| Guest Speakers | |
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General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) General Powell became the 65th Secretary of State on January 20, 2001. As he stated at his confirmation hearing, the guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy during his tenure was that "America stands ready to help any country that wishes to join the democratic world." |
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Erik Autor, Vice President Erik Autor is Vice President and International Trade Counsel to the National Retail Federation in Washington, DC, where he serves as the principal advisor on international trade, customs, international transportation, and international labor issues to the world’s largest retail trade association and its member companies, including the leading department, specialty, discount, mass merchandise, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, and grocery stores. |
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Ray Barnard, CIO Ray Barnard is executive vice president and chief information officer of Fluor Corporation and has served in his current position since February 2002. Prior to joining Fluor Corporation, Barnard held various executive positions with TradeMC, ENSCO Corporation and IBM Corporation. Barnard has served as vice president of Operations, vice president of Global Systems and in various senior management positions in information technology, engineering, manufacturing, and sales. He has also been a management consultant for several companies, including DuPont, United Technologies Corporation, Engelhard, Proctor & Gamble and American Board. |
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Irial Finan, President, Irial Finan is Executive Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company and President of Bottling Investments and Supply Chain, with responsibility for managing a $5 billion internal Bottling business, stewarding The Company’s Equity Investments and leading the Supply Chain. Irial has 26 years experience in The Coca-Cola System. From 2001 to 2003, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola HBC, during which time he managed the merger integration of Coca-Cola Beverages plc and Hellenic Bottling SA, and led the combined company's operations in 26 countries. From 1995 to 1999, he was managing director of Molino Beverages, with responsibility for expanding markets, including the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Romania, Moldova, Russia and Nigeria. Prior to that role, Irial worked in several markets across Europe. From 1991 to 1993 he served as managing director of Coca-Cola Bottlers Ulster, Ltd., based in Belfast. He was finance director, Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland, Ltd., based in Dublin from 1984 to 1990. Irial serves on the boards of directors of Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Irial holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from National University of Ireland in Galway and is an Associate (later Fellow) of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants. |
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Anita Roper Anita Roper joined Alcoa in a newly created position as Director of Sustainability in January 2004. She is responsible for coordinating the ongoing activities in sustainable development and initiating and deploying new programs for the company in this important area. Anita came to Alcoa after serving as acting secretary general of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) located in London, England from November 2002 until September 2003. Prior to that post, she served as deputy secretary general of ICMM, where her role as Chief Operating Officer gave her the responsibility for managing the council’s day-to-day operations. Leading up to her role with the ICMM, Anita went on a temporary assignment in November 1999 from WMC Resources Ltd., an Australian-based mineral resources company, to serve on the Global Mining Initiative (GMI). The world’s leading mining, metals and minerals companies sponsored the GMI to develop their industry’s role in the transition to sustainable development. The GMI contributed to preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in South Africa in September 2002 and resulted in the creation of the ICMM. From June 1998 until January 2001, Anita was on another temporary assignment from WMC to the International Council on Metals and the Environment (ICME) in Ottawa, Canada and served as its vice president of external relations. Prior to being sent on temporary overseas assignments, Anita managed WMC’s public policy unit at the company’s headquarters in Melbourne. Anita serves on the board of directors of the Women’s Network for Sustainable Future and sits on the editorial board for the publication, Corporate Responsibility Management. Anita holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She is married to Thomas William Roper and has three stepchildren. She was born December 7, 1960 in Melbourne. |
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Howard Smith, Global Vice President Howard Smith is responsible for Polo Ralph Lauren’s Global Supply Chain operations. In this role, Howard and his team are charged with developing and implementing supply chain solutions for all Polo Ralph Lauren brands and divisions. Howard moved to the US in 2005, having led the re-engineering of supply chain and customer operations in Europe, where he directed the consolidation of shared service functions across Europe into a new headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and also completed the relocation of logistics operations to new state-of-the-art facilities in Parma, Italy. Before joining Polo, Howard worked as Head of Supply Chain at the UK department store group Selfridges, where he was responsible for leading the re-engineering of its logistics network, including the outsourcing of all DC and store receiving operations, the introduction of cross-dock and pre-pack programs, and launching vendor development programs that extended the reach of supply chain control and visibility to high-end fashion suppliers across Europe. Prior to Selfridges, Howard worked in successive operational and development roles with the global 3PL organizations Salvesen and P&O. As General Manager of P&O’s Fashion & Apparel Division, he worked with a high profile customer base developing supply chain strategy and implementing multiple complex pan-European distribution networks and facilities. |
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Tom van Laar Thomas van Laar is the Head of Global Technical Operations at Novartis Pharma and a member of the Pharma Executive Committee (PEC) since November 2004. He is responsible for overall manufacturing and supply for the Pharma division of Novartis AG. Technical Operations has an operating budget of $3 billion, 9500 employees and 25 manufacturing sites around the world. Thomas van Laar has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, and an MBA from Northwestern University. |
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Jim Waters,Vice President James D. Waters, Jr., Vice President, of the Caterpillar Production Systems Division since December 1, 2005. This new division will lead an enterprise transformation of manufacturing systems to help set a “gold standard” for quality, safety and speed in industry. Jim will provide leadership to this enterprise effort, drawing on his strong systems and process skills as well as his product and manufacturing management experience gained in Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. Waters joined Caterpillar in 1978 as an engineering co-op trainee. After graduating from Iowa State University in 1981 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Waters worked in manufacturing where he was responsible for the development and implementation of vision-based robotic welding technology. He was appointed factory Superintendent/Manufacturing Engineering Manager and three years later moved to Japan's Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi (a joint venture between Caterpillar and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) hydraulic excavator development where he held numerous positions ranging from coordinating manufacturing plans for hydraulic excavator manufacturing in France, United States, Belgium and Japan to Component Design Department Manager. In 1994, Waters accepted the position of Managing Director of Production and with it the responsibility for manufacturing operations in Sagami and Akashi, Japan. At that time, he also became a board member for Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi. He moved to England in 1996, where he had direct responsibility for all building and construction manufactured and/or sold into Europe including factories in Leicester and Stockton, England. In 2002, Waters became General Manager of the Hydraulics and Hydraulic Systems business in Joliet, Illinois. He was responsible for the company's hydraulic components and integrated systems, including operations in Joliet, IL. Sumter, S.C. and Jesi, Italy. Waters holds a patent, which he received in 1985, for algorithms related to adaptive welding. |
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Don Weintritt Don Weintritt is the Global Supply Chain Director of Dow's Supply Chain Technology and Expertise Center and is located in Midland, Michigan. He is a member of the Supply Chain Leadership Team and leads Dow's Supply Chain Technology and Expertise Center activities across the globe. Don has held various positions in R&D, Manufacturing and Supply Chain for Union Carbide, ANGUS Chemical, and Dow. These positions included UNIPOL Polypropylene and Low Pressure Oxo R&D, ANGUS process engineering and supply chain leadership, and Custom and Fine Chemicals supply chain director. In 2004, Don was named as the Global Supply Chain Expertise Leader for the Planning and Scheduling, Metrics, Reporting, Coding, and Security Expertise Center. In 2005, he was named to his current position, where he has led the effort to define the most effective supply chain tools and processes and how to leverage these across the Performance Chemicals and Thermosets, Chemicals and Intermediates, Plastics and Dow AgroSciences portfolios. |
| AMR Research Speakers | |
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Mike Burkett Mike Burkett is regarded as the leading expert in product lifecycle management (PLM), co-authoring the first industry publication that defined the market. As a vice president for AMR Research’s Value Chain Strategies team, Mike draws on more than 15 years of experience introducing and supporting products from concept to end-of-life. Over the past eight years at AMR Research, Mike, a Six Sigma Master Blackbelt, has conducted a variety of research on software developments and business issues. He currently focuses on product management and innovation, while specializing in value chain issues that are specific to aerospace and defense companies. Prior to joining AMR Research, Mike worked as a senior manufacturing engineer at The Foxboro Co. where he conducted training in Six Sigma and lean manufacturing techniques, leading projects in new product cycle-time reduction, and order-entry process improvements. Prior to Foxboro Mike was a motion control applications engineer for EG&G. Mike is a member of the Product Development Management Association (PDMA) as well as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He has been quoted in numerous trade publications as well as Fortune Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Mike holds a B.S. in manufacturing engineering technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Babson College. |
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Tony Friscia Tony Friscia founded AMR Research in 1986 with a vision of creating industry-specific research that the world’s leading companies could use to leverage technology and to shape current and future business strategies. Today, this vision has become a research advisory firm recognized for its ideas, objectivity, quality of research, and positive impact on clients’ businesses. As president and CEO, Tony oversees all research and client service strategy. During the past 20 years, Tony has significantly expanded the breadth and depth of coverage for AMR Research, enabling the firm to become one of the leading providers of business research as well as domain experts within the industrial, retail, consumer goods, and life sciences industries. Under Tony’s leadership, AMR Research was instrumental in defining the manufacturing execution systems market and creating the Manufacturing Execution Systems Association (MESA). He also collaborated with PRTM to create the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model and establish the Supply Chain Council to drive consensus among large organizations on how to develop and execute supply chain strategies. Today, both of these associations continue to exist as successful non-profits serving the industry. Prior to founding the company, Tony held a variety of management positions with technology product companies as well as leading market research and consulting firms. He started his career at IBM in the Systems Communications Division. Tony is a featured speaker at leading industry conferences and has been widely published within business and trade publications. He has been interviewed by the international business and trade media, as well as CNN and CNBC, for his opinions on the future of the technology industry. Tony is a graduate of Vassar College. |
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Robert Garf Rob Garf leads AMR Research's Retail Strategies Service. He brings more than 15 years of experience with leading retail organizations to his role as vice president. Rob advises line-of-business and technology executives regarding store and cross-channel operations. He covers specific processes and technologies such as workforce and task management, customer intelligence and loyalty, advanced selling strategies, and cross-channel operations. Prior to joining AMR Research, Rob worked for several retailers in various parts of the organization, including home office, call center, warehouse, and stores. Most recently, Rob worked for Lids, a leading cross-channel specialty retailer. At Lid’s, Rob led cross-channel system development and marketing by integrating the new e-commerce channel with pre-existing operations. Rob is a frequent speaker at retail events and has been quoted as an expert in trade and top tier publications, such as RIS News, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and Internet Retailer. |
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Roddy Martin
Roddy is responsible for managing AMR Research's analysis and research in consumer products, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and chemical manufacturing. Roddy researches a variety of topics including systems support to operations, IT, and manufacturing strategy. Roddy was a key contributor in the development of AMR Research’s supply chain model. His research brings together the technical, business, and organizational issues faced when implementing IT architectures and applications. Roddy has over 27 years of experience, most recently as an executive at South African Breweries (SAB), one of the five largest brewers in the world. He had a leadership role in SAB's World Class Manufacturing program as well as the Strategic Corporate Change Management program. Prior to SAB, Roddy worked for ISCOR (Iron and Steel Manufacturers) as a technician and millwright. He also worked for G.H. Marais and Partners, an electrical and electronic engineering consulting firm. Roddy is frequently invited to speak at national and international trade conferences and is widely quoted in leading business and industry trade publications. Roddy's qualifications include a millwright trade, a technician’s diploma, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Pretoria, South Africa. |
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Kevin O’Marah Kevin is Vice President for Strategic Research. Kevin was formerly Vice President at Oracle Corporation responsible for supply chain applications strategies for the industrial manufacturing sector. Prior to Oracle, Kevin worked in supply chain reengineering with Cap Gemini/MAC Group and Mercer Management Consulting in London, San Francisco and Washington D.C. In addition, he focused on industry privatization in post-communist Poland with Warsaw based Company Assistance Ltd. He has published over 200 reports and articles in journals including, Harvard Business Review’s Supply Chain Strategy, Supply Chain Management Review, Manufacturing Business Technology and has been widely cited in press outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Financial Times, Business Week. Kevin holds a bachelor's degree from Boston College, a masters degree from Oxford University and an MBA from Stanford University. |
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Bruce M. Richardson Bruce Richardson brings more than 20 years of experience to his current role at AMR Research. Bruce has spent most of his career analyzing the software industry with a distinct emphasis on ERP and supply chain. Since joining AMR Research in 1988, he has been responsible for spearheading new market research and contributing to the company’s analysis of leading market trends in areas such as: ERP, supply chain management, service-oriented architectures, and software-as-a-service. Bruce is a sought after public speaker, having lectured and presented worldwide on the firm’s behalf nearly 500 times. He has covered and analyzed SAP since 1991 and made many early market predictions that have been realized, such as the rise of the advanced planning market and the evolution of MRP to ERP. Bruce also coined the term MES early in his role at AMR Research when he was responsible for all the written research that came from the firm. Prior to AMR Research, Bruce held senior marketing management positions within the software and networking industries. He currently serves on the New England Business Technology Association (NEBTA), Leadership Roundtable Series Advisory Board, and is an active member of the Boston College Technology Council. Bruce graduated cum laude from Boston College. |

















Drawing on two decades of analysis, AMR Research shares this opportunity for supply chain and technology professionals to make a difference for their companies... and for the world.