Forum Opening Day Sessions

Operational Excellence Program

Asset Lifecycle Management Program

Cyber Security Program

PLM and Virtual Commissioning Workshop

Global Market Intelligence Discussion

Cyber Security Workshop

Operational Excellence Program

Asset Lifecycle Management Program

Cyber Security Program

Operational Excellence Program

Asset Lifecycle Management Program

Performance-Based Outsourcing Program

Operational Excellence Program

Industry Organization Sessions

Performance-Based Outsourcing Program

Sudipta Bhattacharya
President and CEO, Invensys Operations Management
Sudipta is responsible for the combined day-to-day operations of Invensys Process Systems, Wonderware, and Eurotherm.  He joined Invensys as President of Wonderware in September 2007.  Prior to joining Wonderware, Sudipta served as Sr. Vice President of Global Solutions at SAP AG for supply chain, manufacturing, and product lifecycle applications.  In that role, he was responsible for driving and executing the product strategy for three of SAP’s core solutions. Before joining SAP in January 2002, he worked at i2 Technologies in its strategic services group where he held a strategy consulting role that involved advising company executives on supply chain policies.  Prior to i2, he worked in manufacturing for 10 years at various Tata Group companies in India.

Ronaldo de Magalhães
Manager, Automation Technology, Instrumentation and Electric, Petrobras
Ronaldo is responsible for automation, instrumentation, and electrical areas of the 11 Petrobras Refinery business units.  His career began in 1979 as an automation engineer in REPAR Refinery’s maintenance division.  In 1988, he was transferred to company headquarters to become part of the automation team, working on different SDCD’s implementation projects in all refineries, and coordinating in particular, the implementation of REPAR Refinery’s system.

David Frazee
Technical Director, Digital Oral Care Research & Development Lab, 3M
David joined 3M in 2005 as the Technical Director of the Software, Electronic & Mechanical Systems Research Laboratory.  The lab provides R&D technology and services in numerous engineering disciplines, including electronics, software, mechanical, industrial design, vision science, predictive engineering, rapid prototyping, and systems and solutions architecture.  He was recently named Director of R&D in a new 3M business unit focusing on the rapidly growing market in digital dentistry.  David started his career at GE Medical Systems in 1982 in CT systems and products as a software developer, implementing proprietary signal processing algorithms for CT image reconstruction, as well as new 3D visualization applications.  In 1994, he was named leader of Global Software Applications and led the global imaging software platform and medical workstation development teams.  David joined Vital Images, Inc. in 1999 as Vice President of Engineering, and led its technology organization to profitable growth as an advanced medical imaging visualization company.

Jerry Gipson
Director Engineering Solutions Technology Center, Dow Chemical
Jerry has worked in a number of functional and business alignments during his 30-year career at Dow.  The Tech Center has global responsibility in Dow for the development, improvement, and effective application of competitive, leveraged technologies in the areas of process automation, process engineering, process safety, design engineering, and construction management.  Among his external activities in support of industry and market collaboration, Jerry speaks at a number of venues, and is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of FIATECH, a consortium dedicated to the development and deployment of fully integrated and automated technologies which deliver the highest business value throughout the life cycle of all types of capital projects.

Thomas Lange
Director Modeling & Simulation, Global Capability Organization R&D, Procter & Gamble
Tom leads P&G’s modeling and simulation efforts ranging from computational chemistry, computer aided engineering (CAE) to process, reliability, and supply chain analysis.  He joined Procter & Gamble in 1978 as a Product Technical Engineer and has spent his nearly 30 year career modeling and simulating products and production systems.  In 1994, Tom was recognized with a PRISM award (Professional Recognition of Individual Sustained Mastery), P&G's highest technical recognition award for engineering.  In 1998, he was appointed Associate Director for Computer Aided Engineering in Baby Care, and Reliability Engineering responsibilities for all P&G paper goods including Always, Charmin, and Bounty. In 2004, he was appointed Director, Modeling & Simulation in Corporate R&D.  In 2008 he was named Director, Modeling & Simulation Global Capability Organization, R&D.

Blake Larsen
Director of Information Technology, Western Refining
Blake has worked in the refining industry since 1992.  He began his technical career by managing and implementing real-time information systems.  His background is in Unix Systems and IT Systems security.  Blake's current responsibilities center on network systems and infrastructure security across the refining division within Western Refining.  Blake is an active member in Various NPRA committees that focus on process automation and cyber security within the petrochemical industry.  Additionally, he has previously served as the President and Vice President of the El Paso Infragard Members Alliance in coordination with the F.B.I.

Seán McGurk
Director Control Systems Security Program, National Cyber Security Division, Department of Homeland Security
Seán served for 28 years in the US Navy with 20 years in the Navy's nuclear weapons program, serving on six fleet ballistic missile submarines and several shore facilities.  He worked as an arms control inspector for the Department of Defense where he conducted numerous inspections throughout the Soviet Union and subsequent Commonwealth of Independent States in accordance with the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF), the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaties.  Since leaving the Navy, Seán has managed a number of significant system development and IT security programs in the private sector.  He joined DHS as the Director of CSSP in January 2008 and is a member of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Keith Nosbusch
Chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation
Keith was appointed CEO in February 2004.  He is also the chairman of the company’s board of directors.  Prior to this appointment, Keith served as President of Rockwell Automation Control Systems and an officer of the corporation, positions he held since November 1998. He previously served as Sr. Vice President for the Control and Information Group, where he was responsible for the launching of LogixTM, Rockwell Automation’s premier integrated control and information platform.  Keith's career began in 1974 when he joined Allen-Bradley as an application engineer, and since then he has had numerous positions of increasing responsibility.

Kevyn Renner
Senior Technology Consultant, Chevron
Kevyn has a chemical engineering background with more than 20 years combined experience in process design and operations, advanced control and instrument systems, vertical industry marketing, and information systems with companies including PetroCorp, Mobil Oil, Foxboro, Emerson and Sun Microsystems.  Kevyn is presently focused on the integral use of refining system automation and petroleum downstream enterprise information, within an interoperable infrastructure, to drive enhanced value from the downstream petroleum value chain.

Michael Sarli
Plant Automation Technology Program Leader, ExxonMobil Research & Engineering
Mike manages the Plant Automation technology portfolio, including the R&D program, broad deployment strategies for new technology, intellectual property management, and relationship management with major automation technology providers.  Prior to his current assignment, he held a number of technical, supervisory, and management positions within ExxonMobil Research & Engineering and several of its predecessors since joining Mobil in 1975.  He holds over 30 U.S. Patents in the area of petroleum refining and has authored or co-authored eight technical papers on various aspects of refining technology.

Steven Sonnenberg
President, Emerson Process Management & Executive Vice President, Emerson
Steve leads Emerson’s process management business.  He was appointed as Emerson Executive Vice President and the Business Leader of Emerson Process Management in October 2008.  Steve joined Emerson in 1979 as a marketing analyst with its Brooks Instrument division.  His career progressed rapidly as he assumed a number of marketing and general management positions in Germany, London, and Asia Pacific.  In 2000, Steve was appointed President of Emerson Process Management Asia Pacific, and in 2002 he was appointed President of Emerson’s Rosemount division.  During his tenure, he has also been responsible for several Emerson acquisitions including Rosemount TankRadar (formerly Saab Marine), Mobrey, Damcos, and Metran.

Kate Vitasek
Founder, Supply Chain Visions
Kate is a nationally recognized innovator in the practice of supply chain management.  She is the founder, faculty, and lead researcher in the concept of 'vested' (also known as vested outsourcing), which was developed in conjunction with the University of Tennessee.  Kate's approaches and insights have been widely published in respected academic and trade journals.  The Journal of Commerce recently recognized her as a “Woman on the Move in Trade and Transportation” for her leadership in the profession, and DC Velocity Magazine dubbed her a “Rainmaker” for her efforts in helping to build the logistics and supply chain profession.  Logistics Quarterly and Supply Chain Digest have both honored her as a “Woman in Supply Chain” and she was honored as a “Woman of International Influence” by Global Executive Women.  She has served on the Board of Directors for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals as well as on the Supply Chain Council’s Deliver Committee.

Hartmut Wuttig
Business Unit Manager Oil, Gas, & Petrochem, Process Automation Division, ABB
Hartmut joined ABB in 1998.  Since then he has held a variety of management positions including Business Unit Manager for Chem/Pharma, Division Technology Manager, and R&D Manager for Automation Systems.  Prior to joining ABB, he worked for Elsag Bailey in a variety of leadership roles including product development and marketing.  He was also General Manager of the Automation Systems Business of Hartmann & Braun. He began his career as a commissioning engineer for power plant control systems.