Maryrose Sylvester is President and CEO of GE Fanuc, a position she has held since February 2006. She started her GE career in 1985 working for GE Lighting’s Sourcing organization, and in 1993, was appointed Manager, Worldwide Direct Materials for GE Lighting Worldwide Sourcing. In 1995, she was named General Manager - Worldwide Sourcing, focusing on Eastern Europe, China and Mexico and in 2000, became President and CEO for GE Lighting Systems (GELS) in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Prior to her current role, Ms. Sylvester was named President of GE Quartz, a global business that develops, manufactures, markets and sells fused quartz and boron nitride products for semiconductor, lighting, electronic, fiber optic and industrial applications.

Session Title: Process Control Loop Performance and Tuning by ControlSoft

Dr. Alireza Haji-Valizadeh received his BS degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran and the MSc and PhD degrees in Systems and Control Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to joining ControlSoft, Inc. in Highland Heights, OH, as technology development manager, he held teaching and engineering manager positions. His current research interests include process automation, application of decision theory in integrating automation systems, optimization and scheduling techniques for water treatment and distribution systems, and process diagnostic techniques. Dr. Valizadeh is also a member of IEEE and ISA.

Session Title: Advanced Multi-Variable Control for Process Industries

Dr. Andrew Maxson received his M.S. and doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering after receiving his B.S. from the University of Illinois. Dr. Maxson’s thesis centered on combustion phenomena. After doing post-graduate work and teaching at Berkeley, Dr. Maxson joined GE Energy in 2001 and is the Product Line Leader for Kn3, a software platform designed to model, optimize, and/or control industrial processes. It has been applied to the problem of power plant optimization, including combined cycle plants and coal boilers, as well as chemical and Oil & Gas processes.

Session Title: Specter Instruments for Advance Notification (Telephony)

Frank Grygier is Vice President of Sales and joined Specter Instruments in March of 2000. Mr. Grygier has over 30 years experience in the industrial controls industry.

Session Title: Case Study District Cooling in United Arab Emirates

James is the Director of Operation and Maintenance for the National Central Cooling Company known as Tabreed. Tabreed is the first commercial district cooling utility in the Middle East. James has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree from University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. James has over 20 years of experience in different plant industries. His job experience includes engineering, projects, operations, maintenance, environment, safety, management and customer service. James is a member of IDEA, Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Society.

Keynote: The Question of Life: Bringing Order to Chaos

Session Title:Build In-Sequence (Just in Time, Right First Time, Avoiding Missed Deliveries)

Having spent his working life in Automotive Manufacturing, Dave is responsible for 20+ mission critical Manufacturing Systems at Land Rover’s plant. After studying Production Engineering Dave joined the Manufacturing Engineering Department of Rover Group where he first became involved with Plant Floor Automation and IT. Responsible for the introduction of the first computer controlled wheel alignment facilities in Rover and the move to In Process vehicle electrical testing Dave moved into the IT organization in 1990. Since then he has been responsible for IT solutions, in both Plant Floor and Logistics areas of the operation, supporting the business transformation program.

Session Title: Leveraging RM&D Technologies

John is the Manager, MDS Integration at GE Multilin, a recognized industry leader in protection, monitoring, control, and communication solutions for generation, transmission, distribution, and industrial customers. The focus of his responsibility is leading a team in the integration of GE MDS’ industrial wireless solutions across GE and drive business growth through partnerships with customers and other GE operating business units.

Session Title: Tips & Techniques in Successfully Applying Proficy Batch

Involved with specification, design, programming, commissioning, and validating Batch Systems since 1977. President of Malisko Engineering; a GE Fanuc Premier Solutions Partner providing Batch Solutions since 1994. Malisko Engineering has provided numerous S-88 Batch Solutions since 1997 based, primarily on, the Proficy Batch Solution. The Systems have also incorporated Proficy HMI/SCADA – iFIX with some also incorporating Proficy Historian. Systems have employed "best practices" for Batch Programming, Models, Recipes, Communications, and Archiving. Featured in the November 1998 Controls Engineering magazine article "Flexible Batch".

Session Title: Hassle-free Fault Tolerant Servers

Frank Hill is the Director of Worldwide Manufacturing Sales for Stratus Technologies. Mr. Hill has extensive experience in the manufacturing industry. Prior to joining Stratus, Mr. Hill work for Rockwell Automation on the Life Science team. He has also led manufacturing teams at Merck & Company. Mr. Hill has both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration degree from Brigham Young University.

Session Title: Leveraging Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence to Support Operations Strategies

Sekhar K. Ravi is a Program Manager in CPG Manufacturing Solutions CoE in Wipro Technologies. Sekhar has an overall experience of 10 years in IT services. He is experienced in setting and managing IT Service delivery for Custom MES solutions. He was involved in development, Operational support and integration of manufacturing systems to the enterprise systems.

Session Title: Leveraging Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence to Support Operations Strategies

Veera S Raghavan is a General Manager for Pharmaceutical Solutions at Wipro Technologies. Veera has over 17+ years of experience in IT services focusing on Enterprise application development and maintenance activities, including large ERP implementations and related program management. In his current role, he manages major Pharma accounts for Wipro in the US.

Session Title: Using Proficy To Predict Production Workflow Challenges

Steve was born in Alexandria, Virginia. He attended Purdue University and after graduation went to work for Subaru of Indiana Automotive. He is currently in Production Control in the Central Control Room. In the Subaru manufacturing facility the Control Room maintains and implements all the IT systems that run the plant floor. Over the Last 5 years he has been working with Matrix Technologies replacing the plant’s original control and monitoring systems.

Session Title: Instruction Manual for a Successful PAT Deployment

Peter Stancato is an Associate Director for Novartis where he is currently the PAT Global Business Analyst, responsible for coordinating IT related PAT activities for their manufacturing sites. During his 20 years at Novartis, Peter has been responsible for the development and installation of various plant floor, LIMS and automated warehousing systems as well as management of IT activities for Novartis U.S. Pharmaceutical Operations.

Session Title: Production Management Case Study

Mikael has a background as a chemical process engineer. Since 2004 he has worked with refining the Industrial IT solutions within Eka Chemicals globally. His present position is Industrial IT Application responsible, in that position he leads Industrial IT development projects and is responsible for the development of Industrial IT end user functionality. Mikael lives in the west coast town Kungälv in Sweden together with his family with two kids.

Session Title: Proficy Maintenance Gateway – Transforming your Asset Management

Dr. Ananth Seshan is the CEO of Automatika, Ltd. located in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Seshan has over 22 years of experience in flexible automation of manufacturing, Productivity and Quality Improvement through automation technologies and is an expert in the field of asset maintenance in manufacturing. Dr. Seshan was an invited member of the Special Task Force set up by the Canadian government to plan advanced manufacturing technology initiatives for the Canadian Industry. Dr. Seshan has acted as a keynote speaker and chairperson of technical sessions in many international conferences and has published more than 25 technical papers and holds a patent. His basic degree is Production Engineering and he completed his Masters and Ph.D in Robotics and Manufacturing Automation in 1989 and 1992 respectively.

Lloyd G. Trotter is Vice Chairman of GE and President & CEO of GE Industrial, a $25 billion business including Consumer & Industrial, Security, Sensing & Inspection Technologies, GE Fanuc Automation and Equipment Services. Prior to this role, Trotter was Executive Vice President, Operations, where he improved operational excellence across GE's businesses. Mr. Trotter began his GE career in 1970 as a field service engineer and held positions in Lighting, Gas Turbine, Appliances and Electrical Distribution & Control (ED&C) businesses. In 1992, he became President and CEO of ED&C. In 1998 when ED&C merged with GE Industrial Controls Systems, he was named a GE Senior Vice President and President & CEO of the new Industrial Systems. In January 2004, Trotter was named President & CEO of GE Consumer & Industrial, a $14 billion business of the merged Consumer Products, Industrial Systems and Supply businesses.

Session Title: Case Study Proficy Batch

Torbjorn Johansson holds a Master of Science Degree from University of Lund in Sweden. He has been with Novotek since 1998, and is currently a Business Area Manager for Production Management. Before that he was employed in various management roles with Alfa Laval Automation in Sweden and Norway and previously with SattControl in Sweden and the UK.

Session Title: Startup New Lines on Time & On Budget With More Flexibility

Jayaprakash Narasimhiah leads the PLM CoE in Wipro Technologies. He is responsible for client engagement, business development and practice management at Wipro. He has extensive experience in PLM consulting, designing and Implementing PLM solutions and product design. He has more than 12 years experience in Engineering and PLM domain.

Session Title: Startup New Lines on Time & On Budget With More Flexibility

Partha Mukherjee heads the Automotive Centre of Excellence at Wipro technologies . He drives industry solutions that addresses emerging pain areas across the Automotive value chain and is also responsible along with his team for bringing in business insights and perspectives into the execution of IT projects. He brings in extensive cross functional industry experience from Maruti Suzuki India (prior to Wipro) where he worked for 13 years across functions as diverse as Production , Vendor Development , Corporate Leasing & Fleet Management and Genuine Accessories.

Session Title: Smart Machining for Tomorrow: Enabling "First Part Correct" Manufacturing

Paul R. Warndorf is Vice President-Technology for AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology. He is responsible for activities related to research and development, standards, and review of machine tool industry technology needs. He serves on committees for the Coalition on Manufacturing Technology Infrastructure, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 79), and is the Chair of the Department of Commerce Material Processing and Equipment Technical Advisory Committee (MPETAC).

Mr. Warndorf graduated from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio with a degree in Electrical Engineering and received an MBA from Xavier University also in Cincinnati.

Session Title: Learn to Speak "Step NC"

Martin Hardwick is the team leader of an ISO STEP group that develops standards for manufacturing and the president of STEP Tools, Inc. a software company that develops software to enable the deployment of standards based solutions. He has been working on STEP-NC since 1999 and before that he was a key developer of the STEP data exchange standard that is now available in more than one million CAD stations. In another life Dr. Hardwick is a Professor of Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has been the lead investigator for numerous NSF, DARPA and DoD programs.

Session Title: Smart Machining for Tomorrow: Enabling “First Part Correct” Manufacturing

Dr. John Snyder, Program Manager, has more than 10 years of research and technical experience in the area of manufacturing and is currently technical lead for the Smart Machine Platform Initiative program, as such, leads a team in the validation, demonstration, development and implementation of existing and new manufacturing technology and products.

Session Title: Increase Operational Effectiveness – Reduce Costs While Increasing Capacity & Reliability.

Mike Powers is an Associate Director with Procter & Gamble’s Global Product Supply organization. In this role, Mike is responsible for global product supply technology, intellectual property, external Connect & Develop relationships that support P&G’s business needs, and more. With a career at P&G spanning over 30 years, Mike previously was responsible for global manufacturing and development of P&G’s PuR® water filtration business, and global supply chain planning and coordination for the company’s Family Care businesses on four continents. Additionally, Mike led Plant Operations for P&G’s Albany, Georgia, plant for more than 15 years. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA in Industrial Management from University of Tennessee.

Session Title: Raise the Bottom Line by Reducing Total Machine Expense

Todd Stafne, Principal Controls Systems Engineer, has over 20 years of experience in automation and control system engineering working in the semiconductor, oil and gas, and mining industries while working for OEM's as well as Systems Integrators. His roles have included process engineering, PLC and HMI/SCADA software application development, safety systems, electrical controls and MCC design, as well as project management. Todd's most recent work at Edwards - Chemical Management Division has focused significant effort in developing a new HMI standard for their products. He has lead several groups of engineers in various projects throughout his career as he continues to develop his leadership skills. Todd is married and has five children, enjoys working on cars, and performing vocally in several choirs.

Session Title: Startup New Lines on Time and On Budget with More Reliability

Bryan Cunningham is a Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Nissan North America. In this role, Bryan is responsible for Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), supply chain management, energy management and control, data collection and pokayoke, management reporting, and PC and PLC control systems. With more than 8 years of control system experience and 12 years of IT experience in the automotive industry, Bryan designs, develops, manages and integrates manufacturing systems at Nissan. Bryan holds a BS in Computer Science from University of Tennessee at Martin. He and his wife, Rhonda, have 5 children.

Session Title: True Plant Solutions From Control to Production Management

Craig Resnick covers the PLC, PAC, HMI, OIT and Industrial PC markets as well as the Packaging, Plastics and Rubber Industries for ARC. He is the primary analyst for many of ARC's Automation Supplier and Financial Service clients. Craig's focus areas also include Production Management, OEE, HMI Software, Automation Platforms, and Embedded Systems. Craig has 26 years experience in sales, marketing, product development, and project management in the industrial market, gained with major suppliers of PLCs, process control systems, power transmission equipment, and field devices. Craig is a graduate of Northeastern University with an MBA and BS in Electrical Engineering.

Session Title: Using Proficy To Predict Production Workflow Challenges

Les was born in Valparaiso, Indiana. He attended Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and graduated with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1986. After college, Les worked as a Controls Engineer for Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana. While with Cummins, Les worked on data communications projects. He is currently with Matrix Technologies, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana and has the primary responsibility for developing integration strategies and supervising the deployment of HMI, PLC, and Level 2 systems. He has worked on multiple projects for the automotive and steel industries including; large plant wide monitoring and production control systems, high capacity historian systems, and complex database applications.

Session Title: Using Integration and Standards to Improve TCO and Flexibility in the Global Manufacturing Environment

Thomas Howe is currently the Global Architecture Manager for GM’s Manufacturing & Quality - Plant Architecture Group. In this role, Thomas is responsible for architecting GM’s plant IT systems that are deployed worldwide in a footprint that spans over 20 countries and across more than 180 manufacturing facilities. Thomas has over 15 years of experience architecting some of the most complex enterprise systems for some of the largest corporations. Prior to joining GM, Thomas was Managing Partner at Meritage Technologies. Thomas began his career with GE’s Information Systems Management Program and served more than 5 years with GE Capital and GE Aircraft Engines. Thomas holds a BFA and MS in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University.

Session Title: SCADA Made Easy, Presented by Catapult Software

Tony Haresnape is the founder and President of Catapult Software. Tony has been involved in the development and deployment of SCADA systems for electric and other utilities for over 20 years. Catapult has been supplying SCADA systems since 1991 and developing SCADA functionality for Proficy iFIX since 1999. "iPower" SCADA is Proficy iFIX with additional functionality that makes it ideal for electric utility, oil&gas and water applications.

Session Title: Production Management Case Study

Joakim Hedendahl has a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from University West in Sweden. Since 2002 he has been involved in Eka´s Industrial IT activities building the Industrial IT platform, EPI (Eka Process Information). Currently assigned as System Responsible for the EPI system and acts as integration expert in many major projects utilizing the system. Joakim lives together with his wife

Session Title: Proficy Platform Workflow Roadmap

Ewa Pigna, Sr. Software and Solutions Architect, is responsible for gathering requirements and building the blueprint for standardized system architecture for integrated security applications. In partnership with the GE Security Commercial, Marketing, and Product Management teams, along with key enterprise customers, the Department of Homeland Security, State Department, Airports, and other government and military agencies, as part of a collective effort to respond to proposal solicitations for integrated GE Security solutions. In this role, Ewa also takes the lead to establish requirements for integration software across GE Security. Ewa has 25 years experience in software development and 20 years in the security industry.

Session Title: Proficy Platform Workflow Roadmap

Adithya drives the integration software technology for products across GE Security. The new Proficy Platform product will establish a common software platform to enable integration of GE Security, Enterprise Solutions, and third-party OEM products. Adithya joined GE in 2003 and has been in multiple Product Management and Product Development roles. Prior to GE, Adithya worked in Product Management leadership roles in the Semiconductor Equipment and IT industries. Adithya graduated with a B.S. and M.S in Computer Science and an MBA in International Business.