Speakers are listed alphabetically by company name.
Mike Jackson
Chairman and CEO
AutoNation, Inc.
Mike Jackson is AutoNation's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He has served as CEO and as a Director of the Board since September 1999 and Chairman of the Board since January 1, 2003. Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, a North American operating unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, a multinational automotive manufacturing company. At Mercedes-Benz, he led a renaissance in the luxury vehicle brand's sales and marketing efforts. He also has been a dealer, operating as managing partner of Euro Motorcars of Bethesda, Md. from March 1979 to July 1990. The group owned and operated eleven automotive dealership franchises. Most recently named again in 2007, Jackson is a five-time member of the Automotive News "All-Star Team" of automotive executives and a four-time member of Advertising Age's "Marketing 100." In 2003, Jackson was named "Industry Leader of the Year", by the Automotive Hall of Fame. Jackson is currently the Chair of the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.
John Murphy
Senior Director
Bank of America
Merrill Lynch
John Murphy is the lead U.S. Auto Analyst and a Senior Director at Merrill Lynch. He joined the Merrill Lynch Auto Group in 1999. He advises clients on investments in automobile manufacturers, suppliers, tire manufacturers, dealers and related businesses. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, John worked at the National Economic Research Associates (NERA) as an Associate Analyst in the Banking and Finance practice.
John is a graduate of Tufts University where he received his B.A. in Quantitative Economics. He is also a CFA charter holder.
James S. McElya
CEO and Executive Chairman
Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc.
James S. McElya is president and chief executive officer, Cooper Standard Automotive. Prior to this, he had been a corporate vice president of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and president, Cooper-Standard Automotive.
McElya has over 30 years of automotive experience and was previously president of Siebe Automotive Worldwide, a division of Invensys, PLC. He spent 22 years with Handy & Harman in various executive management positions, including president, Handy & Harman Automotive, and corporate vice president and officer of the parent company.
McElya is a board member of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), a board member of the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), and an advisor to the National Alliance for Accessible Golf (NAAG).
He attended West Chester University in West Chester, Pa.
Michael Robinet
Vice President, Global Vehicle Forecasts
CSM Worldwide
Michael Robinet has been Vice President, Global Vehicle Forecasts since 2002. His responsibilities include global sales, capacity and production forecasting; future product program intelligence; platform and component commonization trends; OEM strategies; country-level market analysis; and, supplier and OEM facility rationalization issues.
Topics: Global Vehicle Sales & Production Trends, Sourcing and Strategy Analysis, Opportunity Targeting, OEM Strategies, Volume Stability, Ultra Low Cost Cars, Vehicle Development Trends, Emerging Market Strategies
Gerald Greenwald
Managing Partner
and Co-Founder
Greenbriar Equity Group LLC
Gerald Greenwald founded Greenbriar Equity Group with Joel Beckman and Reginald Jones. Greenbriar makes private equity investments in the global transportation sector. From 1994, until his retirement in July 1999, Mr. Greenwald was chairman and CEO of United Airlines. In his five years with United, he led the airline through its beginnings as the world’s largest majority employee-owned company, helped return it to profitability and built its leadership position throughout the world. Mr. Greenwald served as managing director of Dillon Read & Co., an investment banking company. He also served as president of Olympia & York Developments, Ltd., a real estate development company.
His career started in the automobile industry at Ford Motor Company where he worked in several positions including controller, director of Ford’s operations in Europe and as president of Ford of Venezuela. He later was employed by Chrysler Corporation, where he worked in various positions including corporate controller and chief financial officer before being promoted to vice chairman, a position in which he shared full responsibility with the CEO for the operations of the company. Mr. Greenwald graduated cum laude from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and received a masters in economics from Wayne State University. He is the author of the business book, Lessons from the Heart of American Business, Publisher, Warner Books.
Barb Samardzich
Vice President
Global Powertrain Engineering
Ford Motor Company
Barb Samardzich is vice president, Powertrain Engineering. She is responsible for engine and transmission engineering worldwide.
Prior to her current assignment, Samardzich was vice president, Powertrain Operations. Before this assignment, she was executive director, Small FWD and RWD Vehicles, where she was responsible for the design, engineering and development of nine key Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles, including the 2005 Model Year Mustang.
Samardzich also previously held a variety of positions in Powertrain Engineering, including chief engineer for Ford’s Automatic Transmission Operations. Her work in automatic transmissions and her experience in product creation won her Women in Engineering Achievement Award from Design News in February, 2004.
During her career at Ford, Samardzich also served as chief engineer for the F-Series Super Duty Commercial Trucks, and as quality director for Ford Brand products in Ford of Europe.
Before joining Ford in 1990, Samardzich worked as a thermal design engineer in Westinghouse Electric’s Nuclear Fuels Division.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and a master’s degree in engineering management from Wayne State University.
Mark Reuss Vice President
Global Vehicle Engineering
General Motors Co.
Mark L. Reuss was appointed Vice President, Global Vehicle Engineering in August 2009. In this role, he is responsible for the detailed engineering execution of all vehicles GM produces worldwide and leads over 12,000 employees across 6 continents.
Prior to this appointment, Reuss held the position of Chairman & Managing Director of GM Holden Ltd. He was responsible for the organization’s business operations and more than 7,000 employees in Australia and New Zealand. In addition Reuss served as the President of Australia's Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
Previously, Reuss held three Executive Director positions at General Motors in North America from 2001 to 2008. In these roles, Reuss established and oversaw GM’s performance and racing division, had release engineering responsibilities for all North American vehicle functions and led vehicle integration, safety and performance development for GM product programs worldwide.
Kim Korth
President and CEO
IRN, Inc.
Kim Korth is President and owner of IRN, Inc., a well-known consulting firm specializing in strategic advisory services to middle market manufacturing. She founded IRN in 1983 and has spearheaded its growth into a leading consulting firm for global automotive suppliers. Kim earned a B.A. from Western Michigan University in 1977 and an M.I.M. from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in 1980. She also spent her junior year in college at the University of Wales in the United Kingdom in 1975-6.
Kim has been an active participant in industry since 1980, beginning her career at Prince Corporation, now a part of Johnson Controls. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Shape Corporation, Burke E. Porter Machinery Company, Unwired Technology LLC, Stoneridge Inc., and the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA). She is also a member of the Society of Automotive Analysts and is on the Advisory Board for Western Michigan University’s MBA Program.
John Weber
President and CEO
Remy International
John H. Weber is serving as President and Chief Executive Officer for Remy International since January of 2006.
Born February 21, 1956, Mr. Weber graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering with Honors. He continued his education at Harvard where he earned a Masters of Business administration with distinction.
Prior to joining Remy Mr. Weber was with EaglePicher, Inc., a global conglomerate of auto parts, mining, and high tech businesses, where he was President and Chief Executive Officer since 2001. Additionally, he served as the President, Industrial Control and Friction Materials for Honeywell International. He has also held significant executive and managerial positions with General Electric, Vickers, Baxter International, AlliedSignaland McKinsey & Company.
His professional affiliations include: Duke Pratt School of Engineering Board of Visitors, Young President’s Organization, and Manufacturer’s Alliance Board of Trustees.
Peter Marks
Chairman, President and CEO
Robert Bosch LLC
Peter Marks began his responsibilities as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Robert Bosch LLC, based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on January 1, 2006. He also is a member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.
Peter J. Marks was born in Singen, Germany in 1953. After an apprenticeship as a machinery fitter from 1968 to 1972, he completed his school education, then began a course of study in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Konstanz, where he qualified as an engineer in 1977.
Roland Ehniss
Executive Vice President, Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Technology
Robert Bosch GmbH
Dipl.-Ing. electrical engineering
10 years with Porsche AG in different development assignments and first management experience.
10 years with Siemens Automotive and VDO in different executive positions.
Since 2000 with Bosch in different executive positions and right now EVP Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Technology.
Juergen Reers
Managing Partner
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Juergen Reers is a partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Managing Partner of Roland Berger's North American operations, including the Chicago, Detroit and New York offices.
Juergen Reers' areas of practice include automotive, engineered products, energy/utilities and transportation. Reers is a member of the Management Team of Roland Berger's Global Automotive Industry Practice and heads the North American Automotive Practice of the firm.
Prior to his career in consulting, Reers worked for GEHL, a manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment.
He has extensive experience in corporate and business strategy, marketing & sales, product development and restructuring.
Juergen Reers earned a master's degree in business administration from Westfaelische-Wilhelms University in Muenster, Germany and holds a MBA from Azusa Pacific University in Los Angeles.
Stephe J. Girsky President
S. J. Girsky and Co.
President, S. J. Girsky & Company, an independent advisory firm based in New York, since January, 2009; President, Centerbridge Industrial Partners, LLC, an affiliate of Centerbridge Partners, L.P., a private investment firm (2006-2009); Special Advisor to Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Motors Liquidation Company (formerly known as General Motors Corporation) (2005-2006); Advisor to the UAW; and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley and Senior Analyst, Morgan Stanley Global Automotive and Auto Parts Research Team (1995-2005).
The Honorable
Dave McCurdy
President and CEO
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
An acknowledged expert in public policy and a passionate spokesman for American innovation, Dave McCurdy is consistently listed as one of the most influential association executives and policy advocates in publications such as Washingtonian and The Hill.
Mr. McCurdy joined the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers as President and CEO in February 2007. The Alliance is a trade association of eleven car and light truck manufacturers including BMW Group, Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.
Congressman McCurdy spent 14 years (1981-1995) in the House of Representatives as the Member from the Fourth Congressional District of Oklahoma. He attained numerous leadership positions including: Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; Chairman of the Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee; and Chairman of the Transportation Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the Science and Space Committee. He was the youngest person in Congressional history to chair a full committee. He was also co-founder and national Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.
A 1972 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Mr. McCurdy received his J.D. in 1975 from Oklahoma’s Law School. He studied international economics at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, as a Rotary International Graduate Fellow. Mr. McCurdy held a commission in the United States Air Force Reserve, attaining the rank of major and serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG).
Steve St. Angelo
Executive Vice President
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America
Steve St. Angelo joined Toyota as Vice President of Manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK), the company’s largest facility outside Japan on April 1, 2005. And in June 2006, he was named President of TMMK.
On June 26, 2007, St. Angelo was named the Senior Vice President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc., (TEMA). TEMA supports Toyota's engineering and manufacturing operations in North America.
As President of TMMK, St. Angelo oversees all aspects of the 7.5 million square foot facility which assembles the Camry, Camry hybrid, Avalon, the all-new Venza, as well as four and six cylinder engines and axle production.
As Executive Vice President for TEMA, St. Angelo’s responsibilities include the Strategic Business Management Shop Self Reliance group (SSR) as well as the North American Production Support Center department (NAPSC).
St. Angelo’s 30-plus year career in automobile manufacturing began with General Motors as a production team member at the Fisher Body Fleetwood plant in Detroit. At GM, St. Angelo held a variety of leadership positions in manufacturing engineering and plant management at several assembly plants and at the GM Tech Center.
St. Angelo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from Madonna University, an associate degree in industrial management and electrical technology from Henry Ford College and a master's degree in manufacturing management from Kettering University. He also completed the Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
