LIFT names new executive director

Nigel Francis

LIFT – Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow, a Manufacturing USA institute in Detroit, has named Nigel Francis as the CEO and executive director. He succeeds Chris Conrardy, who had been serving as the interim executive director since January.

LIFT, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII), is a public-private partnership dedicated to developing and deploying advanced lightweight metal manufacturing technologies, as well as education and workforce training programs.

Francis has spent much of his career in advanced manufacturing, specifically in the automotive sector. He served as vice president of advanced engineering and technology development at American Axle, vice president of vehicle engineering at Mercedes-Benz Technology, senior automotive adviser to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, and inaugurator of Michigan’s Automotive Industry Office.