Progressive Manufacturing Summit speakers announced

Managing Automation, a Thomas Publishing Co., LLC brand, has announced that Tom Duesterberg, president and CEO, Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, and Randy Pond, senior vice president of operations, processes, and systems, Cisco Systems, will be the keynote speakers for its first annual Progressive Manufacturing Summit & Awards, March 16-18, 2005, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New Orleans.

Duesterberg kicks off the first full day of the summit, speaking about the impact of globalization on U.S. manufacturers; the future of domestic manufacturing in the next decade; and technology strategies to deal with lower-cost competitors around the globe.

Pond keynotes in the afternoon with a discussion of the new rules of competition. He will address the search for competitive advantage; the integration of technology and automation in manufacturing; and winning strategies for a highly competitive environment.

Featured speakers include:

• John Dean, executive vice president Global e-business and CIO, Steelcase, who will address business innovation through continuous, incremental process improvements.
• Leo Reddy, CEO, National Council for Advanced Manufacturing, who will speak on how to tackle training and education today for the manufacturing skill sets that will be required tomorrow.
• Navi Radjou, vice president Enterprise Applications, Forrester Research, who will discuss how to break down data silos and integrate the shop floor to respond quickly to market shifts.
• Paul E. Martin, group director of information management, Rexam PLC, who will focus on building customer intimacy to anticipate customers' needs before they ask.