Dr. Sardar Asif Ayyub Khan, PhD, MBA, P.Eng., FEC, PMP, is the Continuous Improvement Lead at Stellantis Parts and Services, Supply Chain North America, driving competitive advantage and fostering innovation across the supply chain. With over 30 years of experience, he has excelled in industrial engineering, product launches, and World Class Manufacturing, demonstrating expertise in optimising business processes and leading transformative projects. Notably, he elevated an engine plant to become one of the corporation's most exceptional facilities. Renowned as a visionary leader and catalyst for change, Dr. Khan has a track record of consistently achieving remarkable outcomes by transforming processes into lean, efficient systems through strategic planning and innovative techniques.

Since 2013, Dr. Khan has served as a Professor of Engineering at the University of Windsor, imparting extensive knowledge to graduate engineering students. His academic background includes a BS in Electrical Engineering, an MS in Manufacturing Engineering from Wayne State University, an MBA from Central Michigan University, and a PhD in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Lawrence Technological University.

Dr. Khan's exceptional contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Leader of Leaders award by FCA for his outstanding leadership and the Windsor Essex County Engineer of the Year award, acknowledging his significant contributions to the engineering profession. He serves on several prestigious boards and committees and actively participates in philanthropic endeavors and community service initiatives, aiming to create a positive impact on others' lives and contribute to societal betterment.

Brian Breuhan has over 20 years of experience working in mechanical design, project engineering and project management within the automotive engineering/manufacturing industry. Since 2024, he is playing a key role in global manufacturing optimisation at GM, including strategy development for global automation standards, leading on automation cooperation, benchmarking standards and cross-functional collaboration in manufacturing, including with manufacturing engineering and operations. Brian has held various professional leadership roles for nonprofits, including, Executive Board Member for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Metro Detroit, Industry 4.0 Advisory Council for Automation Alley and a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for Wayne State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Wayne State University and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Central Michigan University.

Paul Stephens in an innovation leader across Ford’s manufacturing, playing a critical role in transforming the carmaker’s vehicle production, especially for electric vehicles and greenfield plants. Since February 2023, he is responsible for next-generation manufacturing innovation initiative to improve production efficiency and lower costs. His main focus is on new electric vehicles and platforms, and production at Ford’s upcomining EV factories in Tennessee and Kentucky, including ways to significantly reduce cost and waste. Stephens has been with Ford for more than eight years in a variety of manufacturing engineering roles across various model launches and tooling, and across vehicle operations for forward vehicle launches. He a degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University.

Steve Phillips serves as the Global Digital Applications Manager within PPG’s Automotive Coatings business. In this role, Phillips works with a team to develop scalable, digital solutions that help streamline data collection and root cause analysis within automotive customer manufacturing sites globally.

Phillips joined PPG in 2013 and has held multiple roles of increasing responsibility. He has worked within customer manufacturing environments providing technical support for pretreatment, electrocoat, primer, and topcoat systems. His focus on sustainability also led him to manage defect analysis and water conservation programs at multiple automotive OEM facilities aimed at improving sustainable unit quality and more efficient water usage, primarily within the paint shop.

Eric Anderson serves as Associate Director, Light Vehicle Powertrain forecasting for the Americas at S&P Global Mobility (formerly IHS Markit), performing research and forecasts on light vehicle production, electrification and competitive forces around the region. He has an in-depth understanding of market conditions, OEM electrification and platform strategies, product lifecycles, as well as the regulatory environment. This also entails understanding consumer habits, preferences, trends, and macroeconomic conditions expected to play out in the market. Prior to joining S&P Global, Eric worked for a global Tier 1 automotive supplier and played a key role in their North American supply chain and logistics operations. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University and a Master of Business Administration from Walsh College.