Tour
8:30 AM - 11:30 AM	Allison Transmission, Inc.	Plant Tour
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM	COO Forum® Member Panel: Challenges and Opportunities for current and aspiring COOs	Workshops & Solution Spotlights	George Perez, Chief Operating Officer - Specialty Machine Ericka Herst, VP Operations - Rose Batteries
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM	Endress+Hauser USA	Plant Tour
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM	Optimize Performance with Process Intelligence	Workshops & Solution Spotlights	Sharzad Abdollahi, Associate Value Engineer - Celonis
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM	Unleash Workforce Operational Excellence: Where Innovation Meets Human Potential	Workshops & Solution Spotlights
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM	Better, Faster, Cheaper Maintenance: What Data Can Do for You	Workshops & Solution Spotlights
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM	LEAN and Technology Deployment in Manufacturing Processes to Drive Efficiencies	Workshops & Solution Spotlights	Kristen LeBaron, Supply Chain Service Line Lead - Genpact Karianne Gomez, Global Client Partner – Manufacturing & Energy - Genpact
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Welcome Reception

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:05 AM	Welcome Remarks		Robert Schoenberger, Editor-in-Chief - Endeavor
9:05 AM - 9:50 AM	Embracing Genchi Genbutsu: Leadership, Learning, and Practical Insights for Tomorrow's Workforce	Keynote	Brett Wood, President/COO - Toyata Material Handling NA
10:10 AM - 10:50 AM	Growing Your Own Talent: Investing in the Pipeline of Tomorrow	General Session	Nicole Otte, Director of Workforce Development - Endress+Hauser USA
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM	IndustryWeek’s Best Plant Winners Panel: Lessons Learned Towards Manufacturing Excellence	General Session	Jill Jusko, Executive Editor - Endeavor Tom Lego, Brand Ambassador - Toyota Material Handling Aaron Christ, Director of Operations - Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) Tony Topencik, VP of Operations, Quality & EHS - Raymond Corporation Ben Johnson, Production Manager - Sandvik Coromant
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Roundtable Luncheon
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Generative AI	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Talking Supply Chain	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Regulatory Outlook	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Recruiting and Retaining Employees	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Plant Tour Wrap-Up	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Continuous Improvement	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Employee Engagement	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Safety	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Inventory Management	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	3-D Printing/Additive Manufacturing	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Cybersecurity	Roundtables
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Digital Transformation	Roundtables
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM	Building a Business Excellence System from the Ground Up - An MEC Case Study	Continuous Improvement Track	Eric Lussier, Principal - Next Level Partners David Higgs, Vice President of MEC Business Excellence (MBX) - Mayville Engineering Company (MEC)
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM	Dispense With the Drudgery: AI Can Eliminate Tasks People Hate	Technology Adoption Track	Sean O'Meara, CIO - Girtz Industries
1:35 PM - 2:05 PM	Creating a Collaborative Culture: The Benefits of Breaking Down Barriers Between Individual Sites	Continuous Improvement Track	Randy Morehouse, Director of Operations - Falcon Plastics Gene Mussel, Director - Wipfli LLP
1:35 PM - 2:05 PM	Achieving-Zero Defects through AI-powered Inspection	Technology Adoption Track	Jason Ryska, Director - Manufacturing Technology Development - Ford Motor Company
2:10 PM - 2:40 PM	Building and Maintaining Continuous Improvement Cultures: Best Practices	Continuous Improvement Track	Jill Jusko, Executive Editor - Endeavor David Higgs, Vice President of MEC Business Excellence (MBX) - Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) Eric Lussier, Principal - Next Level Partners Gene Mussel, Director - Wipfli LLP Randy Morehouse, Director of Operations - Falcon Plastics
2:10 PM - 2:40 PM	AI's Potential for Manufacturing	Technology Adoption Track	Scott Achelpohl, Managing Editor - Endeavor Jason Ryska, Director - Manufacturing Technology Development - Ford Motor Company Sean O'Meara, CIO - Girtz Industries
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Optimizing Talent for Operational Excellence	Continuous Improvement Track	Sarah Tilkens, Sr Manager - Operational Excellence - GE Healthcare
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Innovation in Chemical Production: Combining AI with a DataOps Strategy	Technology Adoption Track	John Harrington, Chief Product Officer - HighByte Joshua Pomeroy, Strategic Initiatives Leader - INVISTA
3:35 PM - 4:05 PM	Sustaining Your Lean Gains	Continuous Improvement Track	Carl Livesay, General Manager - Mercury Plastics David Rizzardo, MWCC Associate Director - MWCC
3:35 PM - 4:05 PM	A Road Map to Digital Transformation and Automated Production	Technology Adoption Track	Craig Zehrung, Lead Laboratory Operations Specialist - Purdue University Drew Patel, Engineering Laboratory IT Specialist - Purdue University
4:10 PM - 4:40 PM	Advanced Continuous Improvement: Building a Workforce and Maintaining Gains	Continuous Improvement Track	Robert Schoenberger, Editor-in-Chief - Endeavor Sarah Tilkens, Sr Manager - Operational Excellence - GE Healthcare Carl Livesay, General Manager - Mercury Plastics
4:10 PM - 4:40 PM	Data-Driven, People Centric	Technology Adoption Track	Scott Achelpohl, Managing Editor - Endeavor Josh Renicker, member Ambassador Program Director / COO - COO Forum / Energy Access Inc
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Digital Transformation	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Employee Engagement	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Inventory Management	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Plant Tour Wrap-Up	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Recruiting and Retaining Employees	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	3-D Printing/Additive Manufacturing	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Talking Supply Chain	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Safety	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Generative AI	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Regulatory Outlook	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Continuous Improvement	Roundtables
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM	Cybersecurity	Roundtables
5:30 PM - 6:15 PM	Networking Reception

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - 8:50 AM	Revisiting Productivity: Tips for a Profitable Factory with Thriving Employees	Keynote	Philip Powell, Professor - Indiana University Kelley School of Business
9:00 AM - 9:50 AM	Driving the Future at Subaru: Balancing the Need for Product Now with the Needs to Plan for the Future	General Session	Elizabeth Parra, Process Engineer - Subaru of Indiana Automotive Jason Lipscomb, Technical Training Department - Subaru
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM	Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing	Continuous Improvement Track	Colin Henry, Product Management Leader - GE Vernova
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM	Mid-Sized Auto Factory Adopts Digital Assembly for Error-Proofing	Technology Adoption Track	Ryan Kuhlenbeck, CEO - Pico Greg Whitt, Process Improvement Engineer - MORryde
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM	Lean Transformation Journey: A Timken Perspective	Continuous Improvement Track	Marty Hallman, Director Bearing Operations - The Timken Company
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM	Digital Transformation from the Bottom Up: Empowering Digital Workers	Technology Adoption Track	Raj Polanki, U.S. Region Head of IT - Wacker Chemical Corporation
11:20 AM - 11:50 AM	Building Blocks of Lean Leadership	Continuous Improvement Track	Jill Jusko, Executive Editor - Endeavor Marty Hallman, Director Bearing Operations - The Timken Company Sam Mcpherson, President - The Lean Leadership Academy
11:20 AM - 11:50 AM	Modern Tools for a Modern Workforce	Technology Adoption Track	Scott Achelpohl, Managing Editor - Endeavor Greg Whitt, Process Improvement Engineer - MORryde Ryan Kuhlenbeck, CEO - Pico Raj Polanki, U.S. Region Head of IT - Wacker Chemical Corporation Jerry Grunewald, VP R&D/Technology - INVISTA
12:00 PM - 12:15 PM	Closing Remarks