Dr. Anita Friis Sommer is Associate Professor in Innovation Management and Chief Operating Officer of the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center. She is an internationally recognized expert in mission-driven innovation and technology leadership, combining senior leadership experience from the LEGO Group with academic research. Anita is the co-creator of the Agile-Stage-Gate® with Dr. Robert…
Aaron P. Stebner is the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing, a James R. and Sarah R. Border Faculty Fellow, and Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also serves as Associate Director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute…
David Bem is senior vice president, science and technology and chief technology officer of PPG. He joined PPG in November 2015. Since 2016, Bem has been a member of PPG’s operating committee and serves as assistant secretary of the board’s Sustainability and Innovation Committee. Prior to joining PPG, Bem worked for Dow Chemical, where his…
Frank Johnson is the Chief Technology Officer at Niron Magnetics. Frank leads the technology development team for Niron’s rare-earth-free magnet technology. He has over 30 years of experience in R&D of advanced materials, focusing on the development of nanostructured magnetic materials. Frank joined Niron Magnetics in March 2018. Prior to joining Niron Magnetics, Frank worked…
Dr. Strite is Senior Director of Strategic Marketing at IPG Photonics where he oversees the launch of transformational laser technologies into new applications and markets. He earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1993. His early career focused on the commercialization of diode lasers for fiber optic telecommunications at…
Scot is currently responsible for sustainability initiatives across all Whirlpool manufacturing and warehouse operations globally. He brings 35+ years of experience in environmental, manufacturing and materials engineering, cost optimization and new product development to his current Sustainability role. He has worked in both the automotive and appliance industries, driving product and manufacturing sustainability improvements throughout…
Matt Reiter serves as a lead engineer for the Innovation Engineering team and Corporate Subject Matter Expert for welding processes at Whirlpool Corporation. He brings nearly two decades of strategic engineering leadership spanning the home appliance, energy, and defense sectors. A recognized expert in advanced joining technologies and industrial laser applications, Matt has driven transformative…
Chance Willis is the Global Business Development Manager for Industrial Coatings at IPG Photonics, where he leads strategic initiatives focused on accelerating the adoption of laser-based processing technologies across the paint and coatings industry, worldwide. He conceptualized, then led the development and launch of IPG Photonics’ PhotoniCURE system, the world’s first commercially available laser curing…
Justin Martin is Director of Front-End Innovation for PPG, a global leader in paints, coatings and specialty products. Prior to PPG, Justin studied inorganic chemistry and polymer science at Binghamton University. Justin’s work at PPG has spanned numerous technology platforms including precipitated silicas, pretreatment and electrocoat, chromate free primers for the aerospace industry, aerospace sealants…
Patrick Deconinck is a retired Senior Vice President of 3M, where he built a distinguished 39‑year career marked by leadership across global sales, marketing, and business management. He joined 3M in 1976 in his home country of Belgium and rose through the organization to become a senior executive in 2001, relocating to St. Paul, Minnesota.
