Steven B. Ambrose is vice president and chief information officer for DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan\’s leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress.

Ambrose is responsible for securing, operating, and applying the company’s information technology assets toward achieving the company’s strategic objectives.

Prior to his current role, Ambrose was director of Enterprise Performance Management where he was responsible for the oversight of corporate performance, and served as the chief of staff to the CEO where he coordinated various corporate-wide initiatives.

Ambrose joined DTE Energy in 1998 and served in a variety of progressively more  responsible information technology (IT) roles including the oversight of the company’s enterprise business systems, the IT operations of DTE Energy’s non-utility affiliates, and the stewardship of the company’s IT strategy and enterprise architecture.

Ambrose earned an MBA with high distinction from the University of Michigan, a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, a master’s certificate in management information systems from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bellevue College.

Ambrose serves on the board of directors of TechTown and Powerley.

Martin Bally is a highly accomplished senior global information security officer with more than 20 years of experience in multiple industries.  Formerly, he was the Chief Information Security Officer for Stellantis where he was responsible for information, cyber, industrial, and product security.  Prior, Mr. Bally was the Chief Information Security Officer for three other fortune 500 companies: American Axle & Manufacturing, DieboldNixdorf, and TRW Automotive. In all positions, he was responsible for information security strategy, architecture, and security risk management globally and was a trusted advisor to the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership.

Colin Boyd has the distinction of being an IT leader who has successfully delivered several global business transformations.

Colin is currently the CIO at Komatsu Mining Corporation – previously Joy Global – where he is busy implementing global IT platforms to support the digital transformation of Komatsu Mining Corporation’s business processes and products, and integrating the former Joy Global IT platforms into the Komatsu IT landscape.

Previously, Colin was the CIO for Johnson Controls, where he led a modernization and transformation program for their IT platforms: consolidating datacenters, implementing global cloud platforms, creating global cybersecurity teams, and supporting M&A transactions, acquisitions and divestitures.

As an Initial member of the Sony Europe executive team, Colin partnered with Ericsson to create the Sony Ericsson joint venture in 2001. As Corporate Vice President and CIO, he created an innovative, standalone IT organization with a global SAP platform. Within six years, revenues grew from $4 billion to $16 billion with repayment of all parent company investments.

Prior to 2001, he was General Manager of IS Operations for Sony Europe, and held roles with British Telecomm, IBM and Logica.

Colin holds an MSc in Information Technology from the University of London and a BSc in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Nottingham. Colin and his family now live in Mequon, Wisconsin.

Richard A. Hook is the Chief Information Officer for Penske Corporation and Executive Vice President and CIO for Penske Automotive Group, Inc.  Rich has been the CIO since May 2015 and was previously VP, IT Infrastructure for PAG since July 2009.  Prior to joining Penske, he held various positions at Arthur Andersen LLP, H&R Block Financial Advisors and Federal-Mogul Corporation.  He holds a BBA from Western Michigan University, is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and national board member for the Society for Information Management (SIM). 

Aakrati is a Director of Identity and Access Management, Cyber Security at Baker Hughes. She started her career as a consultant and held various roles in increasing responsibility for Acquisitions & Integrations, ERP, Sales and Operations, Finance and Cyber Security. She has over 20 years of experience in building global high-performance teams focused on strategy, execution, and customer experience. She is exceptional at driving change in complex organizations, connecting business needs with technology. She won a “Women and Technology award in Manufacturing Process Excellence”, “Excellence award for significant impact on business operations” and is Six Sigma Green Belt certified. Originally from India, she holds a master’s degree in computer engineering from Cleveland State University, is PMP Certified, CISM certified, a certification from Stanford University in IT Benchmarking and currently resides with her family in Houston.

George Surdu, with more than 40 years of IT leadership, spanning both the automotive and banking industries, is the Chief Strategist at HTC Global Services. He leads the coordination and development of an integrated decision-making strategy for the business as well as the setting of technology-related products and service directions that will be the focus of HTC through 2020. George also provides insights for Marketing and Sales, Technology Research and Innovation Services, Technology Partnership Programs, and Industry Analyst Relationship Management.

Previously, as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Comerica Bank, George led all IT activities including software development and production support, infrastructure operations, IS security services, advanced technology research, technology engineering, IS business relationship management, and IT risk assurance. At Ford Motor Company, he held several executive positions across eight divisions, most notably as Director, Global Infrastructure Services.

Mr. Sangy Vatsa is currently serving as the CTO/Advisor at Digital Insights where he consults with the C-Suite executives on digital transformation. He was formerly the EVP, Chief Technology and Digital Officer of FIS. As a seasoned Chief Technology, Information and Digital Officer with a track record of accelerating growth and maximizing value, Vatsa has delivered such value in progressive leadership roles at Fortune companies like American Express, Ford Motor Company, FIS and Comerica Bank.

Prior to joining FIS Global, Vatsa served as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Comerica Bank. He joined the Bank in 2016 and was responsible for all of digital technology, technology operations, cybersecurity, enterprise data office, business continuity and technology risk management at the Bank. 

Prior to joining Comerica Bank, Vatsa served as the Chief Information Officer for global customer service, credit, collections and payments issuance at The American Express Company. Since joining American Express in 2006, he served in leadership roles for IT strategy, architecture and innovation, enterprise shared services, global business travel and corporate payments digital capabilities. Prior to American Express, he spent 13 years at Ford Motor Company (and Ford Financial Services) in various progressive leadership, architecture and technology delivery roles.

Vatsa earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.  He also holds a Master of Computer and Information Systems degree and a Bachelor of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering degree. Vatsa is actively engaged in the industry, both with technology companies and with non-profit companies.

Jay Aho is currently the Director of Neighbor Analytics and Marketing Technology at Pet Supplies Plus. With a vast network of over 750 locations, Pet Supplies Plus is dedicated to providing superior products for pets through local neighborhood stores. As a naturally entrepreneurial leader, Jay founded and successfully sold his first company during his teenage years. He has over 15 years of experience in leading international teams in areas such as Predictive Analytics, Marketing Automation, and Agile Software Development.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Jay is deeply committed to community service, holding the position of Board President for a non-profit organization that aids individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Outside the office, Jay enjoys quality time with his family in Detroit, indulges in marathons of \”Saturday Night Live,\” and pursues his passion for aviation. Jay\’s multifaceted expertise and community involvement make him a pivotal force in enhancing both the pet retail industry and his local community.

Christopher J Allamon is the Vice President, Information Technology Director for Level One Bank since 2013.   Level One Bank located in Farmington Hills was created in 2007 by a team of local business leaders, entrepreneurs and passionate bankers who believed in a better way to bank. They recognized the need for a bank that could provide the sophisticated products of a large institution with the local knowledge and customer service of a community bank. 

Chris has 25 plus years of experience and is passionate about developing deep knowledge of the business, identifying and evaluating emerging technology opportunities, and partnering with the leadership team to lead change.  His commitment to strategic innovation in the area of digital technology for client experience, employee engagement and data analytics enables the business to perform at a high degree of efficiency and stay relevant and competitive in the market.   

In January 2019, he joined Wayne State University, Mike Ilitch School of Business, Information Systems Management Advisory Board to advise and support the ISM Department Chair on the strategic direction and advancement of the department.

Chris’s career encompasses both the financial and automotive industries.  Prior to Level One Bank, he served half of his career in the financial industry with GreenPath Debt Solutions and Munder Capital Management.  The latter half in automotive with EDS at GM Tech Center and several auto suppliers. 

Chris holds a BSEE in Electronics Engineering from DeVry University in Columbus Ohio.

Winston Benedict leads GSTV’s technology team as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He is responsible for all company technology and technological resources related to GSTV, setting in motion our company vision, strategies and growth plans.  

Immediately prior to GSTV, Winston worked at Dentsu Aegis Network, where he served for three years as Chief Information Officer / Chief Technology Officer, ANZ, running their technology group and delivering digital transformation for the media holding company in Australia and New Zealand. 

Throughout his career, Winston has partnered with businesses to deliver top and bottom-line results leveraging ERP, Cloud Migrations, End User Enablement, Data Analytics, Process Improvement/Automation, Customer Service Innovation and other digital transformation initiatives. His experience spans across industries including Advertising, Utilities, Aerospace & Defense, Financial, Pharmaceuticals and Transportation. Winston’s career evolution includes consulting roles at Accenture and rounding out his leadership experience working in private sector technology leadership roles (Ally Financial & Dentsu Aegis Network – Americas).  

A lifelong gearhead, cyclist and alpine skier, Winston is a graduate of the University of California, Davis and hails originally from Lake Tahoe-Reno, NV. He currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI with his wife and two kids. 

Whether IT or business, my specialty is results orientated analysis of processes and making them more efficient, simpler and less error prone. The same focus is used when addressing problems or unplanned changes in direction.

I am a high-integrity Leader that likes to help others learn, grow and succeed with attention to organizational development and team dynamics with a focus on strengths and personality styles.

Over 25 years of experience in IT engineering, implementation, leadership, and strategic planning, currently serving as the Chief Information Officer equivalent role.

Jason believes technology works best when it brings people and processes together to innovate and simplify.  He is incredibly talented infusing tech solutions with a client service focus, and is constantly analyzing new platforms to help our clients businesses grow.

Jason has spent 22 years in the fintech industry working specifically in the mortgage platform realm, working with 3 of the largest and fastest growing mortgage companies in the country over the last 2 decades.

Barbara L. Ciaramitaro, PhD, is a professor of Information Technology and Cybersecurity at Walsh College. She is also the Director of the Center for Cybersecurity Leadership. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in information technology, project management, business intelligence, data and decision making, software engineering, secure software development and cybersecurity.Dr. Ciaramitaro joined the academic world at Walsh College in 2008, after 30 years of professional technology and project management experience including the last 10 years as an executive with General Motors acting as a liaison with the Legal and Public Affairs Department and various technology providers internal and external. Prior to General Motors, she served as director of technology at three of the largest law firms in the State of Michigan. She left Walsh College in 2009 to join the faculty of the Information Security & Intelligence Department of Ferris State University, where she helped develop the program and course curriculum.  In January of 2014, Dr. Ciaramitaro returned to Walsh College to rejoin the Business Information Technology faculty.Dr. Ciaramitaro earned her Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University in Information Systems with a post-doctoral certificate in Information Security.  She earned her Masters of Science in Software Engineering Administration from Central Michigan University and her undergraduate degree in psychology from Wayne State University. In addition, Dr. Ciaramitaro has earned several professional certifications including the CISSP (Certified Information System Security Profession), CSSLP (Certified Software System Lifecycle professional) and the PMP (Project Management Professional).Most recently, Dr. Ciaramitaro was named as one of the \”50 Names to Know in Information Technology\” by Crain\’s Detroit Business. Dr. Ciaramitaro is a frequent speaker and author on cybersecurity, information technology, business intelligence, data and decision-making, project management, and mobile technologies.  She has authored and edited books on quality assurance, virtual world technologies, mobile technology, privacy, social engineering and forensics.

With 25+ years’ Information Technology experience working for global fortune 100 companies across multiple verticals (Automotive, HealthCare, Pharmaceutical, Retail, Insurance, Manufacturing) Wallace currently serves as the Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan – Emergent Holdings Inc. VP/Chief Information Security Officer. Wallace oversees the Emergent Holdings Inc. security strategy, risk management, governance, IS compliance, IS regulatory, policy, controls, crisis management, business continuity, application security and identity & access management inclusive of all the subsidiaries. Role includes communicating Cybersecurity risk to the board of directors and building strong relationships across the enterprise. These responsibilities include building an enterprise security program based on risk and business driven outcomes. Information Security is a business enabler by creating a culture of information security first, protecting confidential data, securing assets, partnering on business acquisitions, providing innovative security solutions to meet client deliverables, meeting industry compliance requirements and defining enterprise security services. Before joining BCBSM, Mr. Dalrymple spent 13 years with General Motors where he held the position of Chief Security Architect and Emerging Technologist responsible for identifying, defining, implementing and creating information security strategies across GM’s global environment. Wallace’s worked across the globe in defining global common standards and solutions in support of GM’s global business. Wallace earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management & Computer Science minor from Grand Valley State University and a Master of Business Information Technology specialization in Information Assurance from Walsh College. He obtained his CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) in 2006 and obtained ITIL certification while at GM. Wallace is a member of the Risk Board, McKinsey Healthcare Exchange, executive sponsor for BCBSM Diversity & Inclusion program, adjunct professor and mentor.

Information technology executive with 25+ years of experience across several major industries: insurance, claims, and banking services (6 years), specialty retail (3 years), automotive (18 years). Have led large technology organizations (500 people with 8 direct reports). Managed capital and expense budgets to achieve corporate objectives. Excellent organizational, leadership, interpersonal, and contract negotiation skills. IT leadership experience spans many facets:
* Medical Insurance, Benefits, and Claims Systems and Data Warehouse solutions
* Investment Systems and Data Warehouse solutions
* Disaster Recovery architecture, planning, and testing
* Cyber-security solution architecture and implementaton (IDS, anti-malware, data encryption). PII, PCI, HIPAA standards.
* Property & Casualty Insurance Policy Management and Claims Systems
* Banking Systems (Fiserv, Open/Close, EasyLender, Andera)
* Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) (People Soft, SAP, Oracle Applications, Enterprise Content Management)
* Contract negotiation and vendor management for IT products and services
* Infrastructure Management (PCs, servers, storage, network, call center telephony)

David is an innovative, results-driven information technology executive with over 30 years of increasing levels of responsibility at three Fortune 500 companies. He is presently the Director of IT at American Axle & Manufacturing for the Driveline Business Unit, and is leading the company’s strategic Industry 4.0 efforts including creating a digital manufacturing platform and migrating plant-floor systems to the Cloud. He previously led the digital transformation effort at Omega Engineering upgrade their obsolete IT systems and infrastructure, building an integrated e-commerce platform and driving sales to the web. Prior to that he was CIO and Vice President of IT at Johnson Controls Automotive, where he was responsible for developing and executing the information technology strategy for the automotive seating business. He spent 21 years in IT at Ford Motor Company, holding a variety of positions including Director of the Global Order to Delivery program, and Senior Manager of Global Manufacturing IT Operations.

David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Michigan. He also interviews prospective students as part of the University of Michigan College of Engineering admissions process.

For over ten years David has supported the Michigan Council of Women in Technology, and formerly served on the Board of Directors. He is also a board member of the Epsilon Trustee Corporation at the University of Michigan, and is a member of the Detroit chapter of SIM. David resides in Ann Arbor, and in his spare time enjoys CrossFit and spending time with his family.

As the Regional Information Officer of Continental Automotive Systems, Inc., Daryl Dellinger leads the IT strategy direction and operations within the Americas region, which includes US, Canada, and Mexico. Mr. Dellinger reports directly to Andrew Martin, VP & CFO of Continental Automotive Systems, Inc., North America. Mr. Dellinger also coordinates globally to increase focus on Continental’s technology infrastructure to ensure systems & processes are aligned to meet business targets, reporting directly to Christian Eigler, Corporate CIO, Continental Automotive AG. Prior to this, Mr. Dellinger was the Business Systems Executive Manager responsible for the development, alignment, and deployment of the SAP systems integration for all Continental Automotive Systems business units in North America. Mr. Dellinger began his automotive career with ITT Automotive in 1992 where he was responsible for several positions of increasing responsibility within Logistics and IT Systems. Mr. Dellinger began his professional career with Outboard Marine Corporation in 1985 and held various positions with the company, including Industrial Engineering, Logistics, and IT. A native of North Carolina, Mr. Dellinger graduated from Western Carolina University in 1984 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. He is involved in a number of organizations within the Detroit community. He is a member of the Governing Board of Evanta and serves on the OESA CIO Board of Governors, the Society for Information Management (SIM) organization as treasurer and is a member of the AT&T Manufacturing Advisory Council. Mr. Dellinger and his wife, Debra, reside in Lake Orion, MI, and their two children reside in NC. 

Arun DeSouza is currently Chief Information Security & Privacy Officer at Nexteer Automotive Corporation.  He has extensive global IT and security leadership and organizational transformation experience including as CISO and CIO. Arun’s areas of expertise include strategic planning, risk management, identity management, cloud computing and privacy. His current interests include the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Zero Trust, Software Defined Perimeter & Self-Sovereign Identity.

Arun earned Master’s and PhD degrees from Vanderbilt University. He is a Certified Information Systems Security professional (CISSP). He was  honored by the 1^st Global Cyber Observatory by induction into the CISO Hall of Fame in September 2019.  He has won multiple other industry honors including CISAO of the Week, CSO50 Award, Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leaders Award, CIO Ones to Watch Award and the Network World Enterprise All Star Award.  He is a member of the Society for Information Management and the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Greggory R. Garrett is the CEO and Managing Director of CGS Advisors, a 10 year old boutique strategy and innovation advisory firm that works with senior leaders at public companies and select private organizations. He is a dynamic and experienced international keynote speaker, an adjunct professor of business and engineering, the host of the “You, Me, and Your Top Three” podcast, and author of the best-selling business leadership book, Competing in the Connecting World.  Having addressed audiences from 20 to upwards of 1500 people in public and private/corporate events, Gregg is at his best when he can focus on industry shaping & transformational topics.

Prior to launching CGS Advisors, Gregg was the Chief Strategy Officer for IT & Innovation at Volkswagen Group of America. Before his time with VW, Gregg led corporate strategy & marketing for a division of Deutsche Telekom and was part of Ernst & Young’s Management Consulting practice. He is a visionary leader who prides himself in recognizing common sense solutions for complex problems and supports “Corporate Bravery” by motivating teams to reach well beyond the typical boundaries to achieve greatness. 

Dennis Hodges is responsible for Inteva\’s global information and technology requirements and leads the effort to improve business systems and processes worldwide.

Prior to joining Inteva in 2008, Hodges was Chief Information Officer for Delphi Interiors and Closures. He also served as the Global Business Systems Director at Huntsman Corporation. Hodges began his career at Shell Oil in 1985, and held various IT and Finance positions at several companies, including international assignments for Phillips Petroleum and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. Dennis has international experience through assignments in China and as Controller for a Chemical joint venture in South Korea.

Hodges earned a master’s in Computer Science from Stephen F Austin State University and a MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix.

Mike Homant is a seasoned technology leader with more than 30 years of experience. In his current role he leads the Enterprise Technology Operations team for the City of Detroit. Before joining the City of Detroit team, Mike held the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Wright and Filippis.  Other companies where he has held technology and other leadership roles include; Asset Acceptance Capital, Comprehensive Receivables Group — a division of BC/BS WI,  St.  Mary Hospital, and William Beaumont Hospital. He specializes in implementing change and customer service focus within technology groups.

Jeffrey Ingalsbe is a transformational IT and cybersecurity leader with experience in the automotive, academic, and financial services sectors. He is able to take complex problems and boil them down to their essence. He is driven to improve processes and products while keeping a compassionate focus on people.

As the CI(S)O at Flexible Plan Investments, Ltd. he has delivered advanced threat management capabilities, institutionalized cybersecurity governance, vastly improved communication and reporting to the board, and re-organized teams to optimize delivery consistent with executive vision. He leads the firm\’s efforts to address risk through the development and deployment of policies, processes, and technologies and the engagement of employees and business partners.

Prior to joining FPI, Jeffrey served as Assistant Professor and Chair of the Computer Information Systems and Information Assurance Department at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM). Also during that time, he was Director of the Center for Cyber Security and Intelligence Studies where he coordinated cybersecurity strategy efforts with government entities, other universities, law enforcement agencies, and industry entities.

In addition, Jeffrey spent 14 years at Ford Motor Company where he held a variety of IT and security-related positions. He led complex threat modeling efforts on strategically important enterprise initiatives, deployed a process that saved millions of dollars out of the run rate, managed strategic research for directors and VPs, and represented Ford on US Department of Homeland Security national working groups.

Jeffrey is a well published, regularly requested expert on television (WXYZ Channel 7, WDIV Channel 4) and radio (WDET NPR Detroit), and has spoken around the country to groups on cybersecurity issues (WorldBank, NAAIM, SC Congress, etc.).

Before joining Truck-Lite, Kevin Johnson was recently the VP of Information Technology for HoMedics Inc., a global distributor of personal wellness products.  Johnson lead the global IT function for HoMedics where he focuses on building a more efficient and effective IT organization, streamlining processes, reducing costs and ultimately, providing information that enables HoMedics Group Companies to grow and expand the business. Johnson joined HoMedics in 1999 as a Senior IT Manager charged with laying out the architecture and infrastructure required to migrate the company from its home grown legacy systems to world class “Best of Breed” ERP systems.  In the past ten years with HoMedics, Johnson led numerous ERP implementations, data warehousing initiatives, e? commerce rollouts and many other successful projects.    Prior to joining HoMedics Johnson spent time worked as a principal consultant with PriceWaterHouseCoopers where he provided management level consulting services to a variety of customers.  He also spent time working in private industry as a development analyst, team leader for First Security Savings Bank.  Johnson started his career as a programmer / analyst consultant, accepting a job with Complete Business Solutions (CBSI) after college. In addition to his professional experience, Johnson also worked as an adjunct professor at Macomb Community College where he organized, designed and taught the Advanced Visual Basic programming course for several years. Johnson is a graduate of Wayne State University where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration, with Beta Gamma Sigma honors, concentrating in Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies. He has been happily married for 19 years and he has three children.

Diane is the Executive Director for ITS Administration. Her responsibilities include planning, allocation, and management of all functions in our finance, human resource, facilities, workforce development, and communication areas.

Previously, Diane worked in Detroit Public Schools for six years as Chief Information and Strategic Officer and served as an executive cabinet member of the district leadership. There, she she managed a team of professionals who were accountable for the delivery of all information technology services that supported the achievement of Detroit Public Schools\’ goals and instructional priorities. Prior to this, she worked for 10 years as a program director for Compuware Corporation at Ford Motor Company. She managed one of the largest clients in Compuware Corporation\’s professional services portfolio, Ford Motor Co., North America, Europe and Germany IT Sourcing and Management operations, a $100 million account. She also implemented business management systems standards that received the Ford Q1 award and the ISO 9001:2000 certification. Prior to Compuware, Diane worked as the associate director for the Office of University Budget at Wayne State University. Her responsibilities included the planning and implementation of major operational activities and serving on a task force overseeing the implementation of the Finance, Budget, and Human Resource systems. Finally, Diane worked for nine years as Manager in the Financial Planning department at AAA Michigan. She was responsible for managing the planning, collecting, analyzing and reporting processes relative to loss reserves, budget, forecast, the balanced scorecard, and capital acquisitions.

Diane has received many outstanding awards, including the 2014 Women of Excellence Award in March 2014 from the Michigan Chronicle, the Ford Q1 award – ISO 9001:2000 certification in April 2007 from Ford Motor Company, the Flame of Inspiration Award in February 2008 from Compuware Corporation, the Presidential Award for high achievement from Wayne State University, and was recognized as a Leader in the Corporate Community in the second and third editions of Who’s Who in Black Detroit.

Diane is actively engaged in industry and professional organizations, and has served on numerous boards including the National Advisory Council on ConnectED NACC, Community Telecommunications Network (CTN), the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS), the RTM Business Group Advisory Council, CIO Congress and Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ).

Diane\’s achievements in innovation and education were recognized by the Gartner Group in a white paper as helping to transform the learning environment. (“Road Notes on Supporting Collaborative Education: Starting With Students” G00254937). As a member of the advisory council Diane wrote an article about the digital divide in the white house education initiative in June 2013.

Diane was also asked to contribute to the CIO Review Magazine in October 2015 on the Cloud – A Game Changer for the Education Industry.

Diane received a Master of Science in Finance and Economics from Walsh College in 1995. In her free time she enjoys music, art, growing flowers, and cooking for friends and family.

Geeta Kapoor is Vice President of Information Security for MSC Industrial Supply, North America’s leading distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services. Prior to joining MSC in 2022, Geeta was VP/Chief Information Security Officer for Beaumont Health – Michigan’s largest healthcare system. Geeta was responsible for developing and executing the security strategy to reduce overall cyber risk. Geeta joined Beaumont in July 2021 from Tenneco Inc. Tenneco is a Fortune 500 American automotive components original equipment manufacturer and an aftermarket ride control and emissions products manufacturer. Over her 7 years at Tenneco, she served in a variety of roles covering Network management, cybersecurity engineering and architecture, identity and access management, monitoring and incident response, as well as governance, risk and compliance. Geeta earned her Master of Science degree in Information Communication Sciences from Ball State University, an MBA from Oakland University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Cybersecurity from Purdue University.

Kelly provides leadership for a global organization focused on the continued development of an innovative, robust and secure Information Technology environment.

His primary responsibilities are focused around Global Architecture, Security, Governance, Collaboration and Innovative services to all Operations and Functional areas.

His global, culturally diverse organization delivers and supports centralized services and takes pride in its focus on the critical manufacturing operations of the company.

Zvonko Kolar is Vice President, Chief Technology Officer for Arden Companies where he has served in that capacity for four years. 

His previous experience includes multiple positions during 17 years at Ford including Controls Engineer, IT Analyst, Plant IT Manager, Lean Manufacturing Manager and IT Manufacturing Planning as well as an Automation Specialist at GE. 

Kolar earned his BSEE from Kettering (formerly GMI) and his Master\’s of Engineering Management from Wayne State University.

Dr. M. S. Krishnan (“Krishnan”) is the Accenture Professor of Computer Information Systems and Professor of Technology and Operations at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He is also the Faculty Director for India Initiatives at the Ross School of Business. He has co-authored the book “The New Age of Innovation: Driving Co-Created Value with Global Networks” with Professor C. K. Prahalad (late). The Economist and BusinessWeek magazine named this book as one of the Best Books on Innovation in 2008. Dr. Krishnan received his degrees in Mathematics and Computer Applications from the University of Delhi, India and Ph.D. in Information Systems from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA in 1996. He was awarded the ICIS Best Dissertation Prize for his Doctoral Thesis on “Cost and Quality Considerations in Software Product Management”. His research interest includes Business Innovation, Corporate IT Strategy, Business Value of IT investments, Metrics and Measures for Business Process and Software Quality, Productivity and Customer satisfaction. In January 2000, American Society for Quality (ASQ) selected him as one of the 21 voices of quality for the twenty first century. In 2004, he was selected as one of the top thinkers on Business Technology by Informationweek-Optimze magazines based on their reader surveys. His research articles have appeared in several journals including Management Science, Information Systems Research, Management Information Systems Quarterly, Strategic Management Journal, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, IEEE Software, Decision Support Systems, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Information Week, Sloan Management Review, Optimize and Communications of the ACM. His article “The role of team factors in software cost and quality” was awarded the 1999 ANBAR Electronic Citation of Excellence. Dr. Krishnan has consulted with Ford Motor Company, NCR, IBM, Nestle, ICICI, TVS Group, NBC, Next Services, Infosys, Techvoyant and Ramco Systems. He also serves on the board of advisors of companies.

Sanjay Kumar is responsible for Siemens’ smart manufacturing, industrial analytics and complex multi-system integration solutions. His career started in plant automation and progressed through technology implementations enabling clients optimize production efficiency, improve quality and reduce supply chain risk. In addition, Sanjay spent several years consulting on IT Strategy, business outcomes driven initiatives and technology optimization with consulting firms including Accenture, KPMG and Deloitte. He has advised clients on business and technology strategy, led complex M&A engagements, enabled clients define their smart manufacturing and connected product strategies, and led programs to execute those strategies.

Raman Mehta leads all facets of Visteon’s global information technology, including designing, developing and implementing global IT platforms and business processes to increase performance and help Visteon leverage technology as a competitive advantage.

Mehta joined Visteon in April 2017 from Fabrinet, where he was senior vice president and CIO at the global engineering and manufacturing services provider of complex optical and electromechanical components. He previously served as CIO and chief process architect for EWIE Company, a Tier 1 supplier to Ford Motor Co., driving enterprise-wide technology transformation. Before that, he spent more than 13 years at Oracle USA, Inc., where he was a director and advised Fortune 500 clients on business transformation.

Mehta has earned several leadership awards including CIO magazine’s 2013 CIO 100 Award, Computerworld’s 2012 Premier 100 IT Leaders Award, and a Crain’s Detroit Business CIO award. He has presented at several prominent IT conferences and authored various white papers.

He has an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical and electronics from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India.

Robert (Bob) Montgomery has worked with Information Technology for 39 years- developing a broad base of experience through employment in telecommunications, manufacturing, and education. He has been with Oakland Community College for 16 years- the last seven in his current role as Vice Chancellor of IT and CIO. 

Bob is an active member of the Merit IT Executive Forum, Merit Advisory Committee, Society for Information Management, and the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education board.

International business/ information technology leader with a proven track record of creating environments where human capital can flourish by developing people, effectively leading top talent and setting the preconditions that enable high-performance.

Personal ability to translate conceptual and domain knowledge into action by \”selling\” others on the value of goals while working with and through others in their implementation.

Innovative by nature to challenge orthodoxies/dogmas & understand unarticulated needs when applying technology to solve business problems. Particularly adept at identifying, assessing and executing within Merger & Acquisition transactions through the lens of a Business Technologist using data & analytics to recognize value, risk and opportunity when two businesses combine for technology growth & synergistic gain.

Strengths:
– Leadership
– High Performance Culture
– Interpersonal Communication
– Merger & Acquisition (M&A) – Diligence & Integration
– Strategic & Visionary Thinking
– Transformational Change ie. Problem Solving

With over 20 years of experience in creating, managing, and leading IT Governance, Risk and Compliance programs, Maureen Niemiec offers a unique blend of leadership, technical knowledge, and team building expertise.  She is currently the Chief of Staff – Office of the CISO for Kontoor Brands, well known for their Wrangler and Lee clothing, where she is helping build out a strong Cybersecurity program.  Previously, she served as Vice President of Internal Audit for Information Technology, Information Security, Bank Secrecy Act / Anti Money Laundering, and Retail Banking at Flagstar Bank.  Through her leadership, the IT audit program migrated from procedural findings to true reduction of risk and improved efficiency of all audits  She received high praise from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for these initiatives.

My best value is achieved when solving large, ill-defined, challenging business and computing problems.

Having a passion for leadership, I have fifteen years of experience leading teams up to twelve staff through the successful execution and delivery of many software projects. Having a passion for technology, for a hobby I ultimately pursued and obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science. As a scientist, I like to research, experiment, prototype, invent and build new and better solutions to solve problems and invent the future. Strengths Finder: Strategic Mindset- Ideation, Achiever, Futuristic, Learner, Intellection.

Technical Specialties: Hyper-scale Distributed Computing, Software Architecture, Database (Peer-to-Peer, NoSQL, Cassandra, Spark, Hive, SQL, RDBMS), Integration (Pulsar, Kafka, ESB), Security (CISSP, cryptography, secure coding), and Software Development (Java and VSC++). Research interests and hobby projects include Data Science & Analytics, AI Agent-Based Simulation and Gaming, Data Mining, Machine Learning, High-Dimensional Real-Time Visualization, Image and Video Processing, and Robotics.

Rachelle Putnam serves as IT Director/CIO for General Dynamics Land Systems, and is responsible for managing the global Information Technology department including US, Canada, Australia and UK. Rachelle oversees the development of IT strategy, deployment of new technologies, maintains daily operations and manages the IT budget. She joined General Dynamics in 2005, after nearly 10 years of Oracle software project implementation with consulting firms Arthur Anderson and Bearing Point. In this role she worked closely with end users and technical implementation teams to re-engineer global business processes, integrate legacy applications and test the system design.

Rachelle earned a B.A. in both Mathematics and Economics and Management from Albion College.

Sajay Rai has more than 30 years of experience in information technology, specializing in information security, business continuity, disaster recovery, privacy, IT audit and information risk.  Mr. Rai is the Founder and CEO of Securely Yours LLC.  Securely Yours LLC is focused on delivering innovative solutions through delivery channels like Software-as-a-Service, Managed Services and traditional IT consulting.   Mr. Rai’s clients are in the financial, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, federal and state agencies and utility industry.

Prior to starting Securely Yours LLC, Mr. Rai was a Partner with Ernst & Young LLP for 10 years and was responsible for the information advisory practice in the Detroit Metro area.  He also served as the national leader of EY’s Information Security and Business Continuity practices.  Mr. Rai’s clients included General Motors, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Yazaki North America, Tecumseh and Federal Mogul.  He also served as a member of his firm’s Partners Advisory Council.

Mr. Rai also worked with IBM for 13 years, most recently serving as an executive of the national Business Continuity and Contingency consulting practice.  He was instrumental in starting the company’s Information Security consulting practice and managing its information technology consulting practice in Latin America.

Mr. Rai co-authored a recently published book, Defending the Digital Frontier – A Security Agenda, which guides business and IT executives on how to develop an effective and efficient information security program within their enterprise.  He also co-authored Institute of Internal Auditors’ publications of “Sawyer’s Internal Audit Handbook 6th Edition” and the publication of IIA’s Global Technology Audit Guide (GTAG) No. 9 on the topic of Identity and Access Management.

Mr. Rai is a member of IIA’s Professional Issues Committee (PIC).  He also serves on the board of ISACA Detroit Chapter, IIA’s Detroit Chapter, Society Of Information (SIM) Detroit Chapter and as a member of Walsh College’s Accounting Advisory and Technology Committees.  Mr. Rai is a regular speaker at industry conferences on information security, business continuity, disaster recovery, technology strategy and is frequently quoted in magazines and newspapers.  He has also served as expert witness in litigation cases in the area of information security.

He holds a Master’s degree in Information Management from Washington University of St. Louis, and a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from Fontbonne College of St. Louis.  

Paul is responsible for establishing the technology vision and end-to-end delivery of foundational products and services across Ford’s emerging mobility services.

In his prior role, he led the global delivery of Ford’s latest vehicle connectivity initiative, Sync Connect, allowing Ford owners to stay connected to their vehicles in a way they have never been able to do before.   Renko is a seasoned and versatile IT Executive with more than 25 years’ experience defining strategic objectives and applying leadership skills to achieve innovative, bottom-line results.

Renko has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. in International Business from Wayne State University. 

Renko serves on the board of directors at Member Focus Community Credit Union and is on the Industrial Advisory Board at the University of Michigan Dearborn.

Richard Saouma is the new Associate Dean of Professional Master Programs at Broad. Prior to stepping into administration, Richard was a tenured member of the Accounting faculty at Broad after serving on the faculty at the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. At Utah, Richard launched a successful partnership between the Engineering School and the Business School, using Entrepreneurship as a medium to provide freshly-minted engineers with a modicum of business acumen.

During a prolonged sabbatical, Richard served as Director of Corporate Strategy in the CEO’s office at Microsoft throughout the firm’s most recent executive transition. At Microsoft, Richard worked hand-in-glove with the board and the entire executive leadership team to align the different business units and completely rewrite the firm’s strategic narrative. Prior to Microsoft, Richard was on the faculty at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management where he taught in the Executive Education and MBA programs in addition to leading countless external consulting projects with MBA students. Richard received his PhD from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, after graduating from UC Berkeley with degrees in both applied math and economics. He, his wife, and their 5-year-old daughter Sachi, reside in Ann Arbor.    

Robert Scott is project manager for special diversity initiatives, including the College Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategic plan and the NextProf future faculty workshop. He also resources programs and services for retaining and graduating Michigan Engineering students from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Kiran Sekhri is the Chief Innovation Officer at Wayne County Community College District. She has more than 35 yrs of experience in IT including higher education and corporate.  Kiran has served in different capacities during her career span as a Programmer, Systems Analyst, DBA, Director, CIO and Vice Chancellor. Her career has progressed from implementing enterprise applications, managing the IT operations to implementing strategic Information Technology transformation Plan.

Kiran is the Chair of the Education Committee for the SIM (Society for Information Management) Detroit Chapter and has been instrumental in starting the STEM scholarship program for high school seniors. Kiran has also worked on multiple STEM initiatives in coordination with the philanthropy committee. 

Kiran holds double masters degrees,  Masters in System Administration and Masters in Business Economics.

Ashok is the CEO of Integral, a digital transformation firm that helps businesses with embedding a technology DNA to their culture, processes, and experiences. Integral also facilitates  integrateDetroit to bridge the gap between self-taught/bootcamps and the technology workforce. 

Prior to Integral, Ashok was on the leadership team at Pivotal Labs, and held technology and product roles in the manufacturing industry. 

Ashok has over a decade of experience in automotive and manufacturing software and has collaborated with companies including Ford, GM, Bosch, and Thor. 

During his tenure at Pivotal Labs, Ashok was interviewed by CIO magazine alongside Ford’s then CIO Marcy Klevorn. Link here

Mr. James Suchara serves as its Vice President – IT at Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company and served as its vice president of business systems development since March 24, 2011. Mr. Suchara serves as Chief Technology Officer and Vice President at EEI Global Inc. As the driving force behind EEI\’s portfolio of E-Business capabilities, he continues to propose and introduce new technology offerings that enable EEI\’s event marketing efforts. These include online event marketing collaboration portals, registration and metric reporting, sales lead capture and follow-up, surveys, wireless/PDA applications, interactive games, and custom web application development. In addition to managing his E-Business team of project management and technical resources, Mr. Suchara also oversees all internal IT systems and infrastructure for the Enterprise. Before joining EEI in 2001, Mr. Suchara served as Chief Technology Officer and Director of Operations for Coolfire Interactive, a division of J. Walter Thompson. Mr. Suchara works with leaded glass and is an active water skier. He also is a frequent contributor and participant in several Detroit area charity organizations. He received his bachelor of science in computer and information science with a concentration in information systems from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Jason Torrez was formerly the site leader for General Electric’s Detroit Hub.  The GE Detroit Hub is a multi-business technology center focused on delivering outcomes in GE Aviation, Capital, Corporate, Digital, Healthcare, and Power.  As site leader, Jason partners with leaders across these businesses to create an environment in which business objectives are realized while providing space for employees to thrive, personally and professionally.

Prior to this role, Jason built and led a software development capability in Detroit for GE Digital.  These teams developed software solutions to accelerate industrial new technology introductions, improve on time delivery and reduce cycle time for Aviation engine delivery, and drive cost out of manufacturing processes.

In 2018, Jason served on an advisory council to the Exascale Computing Project (ECP) and spoke on a software engineering panel at the ECP annual summit.  The purpose of ECP is to accelerate the delivery of a capable exascale computing ecosystem for breakthroughs in scientific discovery, energy assurance, economic competitiveness, and national security.

Jason loves above all to spend time with his wife and twin daughters, and also enjoys fishing, tinkering, and playing guitar.

Lori is currently the Vice President, Enterprise Delivery for Fiserv.

She has over 30 years of Information Technology experience leading organizational change, transformational leadership and advancing delivery capabilities. 

As a change agent in virtually every leadership role for the past 20 years, Lori has led large scales programs from technology upgrades and deployments in the largest Financial Institutions, Global Outsourcing Initiatives in the Automotive space at both Delphi and Ford and growth strategies through acquisition for AAA Michigan.

After over 10 years in Manufacturing, Lori shifted industries to the Financial Services Sector.  For the past 6 years at Fiserv, leading the Enterprise Delivery Organization by the definition and deployment of a corporate “implementation process”, focused on driving quality improvements in the areas of program management, requirements management, release and deployment, solution architecture and production readiness.  Through these efforts Fiserv have realized substantial improvements in Customer Satisfaction.  With a net improvement of nearly 40% from baseline scores 4 years ago.  The success was due largely to capability maturity, training, and mentoring.

Lori holds a BSA, in Information Systems form University of Michigan – Dearborn.  And earned an MBA from Bowling Green State University with a concentration in Finance.  In addition, she attended the executive leadership program at Harvard, for Information Technology Leadership.

A former fortune 500 CIO and COO, Angie is currently an executive advisor and co-founder of the nonprofit Makers Response Corps.  She has delivered business transformations in organizations ranging from startup to Fortune 10, and is passionate about pulling together diverse groups to see possibilities and deliver things they never have before.  Angie is author of the book TransformAble: How to Perform Death-defying Feats of Transformation, and the interview series Tragic Tales of Transformation that can be found on her website www.tuglus.com.

Senior IT Executive with strong business acumen, with 25+ years of experience in the automotive, banking and consulting services industries.

Acute international experience, having worked with teams and cultures from America, Europe, and Asia with excellent achievement record including global standardization on ERP, infrastructure and support tools solutions across the company yielding bottom line improvements.

Mr. Douglas R. Wiescinski, a Retired Partner in Plante & Moran and the Information Technology Consulting practice, has more than thirty five years experience in information technology. Mr. Wiescinski\’s background includes systems design and development, technology planning, technology selection and contract negotiations. He serves a diversity of clientele in providing strategic technical assistance in initiatives such as business process redesign, outsourcing analysis, client/server migration, network planning and integration. He has assisted several clients in the assessment and tactical planning for emerging technologies and the formation of the most appropriate governance structure. Mr. Wiescinski is a Board member of the Michigan Municipal Services Authority (MMSA), the Society For Information Management (SIM) and a former Board member of Automation Alley. Prior to joining Plante & Moran, Mr. Wiescinski was in charge of the business systems consulting services for Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young) in western Michigan. Mr. Wiescinski holds a B.S. degree in Management Information Systems from Ferris State University. In addition, he is a Certified Systems Professional (CSP).

A senior technologist and leader with the proven ability to drive innovation and apply technology to drive business value. Over 25 years’ experience in both consulting and corporate environments, with a mix of business and technology backgrounds, providing a unique, balanced perspective on the adoption and management of technology. Currently an executive at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with a BA in Accounting and an MBA.