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Halimah Cleveland’s current role supports GE Appliances $118M investment in their new freestanding range models at Roper Corp. in Lafayette, GA. She began in 2023 as the Materials Director and then was appointed as a staff lead to maintain production excellence in all areas, while overseeing the total value streams which includes assembly, fabrication, finishing, materials, quality, safety, and people initiatives, for the off shifts.
Before this, Halimah was the Senior Manager of Manufacturing Operations at the Camden, SC facility for GE Appliances, as a key leader in the transformation of the site into a state-of-the-art, high-volume water heater production facility. She joined GE Appliances in April 2020 from Bosch, where she served as the Value Stream Manager, overseeing and expanding the largest Value-Added Services area in the Building Technologies division worldwide, catering to all North and South American markets.
Halimah’s career is a testament to her ability to take on roles with increasing responsibility and deliver results. Over 25 years, she has led large projects with engineering teams and floor personnel, gaining extensive experience. Notable highlights include her leadership in operations at OEM automotive suppliers Kautex Textron and Faurecia, and her role at Honeywell Aerospace where she managed site flow projects in addition to operations.
Her mission is to create products that wow and delight the customer, through innovation and technology, while engaging and empowering the workforce. Her passion for lean principles, technology, and most importantly, people, is the driving force behind her work.
Halimah is from Greenville, South Carolina, where she earned her associate degree in Industrial Electronics from Tri-County Technical College, a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Anderson University, and an MBA with a focus on International Management from California Intercontinental University.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
Dan Drouin is an accomplished automotive leader from Canada, who currently serves as the Vice President of Industry 4.0 at Lear Corporation in Southfield, Michigan.
Dan's career in the automotive industry began in 2000 when he joined Ford Motor Company as an Ergonomic Engineer.
During his tenure at Ford, he successfully completed new model product launches focusing on assembly feasibility and operator safety. Additionally, Dan was a key member of Ford's emerging virtual manufacturing and assembly team, where he played an essential role in optimizing product designs and production processes.
In 2004, Dan joined Lear Corporation and quickly worked his way up the ranks, holding various positions in Ergonomics, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, MP&L, and Operations. His contributions to the company have resulted in significant improvements in operator safety, supply chain optimization, productivity and operational efficiency.
Dan's leadership skills, technical acumen, and goal-oriented approach to tackling challenges have made him a respected and influential figure in the automotive industry.
He holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Human Kinetics from the University of Windsor.
Bio coming soon...
Senior IT Director at Ferrara Candy who leads information technology's strategic and operational aspects for the manufacturing and engineering functions. Over 8 years of experience in the CPG industry with a proven track record of delivering innovative, cost-effective solutions that enhance business performance and customer satisfaction. Recent experience has included two global ERP transformations.
Core competencies include supply chain planning, manufacturing process improvement, operational efficiency, and analytical skills. I have an MBA from the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago and hold PMP and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications. I aim to leverage my technical expertise and business acumen to drive IT transformation and enable growth and sustainability in the CPG industry.
As Vice President of Supply Chain at Proterra, Regina is responsible for 8 specific departments: Strategic sourcing, operative purchasing, logistics, materials, SIOP, Product Costing, Supplier Development, and Supply Chain Sustainability. Regina’s success is driven by working cross-functionally to lead business transformation throughout the broader organization. Regina serves as a strategic partner for the Supply Chain team, and strives to ensure that Proterra’s values, culture and engagement allows the company to continue to provide clean, quiet energy for all.
Regina is a key member of Proterra’s leadership and brings with her 20+ years of multi-national expertise in the areas of P&L Ownership and Improvement, Business Transformation, Turnarounds, Electrification, Strategic Partnership, Supply Chain and Logistics. Prior to joining Proterra as Vice President of Supply Chain, Regina served as Division Vice President of Terminal Tractors for Kalmar a part of Cargotec. Regina built an extensive career with Kalmar and served in many roles within the company including: Senior Strategic Buyer, Purchasing Manager Indirect Sourcing, Global Program Manager, and Head of Terminal Tractor Global Sourcing prior to leading the Terminal Tractor Business Division.
Regina has a Master of Business Administration from Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Emporia State University. Regina also holds a C.P.M certification from the Institute for Supply Management. She resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
Heitor Cauneto is a global operations leader with 20+ years of experience leading manufacturing excellence, centers of excellence and digital transformation. He holds a Doctorate and International MBA, and is passionate about leadership and developing teams.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Jason Neal works as a Transformational Operations Leader for GE Aerospace. He has over 20 years of operational experience, ranging from manufacturing, development, and transactional business systems. He has worked for GE Aerospace for 18 years of his career, with other time spent working for Delphi Automotive and Procter & Gamble in engineering research.
Jason has a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Strategic Management with a focus in Servant Leadership.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Scott Burkey is a Technology Fellow at Westrock, a global manufacturing and consumer packaging company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. He takes a pragmatic approach to implementing new ways of making training more effective and supporting front-line workers. Having worked as a software developer for over 20 years for brands like CNN, TBS/TNT and Coca-Cola, Scott now champions new technologies in the manufacturing industry which he believes will be one of the biggest adopters of augmented and virtual reality.
Prior to WestRock Scott delivered VR products for the National Basketball Association. He serves in an advisory capacity to startups and non-profits. Scott is a United States Marine Veteran that enjoys running and backpacking with his wife and 4 children in Atlanta, Georgia.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Larry Megan, Head of Digital at Baldwin Richardson Foods (BRF), is the proud husband of Amanda and father of four teenagers – Hannah, Tim, Emily, and Joshua. At BRF I serve as both Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer and am responsible for driving a digital transformation at BRF that supports our business growth and is worthy of World Economic Forum Lighthouse status, as well as managing the IT ecosystem for the organization.
Prior to joining BRF, I spent the previous two years as a principal starting a DoD funded non-profit called Advanced Manufacturing International, chartered with enabling Industry 4.0 capability for Small and Medium Manufacturers. Before AMI, I had a lengthy career at Praxair/Linde, a Fortune 100 chemical manufacturer. Roles included Corporate Fellow, Director of Productivity for R&D, and Global Head of Digital Innovation.
I am currently serving as a charter member of the Smart Manufacturing Executive Council, a national Industry 4.0 policy and advocacy organization sponsored by SME and CESMII. I also serve on the Board of Governors for the Manufacturing Leadership Council. I’m also on the advisory boards for the University at Buffalo (UB) Industrial Engineering Department and the UB Graduate School of Education Teacher Residency Program.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Jolly is an astute professional with vast experience in manufacturing/industrial environments, with a comprehensive education and training that have afforded him an excellent Knowledge of Engineering/manufacturing processes.
A strong Knowledge of agile Project management, Traditional project management, implementing Lean Manufacturing processes, DOE, Six Sigma design, Industry 4.0, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. He is a certified Scrum Master and Project Manager (PMP).
With over 15 years of advanced experience in a fast-paced and automated environment.
Jolly Possesses a Master's in Industrial Engineering and is currently a candidate for a Doctor of Philosophy Degree with a concentration in Artificial intelligence.
He has authored 3 articles in the field of Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Devin is the Founder and CEO of Squint, the leading platform for digitizing a factory's procedures using Augmented Reality (AR) on a mobile device. The Squint team is laser-focused on eliminating friction in training, operations, and maintenance on the shop floor.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Jeff Winter is one of the top Industry 4.0 thought leaders and influencers helping manufacturers digitally transform their business at scale. With over 17 years of experience working for different industrial automation product and solution providers, Jeff has a unique ability to simplify and communicate complex concepts to a wide range of audiences, educating and inspiring people from the shop floor up to the executive board room. As part of his experience, Jeff is also very active in the community of Industry 4.0. He currently is a part of the International Board of Directors for MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association), the leader of the Smart Manufacturing & IIoT Division of ISA (International Society of Automation), a U.S. registered expert for IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) as a member of TC 65, and is on the Smart Manufacturing Advisory Board for Purdue University.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Trent Randles has worked for Automotive Tier-1 suppliers for the last 10 years including Plastic Omnium, Magna Seating and BorgWarner. Holding various engineering positions in operations, design, program launch and engineering leadership has given him a unique perspective of the manufacturing industry. Throughout his career he’s led multiple digital transformation initiatives involving Digital Twins, Augmented Reality, and Cyber-Physical Production Systems.
In his current role as Manufacturing Engineering Manager at BorgWarner, he continues to promote digital technology advancement through educating others, coaching his team, and developing key partnerships.
Trent holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology Management from University of South Carolina – Upstate and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University. He is passionate about advancing technology in manufacturing, learning from others in this area and being a mentor to those seeking knowledge about it.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Tadas Jurgutis is the CCO of MangoGem S.A., a leader in advanced production planning and scheduling systems (APS) leveraging AI and computer science innovations. With extensive experience in international business development, sales, and technology-driven solutions, Tadas has co-founded ventures across industries, driving automation and efficiency in manufacturing operations.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Simply stated I am passionate about US manufacturing and particularly manufacturing here in South Carolina. For the past 6 years I have had the privilege of managing SCMEP’s field team and third-party resources. Prior to that I was SCMEP’s representative in a 10-county area in the north and west of our great state.
In a professional capacity, there is nothing more satisfying than supporting our team members as they work with South Carolina manufacturing companies (large or small) to help them reduce costs, increase sales, grow profits, and thrive. I believe that strong, profitable manufacturing companies are the very bedrock of our state and national economies.
With more than 35 years of manufacturing and consulting experience, I’ve learned what it takes to drive lasting operational improvement. That experience, coupled with SCMEP’s proprietary assessment tools, allows me to identify both the unique strategic and tactical initiatives required for success and then deliver and manage the world-class resources required to execute those initiatives.
Education and Certifications
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
Lean Manufacturing Trainer, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Professional Business Advisor (PBA), National Institute of Standards and Technology
Eureka! Winning Ways Growth Coach, Eureka! Ranch and NIST MEP
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Dr. Marcel Schäfer serves as Senior Research Scientist for the Fraunhofer USA Center Mid-Atlantic CMA in Maryland since January 2019. From 2009 to 2018 he was with Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technologies SIT in Germany. He owns a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wuppertal, Germany, and a PhD in computer science from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. As PI, Co-PI and researcher Dr. Schäfer has led and worked in various projects that discover new challenges and opportunities broadly spread over the fields of cybersecurity and software engineering in both the public and private sector.
Since March 2021 he is leading the Fraunhofer USA office in South Carolina as Senior Program Coordinator for Fraunhofer USA’s activities within the South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance. Projects so far cover a broad spectrum ranging from smart manufacturing, IoT, Industry 4.0, digitization to predictive maintenance, predictive analytics and other data driven and machine learning featured technologies. Typically, those projects have a strong manufacturing focus.
There can be no success without a vision. Evolution vs revolution.
- Rethinking how we work Culture eats strategy for breakfast and technology for lunch.
- Continuous Innovation, the new continuous improvement. When you have the ideas, but the plants have the money.
- Millennials, meet the Gen Z workforce.
- Upskilling for factory of the future.
Bio coming soon...
Dr. Marcel Schäfer serves as Senior Research Scientist for the Fraunhofer USA Center Mid-Atlantic CMA in Maryland since January 2019. From 2009 to 2018 he was with Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technologies SIT in Germany. He owns a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wuppertal, Germany, and a PhD in computer science from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. As PI, Co-PI and researcher Dr. Schäfer has led and worked in various projects that discover new challenges and opportunities broadly spread over the fields of cybersecurity and software engineering in both the public and private sector.
Since March 2021 he is leading the Fraunhofer USA office in South Carolina as Senior Program Coordinator for Fraunhofer USA’s activities within the South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance. Projects so far cover a broad spectrum ranging from smart manufacturing, IoT, Industry 4.0, digitization to predictive maintenance, predictive analytics and other data driven and machine learning featured technologies. Typically, those projects have a strong manufacturing focus.
