Moderator: Stewart Cramer, Chief Manufacturing Officer, NGen Canada
Stewart has over thirty-five years of diverse manufacturing and engineering leadership experience. Of particular relevance is his nearly twenty-years of experience as the Chief Executive Officer of multi-site SMEs in the advance manufacturing field serving customers in the aerospace, defense, automotive, energy and biomedical industries. Stewart’s companies were recognized leaders in the integration of advanced technologies into manufacturing operations, in conjunction with a strong underlying foundation in the principals of lean manufacturing and the theory of constraints. This was coupled with strong business and marketing principals to drive outstanding results.
Prior to achieving the role of CEO with SMEs performing contract advanced manufacturing services, Stewart worked as a Senior Research Engineer and technology transition specialist for Northrop Grumman Aerospace.This broad business and technical background has helped Stewart to become an expert in helping companies, particularly SMEs, in the successful adoption and exploitation of advanced manufacturing processes and technologies.
Panelist: Marilyn Ma, Co-Founder, Quali AI and AIXEL
Marylin Ma is a serial entrepreneur passionate about building artificial intelligence powered solutions for enterprise. She is the co-founder of Quali AI and AIXEL, which are helping manufacturers across industries automate quality inspection and robotic pick and place applications. Her previous company Navi was nominated for AI Company of the Year in 2017 and helped publishers engage and retain millions of readers. Previously she advised 100+ tech startups as a Manager and Advisor at Communitech. She has been an invited speaker, judge, and mentor for organizations such as IEEE, True North, Founder Institute, Startup Next, University of Waterloo.
Panelist: Mark Kozdras, Materials Scientist at CanmetMATERIALS
Mark is a program manager and materials scientist at the NRCan CanmetMATERIALS laboratory in Hamilton. With 9 years experience in the government related to advanced manufacturing and automotive materials, building on 21 years of managing research and product development in the automotive industry, he is widely known in industrial and academic circles. Mark is currently co-leading a global initiative, the Clean Energy Materials Innovation Challenge, to accelerate the development cycle for materials through self-driving laboratories. The initiative involves coupling artificial intelligence with robotics and high performance computing using a platform technology, MAPs – Materials Acceleration Platforms.
Mark completed his academic studies in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, completing his PhD on materials and manufacturing. He has been involved in technology development throughout his career and has 13 patents from his automotive experience. He is a regular contributor to scientific endeavours reviewing journal articles, technical proposals and academic funding initiatives in addition to his own program activities.
Panelist: Dan Shunk, Professor of Industrial Engineering, Arizona State University
Dan is a Professor of Industrial Engineering in the School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering at Arizona State University. He is also the PIMSA Chair for Innovation and Design at CETYS University in Baja, Mexico. Dan’s research focuses on computer integrated manufacturing, new product development, enterprise modeling and integration, and strategies for operational excellence. Working as a consultant for numerous companies, Dan’s innovative product and productivity solutions have earned him acclaim in the semiconductor, electronics, aerospace, and automotive industries.
Before his distinguished career at ASU, Dan co-founded the Integrated Computer-Aided Manufacturing (ICAM) Program for the United States Air Force and served as the Manager of Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Systems at the Rockwell Corp., the Manager of Planning and Group Technology at International Harvester, and the Vice President/General Manager of the CGA Corp.
Panelist: Ron Harper, President, Cogent Power
Ron Harper, P.Eng. is the President of Cogent Power Inc, a Burlington-based company that is an integral part of the North American supply chain for electrical steels for power generation equipment, motors, power and distribution transformers, and specialized magnetic components. Ron has worked in manufacturing for 35 years, mostly in senior leadership positions in marketing, engineering, operations and general management, and has been with Cogent since 1995. Ron has been working with his organization on its Lean journey since 2004 and has taken a highly personal role in leading the company and its teams to create a self-propelling lean organization and culture.
For the last 10 years, Ron served as a member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence Executive Committee and AME Board of Directors, including time as Chairman. Up until recently, he was also a highly active board member of The Centre for Skills Development and Training, in Canada, and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). Ron regularly advises on local government policies and initiatives with Next Generation Manufacturing.Ron is also a leading member of the strategic initiative for People Centric Leadership. This movement is intended to educate leaders to engage and lead teams in a manner to maximize job satisfaction and fulfillment, while creating significant value in business.
Panelist: Kithio Mwanzia, Network Manager for SONAMI, Niagara College
Kithio Mwanzia is the Network Manager for the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI), a regional, 7 institution partnership aimed at partnering with industry to develop disruptive solutions. Prior to this Kithio served as the President and CEO of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. Kithio has spent several years in a variety of capacities as a communications, government relations and management professional. He has developed thorough knowledge of working with member driven organizations in the bi-national region, having served in various capacities with the St. Catharines – Thorold Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. Prior to being named President and CEO of the Guelph Chamber he served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC). He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and public policy from Brock University, a certificate in public governance from the Institute on Governance, and has extensive knowledge working with business, government and community. Kithio is a recipient of the Business Link Top 40 Under 40 Business Achievement Award, the Guelph Mercury Top 40 Under 40 Award and the David Betzner Award for Volunteer Service.
