Keynote Speakers
Monday, 15 September, 2008
Tuesday, 16 September, 2008
Wednesday, 17 September, 2008
Mr. John Snow, chairman of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., one of the world's leading private investment firms
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President George W. Bush nominated John William Snow to be the 73rd Secretary of the Treasury on January 13, 2003. The United States Senate unanimously confirmed Snow to the position on January 30, 2003 and he was sworn into office on February 3, 2003 . As Secretary of the Treasury, Snow worked closely with President Bush on a broad array of economy policy issues. Prior to becoming Treasury Secretary, Snow was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CSX Corporation, where he successfully guided the multi-modal global transportation company through a period of tremendous change. During Snow’s twenty years at CSX, he led the Corporation to refocus on its core railroad business, dramatically reduce injuries and train accidents, and improve its financial performance. Snow held several high-ranking positions in the Department of Transportation during the Ford Administration where he led the efforts to reform regulation of the motor carrier, airline, barge and rail industries. Before joining the Administration, Snow served on various corporate and non-profit boards including the American Enterprise Institute and Johns Hopkins University. He is currently chairman of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.
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Mr. Jack Perkowski, chairman/CEO of ASIMCO, and featured in the book The World is Flat
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Jack Perkowski is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ASIMCO Technologies, one of the most important players in China’s automotive components industry. Perkowski founded ASIMCO in February 1994 after spending three years investigating opportunities in Asia and China. Well before others recognized the significant role that China would play in the global economy, he was on the ground doing business in the country. Perkowski’s new book Managing the Dragon: How I’m Building a Billion Dollar Business in China was recently published on March 18, 2008. Managing the Dragon discusses Perkowski’s experiences building ASIMCO from the ground up and the lessons he learned in developing the company’s local management team. Prior to coming to Asia and China, Perkowski had a successful 20-year career on Wall Street. He is frequently quoted by leading business publications and has authored articles on management and industry topics. Perkowski was featured in Thomas L. Friedman's best-selling book The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century in the chapter dealing with China. His extensive Wall Street experience, combined with his on-the-ground experience living and operating in China, gives him a unique perspective on the development of what is rapidly becoming one of the largest economies in the world.
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Mr. Brian Krinock, Vice President, Production Engineering for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc. (TEMA)
Mr. Krinock is responsible for all aspects of the vehicle manufacturing process including construction, equipment design, process development, safety and environmental issues. He formerly served as the North American leader for the Toyota/Subaru manufacturing joint agreement in Lafayette, IN and served for three years as the purchasing general manager responsible for overseeing procurement of interior, exterior, electrical, stamping body parts and raw materials for Toyota in North America. Mr. Krinock was the first chief production engineer (CPE) for the 2004 Camry Solara, which was the first North-American self-reliance project. His career at Toyota began in 1991 after working for Chrysler Corp.
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Mr. Fred Keller, chairman/CEO, Cascade Engineering
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Fred P. Keller is chairman, CEO and founder of Cascade Engineering, a global provider of plastic solutions to the automotive, office furniture, and material handling markets. An engineer by training, Keller began his career with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. After spending six years as a metallurgist, he founded Cascade Engineering in 1973. Early on, Cascade Engineering was a small injection molding company, utilizing just two machines, a single facility and six employees. Today, Cascade Engineering operates over 104 machines, employs over 1,200 people in 10 manufacturing facilities. Keller has built Cascade Engineering to reflect his beliefs that businesses should be sustainable, and should be focused on achieving worthy goals. His sustainable business model places equal importance on three key types of capital; social, ecological and financial. By placing an enormous value on his employees and the impact each individual can have, Keller has built Cascade Engineering into an organization that is truly ‘shaping ideas in plastics’ and benefiting West Michigan through environmental and community programs.
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Mr. James Hackett, chairman/CEO of Steelcase Corp., and author of the article, Preparing for the Perfect Product Launch, published in the Harvard Business Review in April, 2007
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James P. Hackett is president and chief executive officer and director of Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products. The company and its subsidiaries have dealers in more than 550 locations and approximately 13,000 employees around the world. Fiscal 2007 revenue was $3.1 billion. Hacket oversees all operations of Steelcase Inc., including domestic and international operations. Hacket serves on the boards of directors for Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a member of the executive committee of the board of directors for the National Center for Arts and Technology, as well as the boards of advisors to the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Life Science Institute at the University of Michigan. Additionally, he is a past president of the Institute of Design Board of Overseers at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
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Mr. John Kennedy, president and CEO of Autocam Corp.
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John C. Kennedy has been the President and CEO of Autocam Corporation since 1988, when he purchased the assets of Autocam from Autodie in a leveraged buyout. In the year prior to his ownership, Autocam had revenues of $8 million and had operating losses. Today, Autocam is a worldwide manufacturer of precision machined components for the automotive and medical instruments industries, having grown through a combination of long-term customer relationships, aggressive marketing and strategic acquisitions in North America, Europe and South America. Beyond his business commitments, Kennedy devotes time to a number of organizations. He is a member of the Boards of Fifth Third Bank, Sligh Furniture Company, Lacks Enterprises, Pyper Products, Van Andel Institute and Advisory Board Member of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. Additionally, Kennedy has served on several community capital campaign committees and was previously a commissioner for the Michigan Department of Transportation. Kennedy received his BA from the University of Detroit Mercy and his MBA from the University of Michigan.
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