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Brent is the Managing Director of the Cleveland EY-Nottingham Spirk Innovation Hub, responsible for crafting exceptional client experiences, making breakthrough ideas reality and managing the collaboration with Nottingham Spirk. The Innovation Hub combines Nottingham Spirk’s offerings with EY capabilities to help businesses drive efficiency, resiliency, agility and growth throughout the value chain.
Brent earned his MBA from the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor’s degree in MIS (Management Information Systems) from the University of Dayton.
Brent has a passion for helping clients conceive, design, develop and commercialize disruptive and adjacent innovations – including new-to-the-world products, services, digital platforms, and overarching business models – that have the potential to positively impact billions of global consumers. Brent brings the same level of passion for helping clients digitally transform their enterprise operations to achieve step changes in productivity, throughput, quality, and associate engagement.
John Nottingham is co-CEO of Nottingham Spirk, a leading business and product innovation firm with over 1,350 patents, of which 95% have been commercialized. The Nottingham Spirk “Vertical Innovation Process” has helped client / partner companies earn over $50 billion in combined sales.
The NS innovation team has co-created such award-winning consumer and medical innovations as the Crest SpinBrush, the largest selling powered toothbrush line; Swiffer Sweep+Vac; Club Car Tempo Walk, world’s first autonomous golf caddie; Cardinal Health InPower Digital Medication Assistant; TecTraum, the first concussion therapy system and Medtronic CardioInsight EC Vue, the first non-invasive electrocardiographic mapping system. NS joined with InvestIndustrial in the acquisition of Jacuzzi Brands. Prior to the acquisition, NS performed an “Innovation Due Diligence Process.” NS is now helping to disrupt and re-imagine the entire hot tub and spa industry through its partnership with InvestIndustrial. As a result, Jacuzzi sales have over doubled and profits have quadrupled.
John Nottingham serves on the Cleveland Clinic Board of Trustees, Case Western Reserve University Technology Commercialization Board, boards of CWRU think[box] maker space, Great Lakes Biomimicry, as well as several private equity company boards of directors.
John is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. As the lead patent holder on hundreds of US and international patents, he is in the top tier of individual inventors in the US. John is an inductee of the Inside Business Hall of Fame and a Winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
John has presented numerous times on the subject of breakthrough innovation, and he has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, NBC Nightly News, CNBC, SiriusXM, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, Japan Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, New York Times, Wired, Fast Company and a TEDx Talk: “Embrace Ambiguity.”
Lourenco Goncalves has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs since August 2014. He designed and led the company through a major strategic initiative transforming Cleveland-Cliffs into a leading player in the U.S. steel industry, starting with a complete financial turnaround, followed by growth initiatives in the metallics market and the entry into the steel business. In 2017, Cliffs started the construction in Toledo, Ohio of the world’s most modern Direct Reduction plant, which started operations in November 2020. Mr. Goncalves led the acquisition of AK Steel in March 2020, followed by the acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA in December 2020. With these two major acquisitions, Cleveland-Cliffs is now the largest flat-rolled steel company and the largest iron ore pellet producer in the United States and in North America, holding an industry-leading market position in automotive steel. With the Toledo plant, Cleveland-Cliffs became the sole producer in the Great Lakes region of hot briquetted iron (HBI), an environmentally friendly metallic feedstock designed to reduce GHG emissions.
Prior to Cleveland-Cliffs, Mr. Goncalves served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Metals USA Holdings Corp., a leading American manufacturer and processor of steel and other metals, for over 10 years. Prior to Metals USA, Mr. Goncalves served as President and Chief Executive Officer of California Steel Industries, Inc. for 5 years. Prior to that, he was employed by Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), a major steel and mining company in Brazil, where he held several positions in operations and sales. From October 2011 to April 2014, Mr. Goncalves was a board member of Ascometal SAS, a manufacturer of special steel headquartered in Paris, France.
Mr. Goncalves serves on the Board and is Chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute. Mr. Goncalves is a Distinguished Member and Fellow of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST). He received AIST’s “Steelmaker of the Year” Award for the year 2021. Also in 2021, S&P Global Platts presented Mr. Goncalves with the “CEO/Chairperson of the Year” Global Metals Award, which honors a leader who is highly respected by both peers and competitors, admired and followed by employees, trusted by investors and welcomed by the community. Under Mr. Goncalves’ leadership, Cleveland-Cliffs was awarded by S&P Global Platts the top Global Metals Award as the “2021 Metals Company of the Year” and the “2021 Deal of the Year” Global Metals Award. Mr. Goncalves was also presented with the 2021 “Steel Advocate of the Year” Award, from Fastmarkets. In 2022, Mr. Goncalves was presented with the Willy Korf/Ken Iverson Steel Vision Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the steel industry while promoting goodwill and integrity.
Mr. Goncalves earned a Master of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and a Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Military Institute of Engineering in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ron Hall is President and Chief Executive Officer at Bridgewater Interiors, LLC. Bridgewater is an automotive interiors manufacturing firm, specializing in just-in-time assembly, sequencing, and delivery of seating systems. It employs more than 2,400 people at four facilities in the U.S. Ron has been with the company in various roles of increasing responsibility since 2007, succeeding his father, company founder Ron Hall, Sr., in 2015.
A lawyer by training, Ron spent the several years of his early career as a Detroit-based corporate attorney at Dykema, PLLC, a prominent business law firm. He earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a Darrow Scholar, received the Book Award for excellence in Administrative Law, and served as an associate editor on the Michigan Journal of International Law.
Mujeeb Ijaz is the founder of Our Next Energy (ONE), a Michigan-based energy storage technology company. Ijaz has over 30 years of experience developing electric vehicles and battery systems technologies, focusing on furthering the adoption of electric vehicles through advancements in battery safety, range, and cost.
Before founding ONE, Ijaz led teams at Ford Motor Co. and developed Ford’s Edge with HySeries Drive, the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 that set a land speed record at Bonneville in 2007, and the Chrysler ENVI project. Before that, he was president of A123’s Venture Technologies unit, where he and his team led the development of Li-Ion battery solutions for electric vehicles. He was also once a senior director at Apple, where he developed novel energy storage solutions.
A graduate of Virginia Tech, Ijaz holds 31 U.S. patents in the field of battery technology and energy management systems.
Carolyn Lee is the president and executive director of the Manufacturing Institute.
Ms. Lee leads the Institute in its goal of building a resilient manufacturing workforce prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Ms. Lee was named to the leadership role at the MI in 2017, and during her leadership tenure the MI has grown significantly, evolving for scaled impact nationwide across the manufacturing industry. She led the MI as it developed new programs, initiatives and events, including taking stewardship from Toyota of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education in 2019 and growing its reach; inaugurating the annual MI Workforce Summit; launching the 35×30 mentorship initiative for women and young girls; expanding the MI’s Heroes MAKE America initiative; working with the National Association of Manufacturers to develop Creators Wanted—the manufacturing industry’s largest national workforce development and education campaign; and partnering with organizations such as Stand Together Trust to create the MI’s Second Chance Hiring Initiative.
Through implementing groundbreaking programs, convening industry leaders and conducting innovative research, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues.
Ms. Lee was raised in a manufacturing family; as the daughter and granddaughter of manufacturers, she saw from a young age the transformative impact manufacturing can have on communities, families and the men and women who build the world around us. Now it’s what drives her values as she works to bring manufacturing’s powerful potential to more Americans, sharing the many pathways to opportunity and ensuring that the industry and America can compete in the global economy.
Prior to her role leading the Institute, Ms. Lee served for many years on the domestic policy team at the NAM. She also worked in leadership positions with the Telecommunications Industry Association and 3M and in the offices of former Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and former Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY).
As CEO and Chief Economic Competitiveness Officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and President and Chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund, Quentin implements and executes MEDC’s core mission of business development and attraction, community development, providing access to capital and enhancing Michigan’s brand with a focus on building a strong, equitable economy for all Michiganders. He manages the administration of all programs, funds, personnel, contracts, and other administrative functions of MEDC.
Quentin is a member of Governor Gretchen E. Whitmer’s cabinet and serves on the boards of the American Center for Mobility, Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. He is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Investment Advisory Council, the University of Michigan’s Innovation Partnerships National Advisory Board, and the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions.
He was named by Financial Times as a member of the 2021 Agenda Diversity 100, Crain’s Detroit Business as one of the Newsmakers of the Year (2022) and 50 Names to Know in Government (2021), Biz New Orleans as CEO of the Year (2020) and Businessperson of the Year (2019), Consultants Connect as one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers (2020, 2019) and Ebony Magazine for its Ebony Power 100 as a Power Player (2018).
Pavan Muzumdar is the chief operating officer of Automation Alley, Michigan’s Industry 4.0 knowledge center. Blending his 20-plus years of experience in executive leadership roles with his love of financial analysis and entrepreneurial endeavors, Pavan brings a people-focused, fundamentals-based analytical approach to his work.
Pavan is an Industry 4.0 expert who is often invited to speak at conferences and is a regular participant in panel discussions related to digital transformation. Pavan has been instrumental to the success of Automation Alley’s Industry 4.0 programs and services, including taking a leading role in the creation and management for Project DIAMOnD, Automation Alley’s 3D printing network.
In addition to his role at Automation Alley, Pavan is also the founder of PCS Insight LLC, a company that teaches leaders of growing companies how to increase profits by intensifying happiness and reducing friction in the workplace, resulting in greater productivity and long-term success. Pavan is also the author of the book “Venture Perfect: The Leadership System to Maximize Teamwork and Profit in Your Business.”
He is a CFA charter holder and has master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Bombay.
Jerry has some 20 years of experience in the robotics industry, including time at three of the world’s largest robot OEMs. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
FANUC America is a leading supplier of robotics, CNCs, and Robomachines, with more than 25 million products installed worldwide. From small shops to large assembly operations, manufacturers rely on FANUC automation to improve productivity, increase quality, maximize profits and maintain a competitive edge. FANUC offers a large selection of robot and cobot models with payload capacities from 0.5 to 2,300 kilograms. The company also offers add-ons, such as integrated vision, simulation, and IIoT monitoring to prevent downtime.
Vice President, Travelers
Keith Andersen has 30 years of property casualty insurance industry experience across multiple lines of insurance business. He currently leads the Claim General Liability product area and through close collaboration with Claim’s field management teams and business areas, is responsible for the group’s operational and resolution excellence, innovation initiatives and advancing its severity and litigation strategies.
Senior Director-Strategy – Business Analytics, Armanino
As a leader in the Consulting practice, Ryan leads Armanino’s Business Analytics and Automation group. With more than 25 years of professional technical consulting experience, he helps clients of all sizes and in every industry put technology at the front of solving complex problems. His experience allows him to analyze business operations and thoughtfully recommend tailored and scalable solutions that provide productivity and efficiency improvements while reducing data-related errors.
Ryan’s technical experience, coupled with his background of architecting solutions, enables him to understand his clients’ unique business goals and help them build a long-term strategy. Ryan is passionate about working with his team of world-class technologists to help clients move to more efficient and stable day-to-day processes.
Assistant Vice President and Manufacturing Segment Leader, Travelers Insurance
Brian Gerritsen, CPCU, ARM is an Assistant Vice President and Manufacturing Segment Leader at Travelers Insurance.
Leveraging over 20 years in the industry, he is responsible for delivering insurance products, risk reduction and claim solutions that focus on employee and product safety, unique asset protection, supply chain resiliency, and maintaining marketplace brand and reputation.
He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine.
President North America Strategies, STS Capital Partners
Andy Harris is a proven M&A leader, CEO, active board member, and passionate advisor with 30 years of leadership experience who thrives to deliver results through M&A. As President, North American Strategies of STS Capital, Andy offers consulting to our clients and team on M&A deals while providing his expert guidance through all phases of the transaction process. In addition to performing the responsibilities of a Managing Director, Andy is responsible for expanding engagements with key strategic partners in North America to build enduring relationships for STS.
Within his career as CEO and as M&A advisor, Andy has personally led over 30 M&A transactions, which range from strategic acquisitions of privately-held companies and corporate carve-outs to selling to strategic buyers. His deal experience ranges from $20M to $670M, with total value exceeding $1.5B. He has helped many business owners achieve between 40% to 100% premiums over market value for their business by helping them find the right strategic buyer.
Andy is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), which is a global leadership community of chief executives and business owners. He participates as a key facilitator at YPO’s annual three-day M&A Playbook symposium where he shares his thought leadership as an industry expert.
Prior to joining STS Capital, Andy was President and CEO of Accella Performance Materials from 2012-2017. He led Accella to grow in revenue by 6x and profit by 8x under 5 years through organic and acquisitive growth (14 acquisitions), culminating in a strategic sale to the Carlisle Companies.
Practice Leader, Industrial Manufacturing, Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC
Jason is a partner at Cherry Bekaert focused on growing Industrial and Consumer Goods practice. He assists the firm’s clients in their efforts to accelerate growth, optimize supply chains, truly aim for carbon neutrality, uplift their digital enterprise tools, implement AI tools and optimize their tax strategy along the way.
From 2016 – 2022, Jason was CEO and Board Member of Skullcandy, where he led a strong global team distributed in ~100 countries, competing against a few of the world’s most popular brands (Apple, Samsung, Beats, Bose and Sony). Skullcandy cultivated a gritty underdog mentality, grew Adj. EBITDA by >4x in 9 years & revenue by ~2x in 9 years, led the domestic audio market in mass market share (NPD; prices < $100), and sold ~20 million units per annum globally. In March 2022 we were honored by Walmart as their “Consumer Electronics Supplier of the Year” while at the same time winning a 2021 Utah Green Business Award and a 2021 Business Intelligence Group (BIG) Sustainability Award.
Under his leadership, Skullcandy was named by Deloitte and the Wall Street Journal as a “US Best Managed Company” in 2020, 2021 and 2022 citing its values-driven culture, data-driven leadership, strategic process, brand strength, global distribution and digital-first attack. The company was named a Top 50 “Best Places to Work” by Outdoor Magazine in November 2019.
Prior to becoming CEO, Jason was CFO of Skullcandy from 2013-2016. He als has CFO experience with Connexity, Move Networks and the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.
Partner, Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC
As a Tax Partner at Cherry Bekaert, Ron has more than 25 years of experience in the area of taxation. He serves a diverse client base including multi-national, public and closely held companies. Clients who depend on Ron’s guidance inhabit several industries including manufacturing, distribution, technology, life sciences, energy, real estate, construction, and private equity. Based in the Firm’s Raleigh office, he guides clients through several taxation matters, including international and domestic tax, provisions, FIN 48, tax controversy, federal/state tax credits, and complex transactional matters. Ron has extensive practical experience bringing value to clients.
Prior to joining Cherry Bekaert, Ron was a tax partner with an international firm for ten years, followed by several years with a regional firm. During his career, he spent seven years in a national tax role in Washington, DC, focusing on domestic and international tax issues, mergers and acquisitions and IRS tax controversy matters.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
