Where Industry Leaders Align on Performance, Innovation, and Transformation
The 12th Annual American Manufacturing Summit may have wrapped up, but the valuable insights and conversations from the event are still making an impact across the industry.
Held on March 17-18, 2026, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel, the summit brought together top executives from manufacturing, operations, plant management, engineering, and quality fields for two days of deep dives into the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the sector. With sessions covering everything from advances in automation and AI to workforce development, modern facilities, enhancing operational efficiency, and more - the agenda centered on strategies that leaders are leveraging to transform their organizations for the future.
If you were among those who attended, this recap will highlight the key moments and takeaways that you helped create. If you missed out, don’t worry - this overview will give you a glimpse into the dynamic conversations that took place, underscoring why you should be part of next year’s event
The summit began with a welcome address from Tom Dailly, Mayor of the Village of Schaumburg, who highlighted the vital role of manufacturing in the region’s economic growth. Tom emphasized how Schaumburg’s innovative approach to manufacturing and local collaboration is setting the stage for long-term success in the sector.
Our chair's opening remarks were delivered by our Room 1 emcee, Jochen Karcher, SVP, Global Manufacturing at Bosch. He also introduced the breakout room emcees, which included Daniel Seidel, Chief Operating Officer, North America at Hello Fresh, Christopher Grail, SVP and Head, Global Pharma Engineering at Bayer, Steve Marshall, VP, R&D Process Innovation at Cargill, and Lori Conzanese, Executive Director, Digital Manufacturing Operations at Merck.
The opening keynote was delivered by Chris Nielsen, EVP and Chief Supply Chain and Quality Officer at Toyota North America. Chris shared his insights on how Toyota has navigated supply chain disruptions by embracing the Toyota Production System, integrating digital operations powered by AI and advanced analytics, and empowering teams through lean culture and continuous improvement.
The next plenary featured Rebecca Teeters, SVP of Fluoromaterial Stewardship and President of Chemical Operations LLC at 3M, who discussed optimizing manufacturing excellence for sustainable growth. Rebecca highlighted 3M’s focus on advanced manufacturing technologies, quality improvement, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to enhance overall operational performance.
The final plenary of the morning was led by Sundeep Ravande, CEO of Innovapptive, and Kristofer Reclusado, Program Manager of Digitalization at W. R. Grace & Co., who presented on the “Single Pane of Glass” (SPOG) strategy. They discussed how W. R. Grace has reduced execution latency, improved compliance, increased workforce productivity, and enhanced data integrity through a unified execution framework across multiple sites.
After a series of powerful sessions, the summit transitioned into an extended break for refreshments and networking. Attendees took the opportunity to engage in pre-arranged 1-2-1 meetings, continue discussions sparked by the plenaries, and connect with partners to explore actionable next steps.
The summit continued with a series of insightful breakout sessions, offering attendees the opportunity to dive deeper into specific manufacturing challenges and solutions.
In Room 1, Kelly DiPucchio, VP of Operations and Innovation at Medtronic, shared strategies for scaling innovation across manufacturing operations. She discussed how Medtronic is utilizing data analytics to inform decision-making and integrating advanced automation to enhance precision and reduce variability in production.
Down the hall, Dan Campion, VP of Operations at Caterpillar's Large Power Systems Division, explored the modernization of manufacturing through smart technology, sustainability, and scalable systems. Dan highlighted how Caterpillar is enabling flexible manufacturing by implementing modular layouts and reconfigurable production lines.
Over in Room 3, Eugene Bocis, VP and Global Head of Operational Excellence at Ball Corporation, addressed the topic of talent and plant efficiency. He focused on how Ball Corporation applies lean thinking to optimize flow, reduce waste, and increase responsiveness in its operations. Eugene also shared how fostering a continuous improvement culture and adopting agile practices, such as Scrum, enhances collaboration and results across teams.
Next door, Matt McCullough, VP of Global Manufacturing Excellence and Industrial Performance at Estée Lauder, continued with a session on driving global manufacturing excellence through lean practices and digital innovation. Matt explored how Estée Lauder is standardizing operational excellence across its global facilities, using AI and automation to improve productivity and precision.
Finally, in Room 5, Julie Wavinak, Chief of Staff for Manufacturing & Engineering at General Mills, followed with a session on building agile, resilient supply chains. She shared how General Mills is creating actionable strategies that balance immediate results with long-term growth. Julie discussed the company’s approach to innovating across planning, sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics, while fostering high-performing teams that drive operational excellence and transformational change.
From there, we continued the morning with a series of workshops.
Hugues Foltz, Partner and EVP at Vooban, introduced "Manufacturing AI Agents: From Static ERP to Real-Time Intelligent Orchestration." Hugues explained what manufacturing AI agents are, dispelling myths and demonstrating their practical applications with measurable business impact.
Shane Yount, Chairman and Founder of Competitive Solutions Inc., led the next workshop, discussing "The Secret Superpower of High Functioning Leaders: How Process Intelligence Creates Aligned, Accountable Teams." Shane emphasized the importance of using process intelligence and performance software to align frontline execution with enterprise priorities.
Mark Fosdike, CEO of Datch, followed with a session on "AI Diagnostics in Asset Maintenance." Mark focused on how AI can empower frontline workers to troubleshoot faster and more accurately by leveraging agentic AI for root cause analysis and first-time-right fixes.
Duncan Banks, Business Advisor at Oliver Wight Americas, discussed "Driving Strategy Execution to the Next Level!" Duncan explained why long-range planning often fails and identified the root causes of poor strategic execution.
Ron Nachum, CEO of Sapien, led a session on "Unlocking Operational Agility with AI-Driven Financial Intelligence." Ron showed how AI can break down silos between finance, operations, and supply chain by providing real-time visibility into costs, margins, and performance drivers.
Following a morning packed with activity, we held our Lunch and Learn Roundtable discussions. These discussions covered key trends and challenges in manufacturing, led by leaders from Infor, Verizon Business, Oliver Wight Americas, Vooban, Laserfiche, Uncountable, AssetWatch, UCBOS, Eyelit Technologies, Calpine Energy Solutions, LLC., Alliance Automation, Express Employment Professionals, Redzone, Squint, Incorta, Argano, MantainX, Melton Machine & Control Company, Moody's, Map My Customers, Honeywell, and Arcwide.
The afternoon sessions continued with valuable insights, starting with Daniel Seidel, Chief Operating Officer at HelloFresh, who discussed advancing lean operations with AI. He highlighted how predictive tools and repeatable lean practices help improve efficiency, anticipate quality issues, and elevate decision-making, while aligning cross-functional teams to support lean transformation.
Next, Brian Boland, VP and Global Head, Manufacturing Science and Technology at Bristol Myers Squibb, and René Buck, CEO of BCI Global, explored managing advanced manufacturing plants. They focused on balancing precision, compliance, and speed in cell therapy manufacturing, emphasizing the role of strong leadership, digital tools, and real-time data in improving plant performance and supporting growth.
Peter Shearstone, VP, Global Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Thermo Fisher Scientific, delivered a virtual session on building influence and credibility in Q&RA roles. He discussed shifting from transactional roles to trusted business partners, reframing compliance challenges, and driving growth through proactive data and market insights.
Mike Blaney, VP, Engineering, Reliability and Automation at Newell Brands, presented on advancing from smart to lights-out operations. He shared how Newell is building a reliability-first asset strategy through automation, aligning engineering, operations, and IT to improve efficiency and meet business goals.
Finally, Lori Canzanese, Executive Director, Digital Manufacturing at Merck, discussed advancing digital manufacturing. She shared how Merck integrates automation, AI, and real-time data to boost production speed, enhance global collaboration, and ensure data integrity across operations.
The afternoon sessions focused on turning strategy into execution, with practical insights across transformation, data, and frontline performance.
In Room 1, Krystyna Riley, CEO of Havior, and Brian Crowley-Koch, Director at Havior, explored why 70–80% of transformations fail, highlighting behavioral patterns and offering a clear diagnostic framework to identify and overcome execution barriers.
In Room 2, Ashok Erramilli and Peter Nilsson of Eyelit Technologies addressed the gap between planning and execution, emphasizing unified data and adaptive optimization to keep plans aligned with real-world conditions.
In Room 3, Patrick Heiser of Nanoprecise showed how AI-driven machine data enables earlier, more confident maintenance decisions, reducing reactive work and improving reliability.
In Room 4, Jason Hehman of TXI shared lessons from maintenance operations, revealing how disconnected systems and siloed data impact performance, and outlining a practical framework for measurable improvement.
In Room 5, Bradford Wallis of Redzone demonstrated how real-time data and AI can drive frontline action, boosting engagement, accountability, and productivity.
We then shifted to our afternoon happy hour, networking, and pre-arranged 1-2-1 meetings, sponsored by HiveMQ.
Following some engaging networking, we then continued the afternoon with two more plenary sessions.
Petra Jakobs, Chief of Staff, Global Pharma Engineering & Maintenance Excellence at Bayer AG, joined Christopher Grail, SVP and Head of Global Pharma Engineering at Bayer AG, to explore how engineering innovation enhances reliability, scalability, and speed-to-market through advanced materials, automation, and optimized facility design, supported by cross-functional collaboration across global operations.
Following, Shan Muthuvelu, President of UCBOS, focused on moving from data to foresight, highlighting the complexity of modern operations, the gap between technology and end users, and the true cost of building foresight-driven capabilities.
In the final panel of the day, the following speakers explored how organizations are building and leading the next generation of manufacturing teams:
The discussion focused on upskilling and reskilling, empowering frontline workers with digital tools, adapting leadership for a multigenerational workforce, and balancing automation with investment in people to drive long-term performance and resilience.
The day concluded with a networking drinks reception sponsored by Simulacra, providing attendees with an opportunity to continue conversations, strengthen connections, and reflect on the insights shared throughout the summit.
Day 2 began with high-impact breakfast briefs led by Amend Consulting and FacilityOS. Concurrently, the Women in Leadership panel took place, setting the tone for both operational excellence and people-focused leadership.
At the same time, the Women in Leadership panel brought together an impressive group of industry leaders:
The discussion centered on leadership journeys, overcoming barriers, empowering future talent, and sharing advice for the next generation, offering candid insights into building inclusive, high-performing organizations.
The morning keynote featured Jochen Kärcher, SVP, Global Manufacturing at Bosch, who outlined how manufacturers can drive transformation through digitalization, lean principles, and advanced engineering, leveraging real-time data, Industry 4.0, and change management to improve performance and agility.
In the following plenary, Todd Donzelli, Senior Director, Solution Consulting at Infor, explored the shift to execution-focused AI, highlighting how intelligent systems can coordinate actions, reduce complexity, and accelerate decision-making.
The workshop sessions then delivered concise, practical insights. In Room 1, Willem Sundblad, Co-founder and CEO of Oden Technologies showed how AI-powered “systems of action” enable real-time decision-making and measurable performance gains.
In Room 2, Carter Lloyds, Chief Marketing Officer at Indeavor focused on smart scheduling and workforce optimization to reduce inefficiencies and improve labor performance.
In Room 3, Ray Hsu, VP Industrial AI Solutions of RapidCanvas and George Y. Wang, Area Plant Manager at Toppan highlighted AI-driven continuous improvement through integrated data and predictive insights.
In Room 4, Rachel Alldredge, Senior Solutions Consultant at MaintainX outlined a practical path to industrial AI, focusing on data foundations and workflow automation.
In Room 5, Justin Freeman, Senior Solutions Engineer at Autodesk demonstrated how a connected digital factory improves execution and supports scalable growth.
The morning concluded with our final round of refreshments, networking, and pre-arranged 1-2-1 meetings, giving attendees the opportunity to connect and continue discussions.
Returning back to the stream sessions, Charles Avery, SVP, Global Manufacturing Operations at 3M, emphasized standardization and lean to drive global efficiency and agility.
In Room 2, Enrique Porras, VP, Operations, Consumer Group at RPM International, Inc., highlighted the importance of cross-functional leadership to align plant performance and execution.
Up in Room 3, Maria Genouzos, VP, Manufacturing Operations of Estée Lauder showcased how data and lean methodologies can elevate warehouse and manufacturing performance.
Next door, Steve Maddocks, VP, Global Manufacturing T&O, Global Supply Chain at Stanley Black & Decker, focused on scaling operational excellence across complex, global portfolios.
Finally, Jd Marhevko, VP, Quality at ZF Group, emphasized aligning strategy, quality, and execution to maintain plant relevance and performance.
The following workshops provided practical, implementation-focused insights. In Room 1, Surya Challa, VP, Data and Cloud Services at XCentium, demonstrated how digital twins enable AI-driven decision-making and operational visibility. Next, Paul Boris, Strategic Engagements, Manufacturing at UiPath, explored how agentic AI can eliminate decision bottlenecks and accelerate continuous improvement. In Room 4, Ryan Smith, Manager, Solutions Engineer at Certus, focused on how technical training improves safety, retention, and operational effectiveness. Lastly, Tom Roberts, VP, Strategic Industry Development at QAD, discussed the shift from systems of record to systems of action across manufacturing, procurement, and quality.
The late-morning sessions continued the momentum. Guy Mills, VP, Supply Chain Strategy and Technology at The Clorox Company, focused on building inclusive, high-performing global teams, while Jesper Toubøl, VP, Operations, Moulding Production at The Lego Group, hosted a virtual session highlighting automation and sustainability initiatives transforming operations.
In the talent stream, David Vargas, Head, Quality Assurance and Food Safety Data Analytics at Wayne Sanderson Farms, explored upskilling plant teams to build a data-driven quality culture. Michael Hoge, SVP, Operational Excellence at Exact Sciences, shared how automation, digitization, and lean principles are scaling laboratory operations.
Finally, Christine Cowell, Vice President, Enterprise Capital Engineering at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Jay Douglass, Chief Operating Officer at ARM Institute, closed the morning by addressing how enterprise capital strategy and engineering excellence can drive long-term manufacturing performance and growth.
The day 2 Lunch & Learn Roundtables continued to provide value and spark conversation around the room. These discussions were led by executives at Mars, Nestle Purina PetCare Company, James Hardie, RPM International Inc., Foot Locker, Eli Lilly and Company, Moog, Bayer, Merck, Estee Lauder, Wayne Sanderson Farms, Ingredion, Cargill, and Stanley Black & Decker.
The final sessions of Day 2 brought a strong close, focusing on connected operations, innovation, and operational excellence.
In the afternoon plenary, Michael Weller, Global Head, Manufacturing Practice at Verizon Business, explored what it truly means to enable the “connected worker.”
This was followed by Diana Young, SVP, Strategy, Engineering and Operations at Spin Master, who focused on integrating advanced technologies into product development. She emphasized the role of robotics, automation, and cross-functional collaboration in accelerating innovation while maintaining cost efficiency in high-volume manufacturing.
The closing panel brought together a diverse group of senior leaders to discuss advancing efficiency and operational excellence:
The discussion centered on modernizing legacy operations through automation and digital tools, building agile and skilled workforces, and embedding continuous improvement. Panelists emphasized balancing efficiency, quality, and workforce investment to drive long-term competitive advantage.
With the 12th Annual American Manufacturing Summit now concluded, we would like to thank our delegates, speakers, and sponsors for their valuable contributions. The discussions and connections throughout the program reflected the industry’s most critical priorities - from advancing digital transformation and smart factory adoption to optimizing plant performance, and developing a skilled, future-ready workforce.
Visit manusummit.com for more information and to secure your place at the next year's American Manufacturing Summit.
“This is my second time attending this summit, and I am always so impressed with the content, relatability and forward-looking approach of the participants. Always a valuable experience.”
John Bailey, Chief Operations Officer @ Hammond Power Solutions
“Exceeded my expectations! The organization and professionalism of the Generis team are a high benchmark. The speakers were great, and I can’t wait to get back to tell my team what I learned! Thank you.”
- Stacy Greene, SVP of Operations @ Westrock Coffee
“Great networking opportunities; learned about the changing landscape in the manufacturing industry. Also, connected with a number of vendors that may be able to help my company and I along this journey.”
- Michael Worth, Vice President of Manufacturing @ Freshpet
“The summit was a great experience! I have new ideas to explore and improve our processes, but I also came away with confidence that some of our strategies are tracking with emerging trends.”
- Jeff Scott, Global Quality Director @ Ball Corporation
“The conference kept us fully engaged from start to finish. Every session was highly relevant, with multiple tracks that offered real value. The environment made networking feel effortless and genuinely productive, creating seamless opportunities to connect with others.”
- Jason Morse, Digital Factory Manager @ Astemo
“At the American Manufacturing Summit, it was the best service we’ve ever had. We felt heard and taken care of!
- Andrea Khouri, Event and Communication Coordinator @ Worximity
“Excellent production with pre-set meetings and many brainstorming and collaborative conversations in between sessions.”
Lydia Steyns, Client Executive, North American Manufacturing @ Fujitsu
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