Guests

On this page, you’ll find the guests we have received on the Manufacturing Hub Network. We thank each and every guest for coming onto the show, speaking with us, and sharing their knowledge.

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Featured Guests —

Graeme Welton

Director

Flow Software

I graduated with a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town in 1996 and began my career in manufacturing out of college. As I continued a successful career at the South African Breweries, I developed a passion for a data-driven approach to solving manufacturing challenges, driving business improvements, and making decisions. This drive led me to join Advansys followed by Flow Software; two companies that solve manufacturing challenges by leveraging data analytics and making it easier to understand business operations.

Jeff Knepper

Executive Director of Business Development at Canary Labs

Canary Labs

I help Canary clearly communicate the benefits of the Canary system, oversee the network of system integrator partners, and make sure we always keep our pricing as low as possible. I’ve learned a lot managing teams over the past 20 years, and every day I hope I learn a bit more. I really enjoy collaboration and love being surrounded by men and women that always are reaching for the next win. Outside of the office I focus on being a dad and husband. Our family loves to travel and I hope to soon take my wife and children to Japan; I have always been fascinated with their culture. I am a hobbyist woodworker and really like design, particularly Danish mid-century pieces. I tend to pick up (and sit down) hobbies very quickly, but don’t think I will ever tire of reading and trivia. I look forward to connecting with you and learning from you. Please feel free to message me and share information that you think I might enjoy.

Michael Lewis

Supervisor - Network & Security Services

Phoenix Contact

IT professional eager to improve my knowledge in everything IT, whether it is servers, networking, or security. Goal-oriented and easy to work with. Huge proponent of team first and working well with others no matter the situation. Extreme Ownership is the framework at which I conduct myself in a professional environment. It is also a lifestyle that I attempt to carry out daily.

Ilian Bonev

Co-Founder

Mecademic

Ilian Bonev is a professor at ETS (École de technologie supérieure) where he teaches advanced robotics and systems integration concepts. Ilian is also the co-founder of the mechatronics company Mecademic. With over two decades of robotics education and practical experience, Ilian has tackled a number of complex challenges in the industry.

Harry Moser

Founder & President

Reshoring Initiative

Inductee to Industry Week's Manufacturing Hall of Fame 2010 (http://www.industryweek.com/iw-manufacturing-hall-fame/2010-iw-manufacturing-hall-fame/gallery?slide=5) for service to the industry via the Reshoring Initiative and skilled workforce development. Participated actively in President Obama’s 1/11/12 Insourcing Forum at the White House. Credited by the U.S. Commerce Dept. Chief Economist for launching the reshoring trend. Developed the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Estimator, used by thousands to reevaluate offshoring decisions. C-level executive with experience transforming a company from 6th in its industry to 1st in 8 years. Created a unique positive corporate image by a combination of programs to support the industry's goals and provide industry-leading customer service.

Brandon Zink

Industrial Programmer III

Vertech

Industrial Programmer with a BS in Computer Science. Focus on custom full-stack Ignition/Perspective development for large-scale applications, specializing in Python and SQL. Experience in Ignition 8.1 Perspective | Canary Labs | SQL | Python | MES.

Ira Sharp

Director of Product Marketing - Automation

Phoenix Contact

Ira is an accomplished 15+ year leader of sales and marketing teams, brand developer, marketing strategist, and IIoT thought leader. As a sales and marketing leader, Ira has launched 20+ new products and technologies. Through this experience, he has an extensive understanding of market evaluation, channel development, product pricing, persona development, sales goal setting, and budget & campaign management. A recent example is PLCnext, an “open” control system for the industrial market, which is different from the status-quo PLCs in a market that is slow/ resistant to change. The PLCnext product has grown well above expectations despite being a new product with a new approach in a very conservative market.

Jaco Markwat

Managing Director

Element8

Jaco spent 15 years in industrial software distribution, leading sales and marketing teams. Passionate about building communities and leading the team at Element8, Jaco and the other co-founders strive to deliver intuitive technologies to Industry.

Jake Hall

Business Development Manager

Feyen Zylstra

Jake Hall is the Manufacturing Millennial. My passion for manufacturing and automation is driven by the latest technologies around Industry 4.0, robotics, A.I., additive manufacturing, and more! From working with small manufacturers to Fortune 100 companies creating awareness around automation and modernization, investing in skilled trades, and attracting the next generation workforce is my goal. I help build lasting business relationships, designs go-to-market strategies, and creates market accessibility for manufacturing and automation. Since 2020 I have grown to over 20,000 followers and 10,0000,000+ views on content, to ignite conversations about the latest in the manufacturing and automation industry. His passions outside of manufacturing are Chicago Cubs baseball, smoking BBQ, watching rocket launches in Flordia.

James Dean

Owner

Appalachian Automation

James has been extremely successful at running his own system integration firm and has mentored many others to do the same. He got into automation very early on and had to absorb all the business knowledge on his own. He has built a company that provides various automation services including retrofits, new builds and maintenance.

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