OpTech 2024 Speakers

Federico Sciammarella serves as the CTO of MxD, he is in charge of developing and implementing the technology vision for the institute and is looking forward to leading the outstanding team that is currently in place.

Federico was previously an associate professor at Northern Illinois University where he directed the Advanced Research in Materials and Manufacturing for more than 10 years which generated over $2.5million dollars in funding and created a launch pad for many students and technologies in advanced manufacturing. He has a long list of publications and patents for applications in laser assisted machining and additive manufacturing. His experience in creating research which always focused on applications for industry fits perfectly into the MxD mission of providing value to its membership.

Federico received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Metallurgy and Material Science Engineering from the Illinois institute of Technology, as a native Chicagoan he is very excited to be in this role to help shape the future of manufacturing in this great city and beyond.

Casey Huffling joined ScanSource nearly 18 years ago and has held positions in sales and supplier services.  She currently serves as Senior Vice President of North America Barcode and POS where she oversees all strategy and execution for ScanSource’s North American Barcode and POS business. Her passion for sales and customer engagement has played a key role in building and nurturing longtime partnerships, and her relationship-driven approach to helping partners and suppliers uncover new avenues for growth brings unique value to the company’s sales team. Casey is a proven leader at ScanSource and within the channel, with a keen ability to develop top-tier teams and strategies that lead to exceptional outcomes for ScanSource’s partners.

Georgina (George) Lamb is VPGM US&C for the United States and Canada region at Honeywell Productivity Solutions and Services.

George has enjoyed over 25 years in the AIDC realm, with a passion for helping customers achieve their commercial and productivity goals through technology. She has experienced a global adventure engaging with customers in many countries and application environments to learn and grow as an AIDC professional.

More recently, George has become a champion for Honeywell’s Sustainability journey and how this can be an asset to both business performance and our world at large.  George’s goal is to always provide a value exchange for Honeywell customers that enables our mutual success achievement. Her current remit includes regional distribution leadership, program management and supporting our sustainability solutions.

George has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Law and Psychology from Keele University, U.K. and enjoys trail running with her Husky, Dallas.

Session: Climate-Conscious Collaboration: Building Sustainable Partnerships

Justin Griffith is the CTO of StayLinked and is responsible for driving StayLinked’s overall
product roadmap and strategy. A proven leader and a major contributor to StayLinked’s
recent global expansion, Griffith joined StayLinked as a technical support specialist in 2004. Shortly thereafter, he implemented the company’s
first channel technical enablement program. His close interaction with customers and the partner channel fueled the feedback he leveraged as Product Manager for the next decade, and in 2014, he led the company’s release of modernized terminal emulation, StayLinked SmartTE. In 2017, Griffith conceptualized and directed the implementation of the industry’s first terminal emulation hardware automation framework.

Griffith is regarded as an important voice in the areas of technology adoption and migration, and he has emerged as a thought leader in a market facing the challenges of Android migration and IoT disruption. His guiding principle—to always remember the human element—has reinforced StayLinked’s reputation as an innovator in helping
companies move to new technologies and optimize productivity.

Session: Navigating 2024: Unveiling Top Market Trends

Tyler Dean Kempf is the Creative Director of Second City Works. He is an award-winning Second City-trained improviser, writer, director and learning facilitator who has been teaching the tenets of improv to business leaders around the world for over a decade. He has extensive executive education and talent development experience working with clients across all industries and categories. His expertise is helping individuals authentically tell their stories using an empathetic approach.

As the CIO of HSS and PSS at Honeywell, responsible for driving digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence and technology strategy for a multi-billion-dollar businesses. With over 20 years of experience in global enterprise IT, Deshraj has a proven track record driving innovation and delivering successful transformation and business transformations. 

Richard is an accomplished industry leader with deep expertise in warehouse and supply chain
solutions. Most recently, he was Senior Channel Account Manager at Zebra Technologies, a global
supply chain hardware manufacturer with more than $5 billion in annual revenue. With more than
thirty years of experience in the data collection industry, Richard's roles have included field
service, technical sales support, channel partner software, and hardware management.

Richard has successfully collaborated with partner and customer relationships to positively
impact business development and customer satisfaction, and he maintains a reputation for being creative in finding solutions and driving issues to resolution for partners and customers.

Sessions:

• Streamlining IT With Warehouse Automation
• Enabling Smart Supply Chain: Driving Digital Transformation

Jeremy Black has more than 30 years of experience in services for multi-vendor mobile device
management, wireless infrastructure management, terminal emulation, voice enabling, and mobile
application development software. He has managed an install base with over 8,500 companies in over 50 countries, with software installed on over 4,000,000 mobile devices.

Sessions:

• Streamlining IT With Warehouse Automation
• Enabling Smart Supply Chain: Driving Digital Transformation

Chris Brown has been in the AIDC industry for 25+ years. He now works as the RFID Program Director and Subject Matter Expert at TSC Printronix Auto ID. Previously, he was the General Manager for BarTender label software in EMEA. He is responsible for ensuring that TSC Printronix’s RFID printers support the latest commands and functionalities that are needed to properly work with RAIN RFID labels and tags.

Chris is an active member of GS1, AIM and the RAIN RFID Alliance, participating in multiple workgroups covering topics such as foodservice, pharmaceutical, healthcare, tires, aviation and label software guidelines for tag encoding. His work has included extensive educational efforts on the RFID Numbering Systems specified by GS1 and ISO standards, including GS1’s new encoding schemes introduced with Tag Data Standard 2.0.

Session: Revolutionizing Industry 4.0: RFID Applications Across Industries

Break/Fix technical Support engineer for Honeywell and Zebra RF devices and working with SOTI MobiControl

Support desk technician for RF devices and works with Verizon activations and deactivations.

Enjoys family time with his fiancé and two-year-old daughter and renovating their newly purchased home.

Session: Integrated Helpdesk: Remote Device Diagnostics Benefits

Wes Coleman is currently the Industry Principal for Warehousing at Zebra Technologies.  The Industry Principal role provides the opportunity to leverage his knowledge and experience in modernizing the warehouse by optimizing the use of IT and leveraging automation.  Wes has been an operational excellence leader in the warehouse, E-commerce, and 3PL space for 35 years. 

Session: Adapting Warehouses in the Era of Diversification

David Fawley joined Zebra in 2022. He works as a Director of Market Intelligence, where he leads a team of analysts focused on quantifying market opportunities, tracking Zebra performance against peers regionally and vertically across its portfolio. Additionally, David leads the analysis of the machine vision and retail software solutions market portfolio.

Prior to Zebra, David worked at EY and Deloitte advising internal and external CPG and Retail industry clients on the consumer and market strategy. He oversaw a global teams of market intelligence analysts pinpointing sector trends, influencing strategic business development, and shaping sector practice thought leadership.

David received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in political science from the George Washington University.

Session: RFID Revolution: Real-Time Visibility in Logistics

Chris Johnson is the Director of Sales for Azuga's Reseller Sales Channel. A veteran in fleet management solution sales with over 18 years of experience, Chris has an unbridled passion for enabling his partners to provide vehicle telematics solutions that help fleets to be safer and more efficient using best-in-class fleet management and safety technology.

Session: Differentiating AI and Machine Learning

Alex Kezele is a highly skilled and accomplished SOTI Sales Engineer with a wealth of expertise in enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions having been on the SOTI team since 2016. With a strong technical background and a deep understanding of the SOTI One Platform, Alex plays a pivotal role in assisting organizations in optimizing their mobile device management strategies.

As a Sales Engineer, Alex combines his technical proficiency with exceptional communication skills to bridge the gap between technology and business needs. He works closely with clients, thoroughly assessing their requirements and designing tailored solutions that leverage the full potential of SOTI Connect and SOTI XSight.

Known for his collaborative approach, Alex actively engages in interactive discussions with clients, fostering a deep understanding of their unique challenges and goals. He offers expert guidance, leveraging his technical expertise and industry insights to develop comprehensive implementation strategies and provide ongoing support.

Sessions:

• Empowering Modern Warehousing: Thriving Amid Economic Pressures
• Enhancing Real-Time Visibility in Freight Operations

Kevin has spent a decade helping warehouse professionals identify where and how process improvements can be implemented in warehouse operations. He has over 30 years of experience within the Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) industry and extensive lean training. Prior to joining Newcastle Systems, he worked in sales for Weber Labeling Solutions, Honeywell (formerly Intermec) and TSC/Printronix where he developed solutions for complex labeling applications in a variety of verticals such as distribution, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail. Kevin earned his MBA degree from University of Hartford and a bachelor’s degree from Bryant University.

Kevin Ledversis
Newcastle Systems, Inc. 
Phone: 978-882-1017
Email: kledversis@newcastlesys.com

Sessions:

• Deciphering ROI: Unveiling the True Value of Investments
  
• Maximizing Operational Integration in the Supply Chain with Mobile Computing Technology

Douglas is responsible for client services and client success at Data41. Doug brings a unique set of skills to his role with both a strong business acumen coupled with a strong technical background. Doug joined Data41 in 2006 and carried roles as Director, Manager, Architect, Lead Consultant, Consultant, and Developer. Doug has participated in the strategy and growth of the company and works with clients on their analytics objectives, as well as the adoption and impact of AI. He has spent time managing implementation teams of Data41 staff, client staff, and outside contractors, some spanning locations around the globe. He is instrumental in evaluating Data41’s technology / solutions offering and developing the execution strategy for the markets served.

Session: Understanding Gen AI and Its Business Impact

Jacob provides support to Heartland's largest and most complex customers, in addition to handling daily tasks for the broader customer base.

Jacob diligently supports the Tier 3 support engineers and is committed to mastering every aspect of the Heartland support team's requirements.

Recently promoted to Sergeant in the Army Reserves, Jacob takes pride in his role as a Helicopter Mechanic. He is also recently engaged and eagerly anticipates his upcoming wedding.

Session: Streamlining Device Deployments with MobiControl (Lab Demo)

Break/Fix technical Support engineer for Honeywell and Zebra RF devices and working with SOTI MobiControl

Prides himself in delivering exceptional support desk service for RF devices, leading in customer support calls and resolutions.

Values family time, and camping with his grandchildren, and pursues interests in new technologies and AI.

Session: Integrated Helpdesk: Remote Device Diagnostics Benefits

Sean dedicates his day to resolving difficult technical issues for Heartland customers and guiding the Heartland Technical staff with his extensive expertise.

Expertise in managing SOTI MobiControl, Legacy Windows RF devices, and specializing in Honeywell and Zebra Android devices.

Sean is a passionate snowmobiler, relishing his adventures in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Session: Streamlining Device Deployments with MobiControl (Lab Demo)

Jason Pudlock is a seasoned professional in the field of enterprise mobility and solutions, serving as a Senior SOTI Account Manager. With extensive experience and expertise in the realm of mobile device management, he plays a pivotal role in helping organizations harness the power of SOTI solutions to streamline their operations, enhance security, and boost productivity.

Jason brings a deep understanding of the SOTI One Platform and its suite of advanced EMM tools, including SOTI Connect and SOTI XSight. His in-depth knowledge allows him to guide clients in effectively integrating these solutions into their existing IT infrastructure, ensuring seamless implementation and scalability to meet evolving business needs.

Jason's passion for technology, combined with his strong interpersonal skills, enables him to foster meaningful relationships with his clients. He actively engages in interactive discussions, sharing his extensive knowledge and experiences to educate and empower organizations to make informed decisions.

Sessions:

• Empowering Modern Warehousing: Thriving Amid Economic Pressures
• Enhancing Real-Time Visibility in Freight Operations

As the world grows ever more connected, Andy Rehm has been devoted to breaking down any communication barrier in the way of optimal efficiency. Partnering with Heartland’s experienced wireless teams, he is one of the many minds behind AlwaysConnected, unifying workforces with durable connectivity solutions built for the digital age.

• 40 + years supply chain/distribution, consulting and sales/marketing experience
• Expertise in SCM, ERP, AIDC, Voice
  Member WERC, CSCMP, AIPIA
• Founding Board Member of Next Gen Supply Chain Conference
• Prior Experience includes:
  • Customer Success Director, Honeywell Global Strategic Accounts
  • Global Director, Supply Chain Marketing for Honeywell
  • Global Director, Industry Marketing at Intermec
  • Global Industry Director, Retail & Supply Chain at Infor
  • Global Director, Business Consulting at Infor
  • Distribution Operations Director, at “Top 15” North American grocer
  • Sr. Consultant, Facility & MHE Design at Sedlak

Session: Key Supply Chain Challenges and Innovative Order Picking Strategies for 2024

The new role at Heartland serves as a crucial link between the Pre-Sales/Sales teams and Technical Support, with Richard heavily involved in emerging technologies and in training and supporting the Technical Support team.

Richard specializes in developing processes and procedures, assisting with training the Support team, and possesses expert knowledge of Avalanche and SOTI MobiControl MDM servers.

As a new father, Richard dedicates much of his free time to his newborn son and also enjoys working in his impressive woodworking barn.

Session: Don't Go It Alone: The Challenges of Onboarding Device Management Without an MSP