Director of Digital Solutions

Structural Integrity

Session: Risk Management

Mr. Aggarwal has 20 years of experience designing, building and delivering advanced Asset Performance and Asset Integrity Management solutions to the power generation industry. These solutions have been applied to make equipment more reliable, improve availability, extend the life of equipment, meet regulatory compliance requirements, and most importantly, help keep personnel safe.
Mr. Aggarwal is working with power industry experts at Structural Integrity to build the next generation of software products that will transform the way industrial equipment is operated and maintained. Structural Integrity has always been at the forefront of technology, and is now building advanced equipment models and digital twins to help partners go from preventive to predictive maintenance while improving the equipment efficiency and reducing the cost associated with managing the equipment.

Enterprise Digital Architect

ABB Inc.

Session: New Technology Security Issues - Panel Discussion

Larry Alls is the Enterprise Digital Architect of BU Power Generation & Water within the Industrial Automation division. Larry has been a thought leader in the ICS cyber space working as the customer, third party solution provider, and OEM provider. Larry spent 15 years working with GE to provide security solutions that met many different national and international standards as well as integrating security with the ICS digital initiative. Prior to that Larry spent 15 years as a network engineer in the US providing design and support for local and cloud network. He is also an active member of industrial control regulatory and standards development work groups.

Director, IoT

Wipro

Session: Risk Management

Dr. Manjari Asawa is Director of IoT and 5G Solutions at Wipro, a leading solution integrator company. With over two decades of research, engineering and product management experience in cellular and networking technologies, she works with electric utilities and communication providers to address business and technical transformation challenges. She received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Sales Engineer

Atonix Digital

Session: Interactive Digital Showcase: Building Blocks of a Connected Plant

Technical Manager - M&D Performance Center

Duke Energy

Session: How to Get Value Out of your Data

Senior Marketing Manager, Digital Solutions, Nalco Water

Nalco Company

Session: Plant Digitalization/Asset Optimization

Mark Becker is the Marketing Manager for Digital Solutions for Nalco Water. Mark is responsible for driving the strategy and execution of Nalco Water’s Commercial Digital Solutions within the Heavy industries: Power Generation, Primary Metals, and Chemical Manufacturing. In addition, he leads the development of new automation and digital platforms, which leverage technology and analytics to solve our customer’s water challenges.
He has been with Nalco for 4 years in a variety of Marketing roles, primarily supporting automation platforms and wastewater solutions. Prior to joining Nalco, Mark worked in Sales, Marketing and Corporate Account Management roles for ifm efector inc., a firm specializing in industrial automation solutions.

CEO

Fero Labs

Session: Improving Operations Through Digitization

Berk co-founded Fero Labs and holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from Columbia University. His academic research focused on optimizing wireless and optical networks with efficient cross-layer algorithms. He developed scheduling algorithms for LTE-A and fiber-optic networks. He holds a patent in IoT systems for resilient fiber-optic networks.

Senior Technical Leader

EPRI Electric Power Research Institute

Session: Interactive Digital Showcase: Building Blocks of a Connected Plant

Matt Buck joined EPRI in 2015 after more than 16 years of operational experience in the power industry.
Matt is a currently a Senior Technical Leader in EPRI’s Operations and Maintenance (O&M) research group in the Generation sector. He oversees R&D that supports plant O&M excellence.
Matt’s work include O&M performance assessments, work planning, equipment reliability, and changing mission profiles for plants; but his passion is the Digital Worker concept. This work focuses on the use of advanced mobile technology to make the O&M field worker smarter, safer, and more effective.

Senior Director – Product Management Asset Performance Management

GE Power Digital Solutions

Session: Plant Digitalization/Asset Optimization

Rahul Chillar is the principal product manager for GE’s Digital Application – Asset Performance Management (APM)

Rahul is responsible for product managing and developing the APM application for the power industry. This includes the development of product, service and solution roadmaps, and designing new customer experiences and business models.

Rahul has worked for 16 years in the Power industry with over 55 + patents, Rahul has held multitude of roles from power design, product dev engineer, customer service engineering, new product development, business development to leading risk management in GE contractual service agreements and most recently digital transformation for GE in the Asset performance space.

Rahul has Masters in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and Bachelors in Mechanical Engr from Mumbai University.

Senior Business Consultant

Aspen Technology Inc

Session: Introduction to all Things IIOT Workshop

Ryan Conger is a Senior Business Consultant for Aspen Technology’s Asset Performance Management Products, focused on showing customers how to use data they already have to make better decisions.
Prior to joining AspenTech, Ryan worked in several roles at GE Power and Bently Nevada where he worked in the reliability and analytics space. Ryan has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s of Engineering Management from Dartmouth College.

Principal Analytics Engineer

Seeq Corporation

Session: Interactive Digital Showcase: Building Blocks of a Connected Plant

John began his career as a process control engineer for Eastman Chemical, where he implemented control strategy improvements, advanced control applications, and controller performance monitoring to automate and enhance process operation. Following 25+ years at Eastman, John joined Seeq Corporation in 2018. In his role as an Analytics Engineer for Seeq, John loves to help customers succeed through his passion for combining software and data analysis to reveal operational insights. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.

CEO

Strategic Power Systems, Inc.

Session: Plant/Enterprise to Network/Ecosystem Architecture

Salvatore A. DellaVilla Jr. is the founder, Chairman, & CEO of Strategic Power Systems, Inc®. With over forty (40) years of experience in the reliability engineering and information technology disciplines, he has led SPS® in establishing the Operational Reliability Analysis Program (ORAP®) as the single largest global plant database in the energy industry, serving equipment manufacturers, owner/operators, and industry regulators.

Prior to founding SPS in 1987 he held various positions in General Electric's turbine businesses, with a focus on “design for reliability” processes, product improvements, and customer service.

He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a past Chairman of the Electric Power committee, and a past Chairman of the ASME Standards Committee on reliability. He is currently a member of the PowerGEN International advisory board in the area of the “Digital Power Plant,” and is a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Board reporting to DOE Fossil Energy on the development of Extreme Environmental Materials.

He has written and published numerous papers on reliability issues and performance trends in the industry, receiving a “best paper” award in 2001 for a paper entitled “Gas Turbine Performance of Mature, F, and Advanced Technologies 2000”.

In 2014, he was awarded the Industrial Gas Turbine Award from ASME for sustained contributions to the energy industry.

Analytics Lead Architecture Specialist at The Dow Chemical Company Digital Operations Center

The Dow Chemical Company

Session: Using Technology to meet Customer Needs

Michael P Dessauer is a data scientist in the analytics platform at the Digital Operation Center. Michael is currently focusing on manufacturing analytics areas such as predictive maintenance, geospatial productivity, and text analytics. Prior to joining the Dow Digital Operation Center, Michael was a data scientist with Dow’s Advanced Analytics group for six years. Michael has a PhD in Computational Analysis and Modeling from Louisiana Tech where he developed machine learning models for image classification and tracking applications.

Data Analytics Engineer

TrendMiner

Session: Data Value

Shaswat Dixit( Sunny) has eight years of progressive Process Engineering and Data Analytics Consulting experience of Process Industries projects with recognized strengths in Downstream, Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals processes. From 2013-2017 he worked with different process simulators and equipment design softwares to troubleshoot various plant issues

Sunny is now a Data Analytics Engineer at TrendMiner and is responsible for providing software on-boardings, support, and services to process industry customers. He holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Digital Lead

ABB

Session: How to Get Value Out of your Data

Rodney Durban leads Enterprise Digital Sales for ABB’s Energy Business which includes all related energy vertical segments of Oil, Gas, Chemical, Power Generation, and Water. Since coming to ABB in 2006, he has held roles in account management, sales management, business development, and strategic marketing. Most recently, Rodney led global capture teams offering the complete ABB portfolio for mega projects in oil\gas\chemical and 3C manufacturing segments.

Prior to joining ABB, Rodney worked inside the power generation industry as an I&C Supervisor, IT Analyst, and Control Systems Engineer. Rodney’s first exposure to IT\OT convergence was in the early 2000s where he was responsible for implementation of digital systems at thermal power plants as well as the deployment of cyber security controls in response to NERC CIP requirements.

CEO and Co-founder

Mobideo

Session: Improving Operations Through Digitization

Senior Data Scientist and Product Manager

Intertek

Session: How to Get Value Out of your Data

Dr. Gascón manages the data science program at Intertek AIM. His expertise focuses on evaluating large data sets from fossil and renewable energy power plants. He uses statistical analysis, mathematical modeling and machine learning techniques to generate predictive models to improve plant efficiency. Dr. Gascón earned a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics at USC (Spain) in 2010 developing detectors to study nuclear reactions. During a 2-year postdoc at Stanford and 3-year fellowship at Berkeley National Laboratory, he studied how to improve the functionality of radiation detectors by applying extreme conditions and using novel techniques and materials, with the objective of increasing the sensitivity of these detectors for national defense applications.

Dr. Gascon leverages his broad experience, programming skills and quantitative analytical background to solve a wide variety of problems involving large data sets in the power industry. He is the principal architect of Intertek’s data analytics platform INGRID. His current responsibilities include the development of COSTCOM, a real-time cost analysis tool for power plant operations, WearMulti and Opcon, two multipurpose programs used in the nuclear industry. He also developed WINDLIFE, a fully customizable web-application for wind farms featuring anomaly detection and remaining life estimation. Dr. Gascon has also developed programs and algorithms to predict the impact of the variability in power generation of renewable energy on the wear and tear of fossil fuel plants.

I&C Support General Manager

Southern Company

Session: Insuring Your Data is Secure in the Cloud

Operational Technology Lead

Nova Scotia Power

Session: Plant Digitalization/Asset Optimization

Mike has over 25 years of experience with Databases, Information Systems and Plant Automation. He is currently the Operational Technology Lead for the Enterprise Asset Management Office of Nova Scotia Power, the utility for the province of Nova Scotia. He is responsible for the successful integration of NSPs many Operational information systems into a platform that provides end users with a dynamic asset based Operational Risk across the NSP Thermal fleet.

Marketing Manager, Industry Business - Power segment

AVEVA

Session: Interactive Digital Showcase: Building Blocks of a Connected Plant

Sree Hameed currently leads Marketing for the Power Industry at Schneider Electric Software. In his 25-year career, he has helped companies adopt a variety of transformational technologies in the areas of Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing Operations, Product Lifecycle Management, and Operational Risk Management. Sree is an Advisor to the Center of Supply Networks at the University of Texas at Dallas as well as the Digital Accelerator Program at Southern Methodist University.

Analytics Architect Specialist

The Dow Chemical Company

Session: Using Technology to meet Customer Needs

Kaytlin is an Analytics Architect for the Dow Chemical Company where she evaluates analytics tools for use in Dow’s manufacturing facilities. Kaytlin runs proof of concept and pilot projects at Dow’s Digital Operations Center as part of Dow’s Industry 4.0 efforts. Kaytlin has previously worked as an engineer for one of Dow’s isocyanate plants and has also worked on modeling and optimization of reactors for several Dow businesses as part of her 6 years at Dow. Kaytlin received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lafayette College and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Donaldson Company Inc

Session: Introduction to all Things IIOT Workshop

Chris Hince is the Global IIoT Business Development Manager for Donaldson Inc. and is responsible for creating and driving IIoT automation, condition monitoring and predictive maintenance programs with technology, analytics and business models to drive added value and digital transformation. Industries served include: oil and gas, refining, chemical, precision agriculture, food, pulp and paper, mining, transportation, filtration, field services and distribution.

President/CEO

Systran, Inc.

Session: Applications for Operations Optimization

David is a graduate of the University of Texas with a BA in Economics. After working for Apple Computer for 2 years as a software engineer, David left Apple to work for Systran where he has worked for the past 25 years.

David rose through the ranks of the Systran organization, working as an:
• E-Learning developer creating training for offshore operators
• Simulator training developer creating content, exercises and workbooks
• As a project manager overseeing training system revamps for LNG and refinery customers
• He now leads the organization, guiding Systran though the challenges utilizing new technologies to effectively address today’s training challenges

In his various positions, David has worked with Upstream, Downstream, LNG, Paper and Pulp, Semiconductor, and Defense organizations in West Africa, the Middle East, Far East, Caribbean, and North America. His focus is to guide Systran’s talented team of subject matter experts, developers and vendor partners to deliver integrated Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Simulation and Mobile Learning solutions that effectively reduce time to competenc.

CEO

aicas GmbH

Session: Insuring Your Data is Secure in the Cloud

Dr. James J. Hunt is a cofounder and CEO. He has a BS in Computer Science and Physics from Yale University, an MA in Computer Science from Boston University, and a Doctorate of Engineering in Computer Science from the University of Karlsruhe.

He spent several years as a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory developing CAD software for restructurable wafer scale integrated circuits (RVLSI) and a parallel Lisp system for signal processing.

Dr. Hunt led the IST project HIDOORS and was the technical lead for the Artemis CHARTER project, which developed tools and technology for Java-based safety-critical systems. He is a contributing member of the Java Community Process (JCP), particularly for Safety-Critical Java (JSR-302) and the Real-Time Specification for Java (JSR-282), where he is the specification lead. He was European Cochair for the subgroup on object-oriented technology of the SC-205 Plenary for updating software safety standard for avionics as well. The result of which is now published as DO-332 and ED-217.

Founder & Principal

Integral Analytics, LLC

Session: Introduction to all Things IIOT Workshop

Aaron Hussey leads Integral Analytics’ business and consulting activities with an emphasis on power industry implementation of advanced pattern recognition (APR) models and analytics software design and prototyping. Current responsibilities include APR model development and program implementation for Ontario Power Generation (OPG) monitoring & diagnostic center led by Woyshner Service Co (WSC), assembly of failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) for large electric generators for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and various analytics software design and prototyping efforts.

From 2013-2017 as Vice President, Technical Services at Expert Microsystems, Inc. Aaron’s responsibilities included implementation of predictive analytic models for Duke Energy’s 11-unit fleet of nuclear power plants, Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) fossil, hydro, and nuclear generating units, and South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) VC Summer nuclear site.

From 2000 to 2013 at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Aaron held positions of increasing authority from student to program management. His responsibilities for nuclear I&C research spanned a diverse range of projects such as preventive maintenance of digital I&C systems, cyber security procurement requirements, transient methods for equipment condition monitoring, post-accident monitoring instrumentation, and on-line monitoring of instrument channel calibration. For more than 5 years, Aaron managed the EPRI Fleetwide Monitoring Interest Group from its initial year through steady membership growth. At the same time, he managed the fossil I&C research program that spanned a diverse range of instrumentation, controls, and automation projects.

NERC CIP Specialist

NAES

Session: Insuring Your Data is Secure in the Cloud

Allen Kent has over 25 years of diverse work experience that includes managing, training, and continual professional development in information technology, specifically in cyber security. He has achieved IT certification in CISSP, CISA, MCSE:Sec, VCP, and several others. He taught information technology courses at the college-level for 7 years.

Mr. Kent currently works as a NERC CIP Reliability Specialist for NAES Corporation with over 6 years of NERC CIP compliance experience. Prior to that, he worked in the banking industry as a Technical Support Manager and Senior Security Analyst.

Vice President, Software Development

Emerson Power & Water Solutions

Session: Where to Begin? - Getting Started with Digital Transformation

Rick began his career in 1990 as a field engineer and then moved into projects engineering and then to product development where he worked on various products including control Builder and the Ovation Controller. In 2011 Rick became Director of Research and Technology and was recently named as Vice President of Software Development where he is responsible for overall Ovation architecture strategy and direction, as well as all worldwide Ovation software and firmware development activities.

Cyber Security and Collaborative Operations Center Product Manager

ABB Inc.

Session: Plant/Enterprise to Network/Ecosystem Architecture

Dee Kimata is the Cyber Security and CoC Product Manager at ABB Power Generation & Water. In this role, she is responsible for driving the strategy aligned to cyber security and CoC offerings in her business unit. Prior to ABB, Dee worked as a senior consultant at KPMG and started her career at GE where she focused on strengthening the cyber security posture of industrial product companies through regulatory compliance, gap assessments, remediation roadmap creation, and strategy development. Dee has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Creighton University, and is currently living in Houston, TX. Dee is passionate about promoting security in growth regions (specifically Africa) and women in technology. Because of this, Dee actively participates in AfricaHackOn events.

US Data, Analytics and Technology Leader Industrial Products and Services

PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services LLC

Session: Welcome/Opening/Keynote

Matthew Labovich is a Partner and Data, Analytics and Technology Leader of PwC’s Industrial Products and Services practice. He has been serving clients across Power, Utility, Energy, Chemical and Manufacturing clients and has over 20 years experience working with complex, regulated organizations on redefining and transforming their data, analytics and reporting functions. . Matthew has worked extensively with complex, global organizations in the US, Europe, South America and Asia. Matthew has significant expertise working with organizations going through significant change and redefining their organization which includes focus areas such as analytics, financial process redesign, revenue assurance, billing integrity, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, internal controls, shared service design, and cost minimization.

Strategic Industry Advisor - Chemicals Energy & Natural Resources

SAP America, Inc

Session: Where to Begin? - Getting Started with Digital Transformation

Mike serves as a Strategic Industry Advisor for SAP, the world’s business software market leader, developing thought leadership and driving SAP solution adoption in the chemical and oil & gas industries. With over three decades in various executive roles at BP Oil, BP Chemicals, Kuraray America, Panda Energy and IBM prior to joining SAP, Mike has gained a broad and deep industry knowledge base that he leverages to help his clients to innovate and transform their business through the application of digital technology.
Outside of his professional career, Mike continues to support causes for special needs children. He has served as the founder (in 2000), CEO (up until 2005) and advisor (ongoing) of The PMD Foundation – a non-profit founded to drive awareness, provide family support, and fund research towards a cure for Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease. Mike currently serves as a board member of Consurgo Sunshine – a non-profit formed to raise funds for the promotion of adoption of children, foster care of children, and benefit cultural exchange between the US and the Indian Sub-Continent. He also serves as the head coach of a youth rugby program in Plano, Texas.

Mike earned a BS Degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

Solutions Executive

Petrotechnics, a Sphera Company

Session: Risk Management

Bill Lutz is a Solutions Executive for Petrotechnics, a Sphera company. Bill has over 13 years of experience in the plant software industry and his focus is empowering organizations to achieve operational excellence through digital transformation, the IIoT, and IT-OT convergence; in particular, connecting operations, maintenance, and planning processes with frontline risk mitigation to help create a safe, sustainable, and productive world.

DuPont Alliance Manager

Siemens

Session: How It All Comes Together - End User Case Studies

Don is an Industry Manager with Siemens US Chemical Industry group. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Don has 29 years of Siemens experience with recent roles including alliance management with some of Siemens top chemical industry customers including DuPont. In this role Don has been responsible for technical support, training, and the implementation of new technology solutions on a variety of topics including digitalization.

Manager, Global Industry Division Chemical

KROHNE AG

Session: Applications for Operations Optimization

Michael Magerstädt received his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from Berlin Technical University. Later, he completed a postgraduate study in business administration, focus marketing.

Michael holds the position of Manager, Global Industry Division Chemical at KROHNE group a leading global supplier of innovative products, Solutions, and services for the process industry with close to 4000 employees and manufacturing plants on 4 continents.

After graduating, Michael spent 4 years conducting research in the United States; first at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA and later at the National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD. Then, he spent 13 years at Hoechst AG (later on Hoechst-Celanese, Frankfurt, Germany), formerly one of the three largest German chemical and pharmaceutical companies. After his time at Hoechst, he spent 19 years as CTO and CEO of privately owned manufacturing and technology companies in in Germany and Switzerland before joining KROHNE, the most recent of which was ROSEN, world leader in pipeline inspection and a major player in Asset Integrity Management.

Michael is author of one scientific book as well as numerous publications and patents. He was and is active in building and developing technology startup companies.

Michael Magerstädt is member of a number of professional organizations, including Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, American Chemical Society, VDI (German Engineering Association), SME (Society of Mining Engineers), AWWA (American Water Works Association), and NACE International (National Association of Corrosion Engineers), where he co-chairs a Technology Exchange Group on “Corrosion in Mining/Slurry Pipelines”.

Michael is married, and has two adult children; one son and one daughter. His non-professional interests besides his family include flying single-engine aircraft, skiing, and his international network of friends.

President

Pearl Street

Session: Risk Management

Jason Makansi, a recent transplant to Tucson, is president of Pearl Street (www.pearlstreetinc.com), whose clients range from electric utilities, Fortune 50 global energy firms, growing technology firms, and garage shop inventors. He specializes in technology deployment for the electricity and energy industries.

A life-long entrepreneur, he has raised venture capital for clients, assisted in creating partnerships and collaborations, launched and managed a hedge fund focused on the electricity supply and delivery value chain, started up innovative publications in energy and environmental affairs, helped tech-based companies grow in preparation for acquisitions and exits, started up and managed two policy groups to support the grid-scale energy storage business, and launched a publishing company (now managed by his wife and two partners).

He is the author of four professional books, the most recent Painting By Numbers: How to Sharpen Your BS Detector and Smoke Out the Experts, winner of two prestigious national awards for independently published books, and including An Investor’s Guide to the Electricity Economy and Lights Out: The Electricity Crisis, The Global Economy, and What It Means To You, the last two published by John Wiley & Sons. He is co-author of Knowledge Management In the Digital Age, focused on how to get the most from people, devices, and data in the electric power industry.

Makansi is a frequent keynote speaker, guest lecturer, workshop leader, trainer, panelist, and presenter on technology, business, market, and policy innovations for energy and electricity.

In the area of service, he mentors students in innovation and entrepreneurship, delivers special lectures at the university level, leads tours at the Titan Missile Museum south of Tucson, interviews prospects for his college alma mater, plays viola and performs with inter-generational chamber groups and orchestras for seniors, juniors, and the general public.

He earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, has taken graduate courses in technology management, and several graduate courses towards a higher degree in Sociology. He moonlights as a fiction writer, evaluates fiction submissions for two well-known literary journals, and has published more than a dozen short stories. He serves as Associate Editor for December Literary Journal and Contributing Editor for River Styx, both St. Louis-based literary journals with a national reputation for literary excellence. He judges short stories for publishing and writers associations, and recently delivered a workshop on the short story for the Arizona Authors Association.

Makansi’s first novel, The Moment Before, came out in March 2018.

Principal Project Manager

EPRI Electric Power Research Institute

Session: How It All Comes Together - End User Case Studies

Operations & Maintenance Manager-Generation

Silicon Valley Power

Session: Financial Engineering/Optimization

Paul (Chet) Manchester is an Electric Utility Professional with over 27 years of industry experience. He is currently the Acting Operations and Maintenance Manager for Silicon Valley Power (SVP) Generation Division located in Santa Clara, California. He is responsible for the safe and reliable operation of three gas turbine power plants and other SVP owned power generation assets. In the past he has worked at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Hetch Hetchy Water and Power and General Electric. He is a veteran of the US Navy. A Nebraska native, he now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two dogs.

Cloud Applications Services Manager

Siemens PLM Software

Session: Plant Digitalization/Asset Optimization

Cynthia Mason is part of Siemens Industry, Process Automation Digitalization team serving the US market. She engages opportunities with a focus on digital solutions for the process and water industries which may include SIWA Siemens Water Management Suite, MindSphere, which is Siemens open, cloud based Internet of Things, (IoT), Operating System, (OS) and digitalization consulting. Cynthia works with clients to identify steps to enable digital transformations, new business models and digital services within the process & water industry. Cynthia has over 25 years of experience with roles spanning from engineering design and process plant operations to sales and program development. She is a registered P.E. in Texas, with a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and a MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Operations Manager

Access Intelligence

Session: Welcome/Opening/Keynote

Performance Engineer

Black & Veatch

Session: How It All Comes Together - End User Case Studies

Michael J. Merwald is a Performance Engineer within Black & Veatch's global energy business. Merwald's daily duties are focused on his role as lead performance engineer for several monitoring and diagnostic clients. He is responsible for communicating identified issues to the client, working with them to determine possible solutions, and coordinating corrective action thru issue resolution. He is also responsible for software support of ASSET 360 and Online Performance Monitoring (OPM) systems for numerous clients, duties which include configuration edits and client support. He's currently the assistant project manager on multiple M&D and Software support projects, which includes proposals, budgeting, invoicing, and contract management.

VP Business, Cybersecurity SME

Ultra Electronics, 3eTI

Session: New Technology Security Issues - Panel Discussion

Charlene Mowery brings to defense, commercial and channel clients more than 25 years of senior level experience focused on IT/OT systems, cybersecurity, protection of critical infrastructure, and risk management. Prior to joining 3eTI, Ms. Mowery served in a variety of executive positions as a US Naval officer, executing annual requirements of $600M in facilities maintenance and repair and $340M in support services for infrastructure.. Ms. Mowery also served as the Force Civil Engineer to US Fleet Cyber Command, where she led network and critical support for 2,000 critical infrastructure facilities worldwide, with a plant value of $35B. She has an MS degree in Engineering from Stanford University and a BS degree in Ocean Engineering from the US Naval Academy.

President and Chief Revenue Officer

Mobideo

Session: Using Wireless, Digital, and Drone Technology to Enhance Plant Maintenance and Improve Efficiency

Following a short career as a Marine Engineer Paul graduated from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh with an honors degree in the then new field of Computer-Aided Engineering. After a short period as a practicing design engineer at Unisys, Paul entered the IT industry ultimately acquiring and growing the UK’s largest Computer Aided Design (CAD) system vendor.
In 1997 Paul founded McLaren Software with a focus on Asset Intensive Industries including Oil & Gas, Utilities, and Construction. The business gained a market leadership position and international footprint with 60% of revenues in North America and significant businesses in Europe and Australia.

Paul has helped many Fortune 2000 companies improve Capital Project and MRO performance and compliance by leveraging enterprise software and cloud solutions focused on Project Controls, Contract Management, Mobility, and Business Process Management.

Today, as President of Mobideo, Paul continues to work with customers looking to leverage emerging Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Enterprise Mobility, Cloud, and Analytics technology to drive service process transformation in the Oil & Gas, Chemical, Aviation and Power Industries.
Paul has lived in Houston Texas with his family since 2004.

Plant Manager

Orlando CoGen

Session: Using Wireless, Digital, and Drone Technology to Enhance Plant Maintenance and Improve Efficiency

Twenty-eight years of experience in the independent power and international power generation industry with skills in plant management, Operation and maintenance, startup and commissioning, operations and maintenance training support, construction management support, project development support. Current responsibilities Plant Manager of Orlando Cogen 2007 – present. Provide technical support and project due diligence support throughout the (CAMS) network. My overall knowledge in the industry is founded on a strong operational and technical knowledge base, experience and continual growth through various management positions for Coastal Power, Enron, El Paso Merchant Energy, Northern Star Generation Services and CAMS.

Users Experience Director - Digital

ABB Inc.

Session: Welcome/Opening/Keynote

Chris has more than 20 years of experience at multi-national Fortune 500 industrial companies with leadership roles in engineering, R&D, strategic marketing, new product ventures, and user-centered design. Chris is passionate about design and has a deeply held belief that we can use design to develop insights and solutions that can change people, cultures, and the world.

Industry Manager

Siemens Industry, Inc.

Session: Introduction to all Things IIOT Workshop

Jonas Norinder is Industry Manager for Siemens. He holds a Master’s degree from the University of Business in Aarhus, Denmark. In his current role, Jonas identifies and promotes opportunities to make companies more efficient, processes more reliable and enable production of high-quality products using data and data analytics tools and services.

Since he joined Siemens in 2006, he has held several roles within communications, marketing and business development/sales. He brings with him a wealth of international business experience, automation expertise and knowledge of device connectivity and data usage in the age of digitalization.

Jonas has presented at several industry conferences such as American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AICHe) and Connected Plant focusing on topics related to Industry 4.0, Big Data and Digitalization.

Director- Chemical Industry Application Innovation

Emerson Automation Solutions, Micro Motion

Session: Risk Management

Tom is the Director of Global Chemical Application Innovation for Emerson Process Automation (Micro Motion Inc), and has been with them since 1987 in a variety of Marketing and Sales roles. These include SIS, GreenHouse Gas compliance, Process and Natural Gas Marketing development, and Technical Sales Management covering Canada, Taiwan, and mainland China. The Over the past few years he has focused on third-party agency recognition of Smart Meter Verification. He holds two patents and is listed on three recent disclosures.
He holds a BS Chem Eng from the University of Colorado and an MBA in Energy Management from the University of Denver.
Previous employers include Conoco Oil and MW Kellogg (now KBR). He’s a “retired” triathlete and competitive runner. Hobbies include tropical fish (Lake Tanganyika), and guide running blind athletes.

Manufacturing Engineer

3M

Session: Introduction to all Things IIOT Workshop

General Manager of Technical Programs

Duke Energy

Session: How It All Comes Together - End User Case Studies

As Digital Transformation Lead for Fossil Hydro Operations, Michael and team lead the development of technology solutions to improve the worker experience, streamline process efficiency and maintain equipment reliability. Also, reduce cost from the business.

Under Michael’s leadership, Duke Energy is applying developments with sensors, computing and communication technology to create value with smart, connected power plant assets. His team is also using big data analytics and visualization to provide insight and drive actionable intelligence. A digital worker platform is being developed to engage and enable employee. Machine learning is being applied to enhance decision making and eliminate low value work.

Michael has bachelor and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from the Queens University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is a registered professional engineer in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Director, Business Development

Owl Cyber Defense

Session: Insuring Your Data is Secure in the Cloud

Brian Romansky has over 25 years’ experience in security technology and innovation in payment systems, healthcare, and logistics. He is currently leading the Industrial IoT security program at Owl Cyber Defense. Formerly he served as a technical expert for the US Department of Transportation SCMS V2X initiative and as Director of Corporate Innovation at Pitney Bowes. Mr. Romansky holds a Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and R&D management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is an inventor on 25 patents.

VP Technology Solutions

Cyberhawk

Session: Using Wireless, Digital, and Drone Technology to Enhance Plant Maintenance and Improve Efficiency

Patrick has extensive experience in the global oil and gas industry having worked for a number of technology focused service companies in this sector. His multilingual skills and extensive knowledge of the international energy sector put him in a strong position to understand the requirements of Cyberhawk’s global customers. Patrick is passionate about developing compelling inspection solutions that improve safety and deliver real value to our customers. He holds an MEng in Environmental Engineering, a Diploma in Surveying and has brought many of Cyberhawk’s world firsts projects to the wider market.

Senior VP Business Transformation and Technology

Duke Energy

Session: Welcome/Opening/Keynote

Brian Savoy is senior vice president, business transformation and technology for Duke Energy. He is responsible for information technology and leading business change to advance the company’s strategic objectives.
Prior to this role, he served as chief accounting officer and controller for Duke Energy where his responsibilities included the accounting, financial reporting and internal controls for the corporation.
Savoy joined Duke Energy in 2001 as a manager in Duke Energy’s energy trading unit, Duke Energy North America. He was named director of trading and risk services later in that year. Savoy led derivative accounting and trading control functions for energy trading and marketing activities and was instrumental in the successful wind-down and disposition of Duke Energy North America in 2005.
Following Duke Energy’s merger with Cinergy in 2006, he was appointed as vice president and controller of the commercial power segment and responsible for accounting, financial reporting and internal controls functions. In 2009, Savoy was named director of forecasting and analysis where he played a significant role in addressing challenging business and strategic issues, including leading financial due diligence for the Duke Energy/Progress Energy merger completed in 2012. He assumed his current position in May 2016.
Prior to joining Duke Energy, Savoy was a manager with the international accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche where he oversaw audit engagements for large energy clients.
Savoy earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, N.C. He is a certified public accountant in both Texas and Ohio.
Savoy currently serves on the boards of advisors for the Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte and the McColl School of Business at Queens University. He and his wife, Sabrina, along with their son and daughter, live in Charlotte, N.C.

Senior Manager

EY

Session: Financial Engineering/Optimization

Mark Scherluebbe is a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young, where he specializes in power and utilities strategy related projects. Mark is an energy industry professional with over 20 years of experience in business process streamlining, performance evaluation, robotic process automation and financial modeling. He has over 6 years of direct experience with large power generation equipment, in particular gas and steam turbines. Mark is a Six Sigma Quality Black Belt with hands-on experience in all aspects of quality and performance improvement and a Senior Member of the American Society for Quality.

Mark leads the RPA community for EY's Power and Utilities sector, connecting the lessons learned across various projects. He is closely connected to the EY's global RPA efforts and has supported numerous RPA projects.

Principal Consultant

DuPont

Session: How It All Comes Together - End User Case Studies

• BSEE - Clemson University, 1981
• DuPont – 1981 to present, with positions in South Carolina, Delaware, West Virginia, Singapore, and North Carolina, as well as assisting at plants in New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and Iowa, now in Delaware
• Have worked with a variety of control systems, SIMATIC PCS 7 since 2005
• Current interest areas include control system implementation, fieldbus technologies, safety interlocking, burner management, regulatory and batch control, and digitalization.
• Currently a Consultant in the Engineering Technology Center of the DowDuPont Specialty Products (DuPont) Division
• SIEMENS Alliance Leader for the division
• Consulting on
• control system implementation
• simulation
• valve analytics
• safety instrumented systems
• process control troubleshooting

Sr. Director, Market and Business Development

Wind River

Session: Introduction to all Things IIOT Workshop

Pavan has 12+ years of experience as a technology executive driving solutions for digital transformation for mission-critical industries. At Wind River, Pavan leads market and business development for the industrial market segment. In his role, Pavan works closely with leaders across process automation, discrete manufacturing, energy and transportation to develop transformative solutions that drive growth while meeting safety and security requirements.

Director Business Development and Innovation

Evonik Corporation

Session: Applications for Operations Optimization

Yves Gorat Stommel is currently working as the director of the department for business development and innovation in the technological/methodological area, with a focus on implementing best practices (processes, methodologies and technology) in production / operations. In his current function, Yves’ motivation stems from continuously improving the processes that lead to an increasing contribution of the operations to the business success, mainly through identifying, benchmarking and implementing best practices, coupled with targeted communication, linking knowledge and an emphasis on global instead of local mindsets and approaches.

Sales Manager

Metso Flow Control-Performance Solutions

Session: How to Get Value Out of your Data

A Business Development Manager and IT Administrator with over 10 years’ experience in the process industry helping customers achieve precision state tuning and performance monitoring software. Currently, Chris is working as globally-minded Sales Manager for Metso ExperTune based in Atlanta, Georgia USA.
Previous positions Chris has held:
• IT manager and Support specialist for ExperTune, Inc
• Marketing and Sales Specialist for GE Medical
Chris holds multiple IT Administration certificates and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE).

Asset Management Services Group

Black & Veatch

Session: Using Wireless, Digital, and Drone Technology to Enhance Plant Maintenance and Improve Efficiency

Greg Tanck has more than 20 years of experience in the power industry and currently leads the Asset Management Services group at Black & Veatch. Greg’s business line is responsible for providing remote monitoring services and software to more than 100 power generation and industrial facilities around the world. Previously, Greg held the lead role in implementing integrated neural net based combustion optimization software to improve power plants emissions management. Greg also has extensive experience helping facilities implement continuous efficiency and reliability improvement programs using data analytics.

Partner

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Session: New Technology Security Issues - Panel Discussion

Paul Tiao is a partner with Hunton Andrews Kurth, resident in the firm’s Washington office. With experience in government and the private sector, Paul brings in-depth knowledge of cyber and physical security, internal investigations, law enforcement and national security to every client matter. He co-chairs the firm’s multidisciplinary cyber and physical security task force and its energy sector security team, and assists clients from a wide range of sectors with security, law enforcement, electronic surveillance and privacy issues. Paul regularly advises companies on risk management, preparedness, cyber incident response, SAFETY Act protection, compliance, litigation, policy and legislation.

Prior to joining Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Paul served as special counsel and then senior counselor for cybersecurity and technology to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Robert S. Mueller. In that position, he advised the FBI Director on programmatic, policy and legal issues relating to cyber, counterintelligence and counter-terrorism. He also represented the FBI in senior-level discussions with other agencies, the White House, Congress and industry.

Paul previously served on the US Senate Judiciary Committee as counsel to the Senate Assistant Majority Leader, Richard J. Durbin, where he wrote legislation and provided advice on criminal and national security issues. He is a former Assistant US Attorney in the District of Maryland, where he prosecuted all manner of criminal violations and oversaw cyber crime and IP cases.

Paul has been an adjunct professor of cybersecurity law and policy at George Washington University, a guest lecturer on cybersecurity and privacy at various universities, and an instructor at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He served on the Virginia Cyber Security Commission, appointed by the Governor; and is currently a member of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council, appointed by the State Attorney General; and a member of the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission, appointed by the County Executive (Chair in 2015).

Paul can be reached at PTiao@HuntonAK.com.

Digital Engagement Leader, Industrial Automation Division, Power Generation & Water

ABB Inc.

Session: Interactive Digital Showcase: Building Blocks of a Connected Plant

Jon Towslee is the Digital Engagement Leader ABB Inc. based in Cleveland, OH. Jon has 29+ years of energy industry experience. He has spent the last 19+ years leading, growing, and managing energy related businesses. Throughout his career, Jon has worked on both sides of the electrical industry from utility transmission, distribution, and generation on the supply side to commercial and industrial energy management, power distribution, and advanced energy analytics on the demand side. In his current capacity, Jon is responsible for leading ABB’s digital sales for its Industrial Automation Energy Solutions business unit.

Jon joined ABB in 2016. Throughout his career, Jon has held numerous business development, management, and leadership positions. Prior to joining ABB, Jon was the Sr. Vice President, Industrial Segment for an energy analytics company, starting in 2011. He was also the Vice President, Strategic Accounts for a commercial energy management company which he joined in 2006. Prior to that, Jon was the Business Manager for an industrial / utility energy system integration business, which he joined in 1994 and held positions of increasing responsibility including: system engineer, project engineer, project manager, program manager, and business manager. Prior to that, Jon was the Engineering Manager and Supervisor of Electrical Engineering for an electrical equipment manufacturer, responsible for the design and application of metal-clad switchgear, capacitor banks, and harmonic filters.

Jon earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The University of Akron and his MBA from John Carroll University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio.

Director of IIoT Reliability

ATEK Companies

Session: Financial Engineering/Optimization

Craig Truempi, CRL, CMRP is a Certified Reliability Leader and Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional, board member of the Upper Midwest Chapter of the Vibration Institute, and Director of IIoT Reliability Solutions at Atek Companies. Craig has been involved in a diverse range of artificial intelligence, internet of things and digital transformation projects in the power, refining, mining, petrochemical, manufacturing, and food industries. Craig received his B.S. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from North Dakota State University and a M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota

Charge Portfolio Lead

American Electric Power - AEP

Session: Where to Begin? - Getting Started with Digital Transformation

Matt has more than 20 years of experience at AEP in power plant equipment engineering and design. Specific areas of focus have included air quality control systems (AQCS), carbon capture & storage (CCS), strategic business planning and new technology development. In his current role as Charge Portfolio Lead for AEP’s Generation business unit, Matt is responsible for interfacing directly with Generation employees, bringing their innovative ideas to the forefront to develop user-centered digital products and solutions in AEP’s new Charge digital innovation hub. Matt received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1998, and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Otterbein University. Matt is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Ohio.

Sr. Analytics Engineer

Seeq Corporation

Session: Data Value

Julianne received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and a Certificate in Managerial Analytics from the Kellogg School of Management. Upon graduating, she combined her interests in engineering and business by working in refined products scheduling and trading. After two years, she transferred to a refinery, where she was a process engineer for an additional two years. Along the way, Julianne developed a passion for identifying optimization opportunities and implementing creative solutions. She utilizes these same skills as an Analytics Engineer with Seeq Corporation, helping clients interact with their time series data in intuitive and insightful ways.

Senior Product Marketing Manager

John Crane, Inc.

Session: Data Value

Industry Marketing Director, process & Resources

Bentley Systems, Inc

Session: Applications for Operations Optimization

Anne-Marie Walters joined Bentley in 2004 as a global marketing director. In this capacity she is responsible for the marketing and positioning of Bentley’s solutions and products that address the needs of the industrial sector including oil & gas, process & discrete manufacturing, and mining industries.
Ms. Walters, who is a chartered chemical engineer, has represented Bentley on the board of the Construction Industry Institute and is also heavily engaged in the activities of FIATECH. She sat on the board of the Engineering Contractors and Constructors Association between 2005 and 2010 and was the Chair in 2009. In addition, she is a founding member of the Process Industries STEP Consortium (PISTEP) committee and has served on the boards of CIMsteel and the United Kingdom’s chapter of the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI). She is frequently a guest speaker at industry events sponsored by these and other organizations.

Rotational Development

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Session: Plant Digitalization/Asset Optimization

I've been involved in some fantastic projects over the years. They tend to be bleeding edge technologies, which is a blast! Wired networks, wireless networks, servers, and everything in between are my modus operandi. My goals in life include solving problems with new technologies, and using technology to make a difference in the lives of those around me.

Specialties: My specialties include engineering solutions, and translating between those who speak technology and those who need it. I love to build strong/passionate teams that can reach the moon and beyond. Come to us with your problems, and we will solve them.

Recent Projects: Industrial sensors (IIoT), non-ip based wireless communications, machine learning, AI, robotics, hybrid manufacturing, and changing the world bits at a time.

Putting the techy stuff aside for a bit, my other passion is developing leadership and making connections between amazing people. Taking advantage of my experiences from a broad range of fields, I have been able to leverage my time around some very different thinkers. I like to share those thinking styles to others over discussions and sessions while we develop ideas and solutions. I cannot think of anything that is more fun than that at work.

Performance Engineer

Black & Veatch

Session: How to Get Value Out of your Data

Kelly Whittenberg is a Performance Engineer within Black & Veatch's global energy service business. His experience has focused on improving coal-fired power generation unit performance and reliability via the Monitoring & Diagnostics product powered by the ASSET360 data analytics platform. This experience includes understanding plant systems, plant controls and operation to identify and help solve problems through data analysis and applying performance metrics. With more than 20 years of experience in the power industry, his primary role has been directly interfacing with plants through Black & Veatch remote monitoring services to various utilities. In delivering this service, he acts as an extension of a plant engineering staff by remotely monitoring day-to-day operation to identify and analyze heat rate and capacity limiting issues, quantify impacts, and provide recommendations for corrective action. Whittenberg is actively involved in providing this service to clients and serves as a mentor to other engineers in the Black & Veatch remote monitoring center.

Marketing Director, Oil & Gas/Chemicals Industries

Aveva

Session: Data Value

Livia Wiley is the Industry Marketing Director of Oil & Gas/Chemicals at AVEVA. She is primarily responsible for thought leadership and customer engagement in the oil & gas, refining, and chemicals industries across the engineering, planning & operations, monitoring & control, and asset management portfolios. Livia has more than 20 years of experience in process simulation, automation, and optimization, having worked for Honeywell, Aspen Technology, and legacy SimSci. Livia holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University, and a M.Eng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston.

Senior Security Analyst

Arizona Public Service

Session: New Technology Security Issues - Panel Discussion

Ben Winslett is a Senior Security Analyst for critical infrastructure for Arizona Public Service (APS). Based in Phoenix, APS is Arizona’s largest electric company and serves nearly 1.2 million customers around the state.
Ben is responsible for information system and industrial control security and compliance in corporate and process control networks throughout the APS enterprise.

He began his career at APS in 2016 coming to the company from Lockheed Martin, where he served in a variety of roles throughout Lockheed, including staff network engineer for Public Service Enterprises Group – Long Island (PSEG-LI), Information Technology manager for Department of Energy physical security operations at the Nevada National Security Site, and senior systems engineer for advanced ground systems development and operations.
He is engaged in the community, currently expanding the information security offerings at local community colleges as adjunct faculty teaching courses in power systems security, Linux, and information security fundamentals.

A Georgia native, Ben earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Arizona State University in Technical Writing and a Master’s of Science in Information Assurance, with an emphasis on Digital Forensics, from Norwich University and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). In addition to cyber security and collegiate teaching, Ben writes for a number of national publications on topics of cyber security, arms development, and defense.

Process System Engineer

National Energy Technology Laboratory

Session: Plant Digitalization/Asset Optimization

Dr. Zitney has nearly 30 years of R&D experience in process systems engineering for chemical and energy industry applications. Since 2004, he has directed energy research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory and launched the AVESTAR Center for Advanced Virtual Energy Simulation Training And Research at West Virginia University, where he also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Chemical Engineering. Before joining NETL, Dr. Zitney held senior consulting and R&D management positions at Fluent, Aspen Technology, and Cray Research. He received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois.