ALMMII - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Member Engagement
Alan Taub joined the faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan in the Fall of 2012. In this role, Taub is conducting research in advanced materials and processing and has a leadership role as Chief Technical Officer of the newly established American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute.
Taub retired from General Motors in April 2012. Prior to his retirement, he was vice president, Global Research & Development, leading GM's advanced technical work activity, seven science laboratories around the world, and seven global science offices. He joined GM R&D as executive director in 2001 and was named vice president in 2009.
Taub serves on the boards of several small companies: Nine Sigma, CellEra and Brightway Vision and is technical advisor for a new strategic venture fund, Auto Tech Ventures.
Before joining GM, Taub spent 15 years in research and development at General Electric, where he earned 26 patents and authored more than 60 papers. He also worked at Ford Motor Company for eight years.
Taub received his bachelor's degree in materials engineering from Brown University and master's and Ph.D. degrees in applied physics from Harvard University. Taub was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering in 2006. He is currently Chair for the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT) for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is a member of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) Energy Materials Blue Ribbon Panel. He also serves on advisory boards for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and the University of California, Berkeley.
Taub received the 2011 Acta Materialia Materials & Society Award. In 2010, he was awarded the Charles S. Barrett Medal from ASM International's Rocky Mountain Chapter. He received the Materials Research Society's Special Recognition Award in 2004 and Woody White Service Award in 2002. He also received the Brown University Engineering Alumni Medal in 2002.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Materials & ICME
Job Titles:
- Advisor, Australian Naval Shipbuilding Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Director, Business Development & Engagement
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- Senior Engineer, Modeling & Simulation
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- Senior Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing
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- Senior Advanced Manufacturing Technician
Job Titles:
- Senior Advanced Manufacturing Technician
Dr. Henry Cialone is President and CEO of EWI, an advanced engineering service provider dedicated to identifying, developing, and implementing innovative technology solutions that enhance manufacturing competitiveness. He has a record of creating new business opportunities through technological innovation and building broad coalitions to develop them.
Henry has served on numerous boards and advisory bodies. He has completed executive management programs at Fuqua and Wharton.
Job Titles:
- Advanced Manufacturing Technician
Job Titles:
- Senior Technical Advisor at Detroit
Hadrian Rori is a Senior Technical Advisor at Detroit-based LIFT, one of the founding Manufacturing USA institutes.
Mr. Rori is an accomplished executive with over 34 years of experience in product creation and quality improvement, and previously served as the Chief Technology Officer at LIFT.
His previously held positions include consultation to suppliers and entrepreneurial start-ups in the automotive sector providing operational guidance in application development and manufacturing ramp-up from small-scale prototyping to series production.
Prior positions also include Executive Vice President for Akebono Brake Corporation, where he was responsible for North American Engineering, Quality and Program Management. In addition, he served as Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Bright Automotive. A manufacturer of state-of-the-art lightweight, hybrid electric vehicles for commercial and government fleets.
Prior to Bright Automotive, Mr. Rori spent 24 years with Chrysler Corporation where he held a variety of product engineering executive positions. His last role at Chrysler was Director of Chassis Engineering for body-on-frame products. Prior to this position, he was senior manager - Jeep® Vehicle Development where he directed the group responsible for functional and quality objectives, vehicle testing, and development for the Grand Cherokee® program.
Mr. Rori has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Detroit. He holds four U.S. patents - two patents for lightweight vehicles and associated components and two patents for advanced passenger car chassis systems.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant, Sales & Front Receptionist
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- Executive Assistant & Salesforce Admin
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- Accounts Payable Specialist
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- Communications and Public Affairs Leader
- Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs at LIFT
- Senior Director, Communications and Legislative Affairs
Joe Steele is a veteran communications and public affairs leader with a track record of developing and executing successful plans, strategies and delivering legislative victories, employee engagement and building key stakeholder relationships for Fortune 500 companies, statewide political campaigns, nonprofits and startups.
As director of communications and legislative affairs at LIFT, Joe is responsible for building media and stakeholder relationships, as well as supporting the sales and marketing teams.
Over his career, Joe has led the public affairs strategy for a large telecommunications company, managed internal communications for a large financial institution as it transitioned through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and built a Political Action Committee (PAC).
Joe began his career as a reporter for several newspapers across Michigan, before moving to politics to lead the communications for a U.S. Senate campaign and then as a staff member in the Michigan House of Representatives followed by serving as an appointee of the Michigan Secretary of State.
Joe has a B.A. degree in Telecommunications from Michigan State University.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff at the University of Michigan
- Chief of Staff, College of Engineering, University of Michigan
Jon Kinsey serves as the Chief of Staff at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering (CoE). In this role Jon advises the Dean and other CoE senior leaders on matters related to the College's long-range plans, collaborates with other units on campus to advance the mission of the CoE. In addition, Jon participates in the development of resource generation and strategies related to operations and day-to-day management.
Prior to serving in this capacity at the CoE, Jon served as the Assistant Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan's office of Research. In this role, Jon worked with faculty and staff across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses to strengthen the research enterprise by creating innovative collaborations and fostering new funding models with industry, government and academia.
Jon was the staff leader for ideation, approval, and formation of the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII - now known as LIFT). He collaborated with faculty leadership, partner institutions, state entities, city officials and the federal government to incorporate and develop the governance model for LIFT. He worked to secure bridge funding from the University of Michigan and facilitated the federal contracting. Jon served in a similar role for the creation of The American Center for Mobility (ACM) and served as a founding board member.
Jon has served with the university since 2007, working in the College of Engineering first as director of government relations and then as senior director, research relations. He served on the Ann Arbor Summer Festival Board of Directors and the Board of Directors at the American Center for Mobility. Before joining U-M, Kinsey worked as an international business strategy manager in retail, served as a consulting manager in a start-up management consulting firm and also worked for eight years in automotive engineering at Lear Corporation. He received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber
Karen M. Belans, CPA, is the chief financial officer (CFO) at the Detroit Regional Chamber and oversees all aspects of financial management, budgeting, auditing and tax planning strategies for the four entities under the Chamber. Belans also manages risk management, information technology and building operations as well as extensive grant management and reporting. She also participates in the planning and direction of strategic initiatives at the Chamber which currently include Forward Detroit, a new economic development fundraising strategy, as well as analysis and implementation of new business systems and the planning and management of office moves to consolidate and reduce office space.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Business Development
- Vice President, Business Development at LIFT
Kevin Kerrigan is the Vice President, Business Development at LIFT. In this role, Kevin's focus is connecting LIFT with manufacturers across industries to help them work with the institute to further develop, optimize and then commercialize their innovations.
Kevin brings to LIFT decades of experience in the manufacturing sector having previously served as Senior Vice President, Automotive Office and the Senior Automotive Adviser to the State of Michigan with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, where he focused on international business development for the MEDC's Automotive Office. Working with the world's automotive manufacturers he is promoting Michigan's automotive industry, building and maintaining strong international client relationships, nurturing economic development and assisting foreign based companies who choose Michigan for their future expansion.
Prior to working with the MEDC, Kevin led his own automotive design and engineering company for 20 years and has worked at an executive level for Tier 1 automotive suppliers. Prior positions Kevin had to joining MEDC include President of Eurotech Design, Inc. a Michigan based full service engineering organization, President of Adaptive Systems a turnkey robotic integration company. Chief Engineer at Tata Technologies and Principal Engineer for International Automotive Components based at their Advanced Development Center, Troy Michigan.
Born and educated in the United Kingdom, Kevin has lived and worked in the U.S. since 1983. He is married with two children and currently resides in Fenton, MI.
Kevin completed a full indentured British Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship in the UK.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Human Resources & Administration
Job Titles:
- Director of Business Development at Arrow Automation
- Director of Business Development at Comau LLC
Martin Kinsella, Director of Business Development at Comau LLC, has over 30 years of experience in the automation industry. With a proven track record in all aspects of engineering and management, his responsibilities have included R&D, simultaneous engineering and virtual factory simulation through to system commissioning and program launch.
Martin began his career in engineering in 1981 at Vauxhall Motors, after which he moved on to more technical automation and robotic engineering positions at various companies. Martin worked in installation, commission, and programming of body welding assembly systems in the main OEMs. He leveraged his skills into a position with Estil/Pico - which would eventually become Comau - where he continued to grow, leading successful launches of multiple body shops. He was responsible for the development and implementation of the company's self- pierce riveting technology. Martin's career trajectory led him into a position as Engineering Manager in the UK before making his way to Comau LLC in the U.S.
In 2012, he became Comau's Director of Materials and Technology and relocated to Michigan, establishing Comau's Global Centers of Excellence. In his role, Martin ensured Comau's longstanding leadership in the application of advanced research and innovation to improve manufacturing processes within mission-critical industries throughout the world.
In 2018, he became Comau's Director of Business Development. In his current position, Martin is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships on the company's behalf in an effort to strategically develop new business opportunities and relationships for the company.
Martin leads Comau's partnership with Manufacturing USA's The LIFT (Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow) Institute. Manufacturing USA is a national network of research institutions and industrial companies geared toward advancing America's leadership in manufacturing technology. Martin is a LIFT Executive Board Member, LIFT Technology Board Member, LIFT Chair of the Workforce Development Committee, and was a member of the UK Trade Investment Advisory Board. Additionally, he actively supports STEM education through his participation on the FIRST Robotics Michigan Committee and World Committee.
As an avid supporter of veterans, Martin helped create Operation Next, an initiative launched by The LIFT Institute. Operation Next is a new model for equipping separating military personnel with the skills needed for the most in-demand advanced manufacturing civilian careers in the country. Through his involvement with Operation Next, Martin has worked directly with the U.S. Department of Defense and lobbied on behalf of the organization.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director for the Ohio State University 's Center for Design and Manufacturing
- Executive Director, Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence, the Ohio State University
Nate Ames is the Executive Director for The Ohio State University's Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME). CDME leverages industry-funded projects and federal grants to provide undergraduate students with hands-on experience integrating new technology into market-ready applications, enabling Ohio State's customers with both the technology and workforce advantages necessary to compete in a global marketplace. This coupled experiential education and technology translation occurs in one of CDME's pilot-scale HIPAA and ITAR compliant manufacturing facilities located on Ohio State's Innovation District. He also holds Adjunct Assistant and Associate Professor positions in the Department of Design and the Department of Material Science and Engineering, respectively.
Ames joined Ohio State in December 2014 after spending two decades in various energy industry positions. He began his professional career at Swagelok Company, where he worked as Research Engineer in the Advanced Technology and Material Science Department. While at Swagelok, Ames and a team of engineers developed and deployed a new welding technology that led to a selection of his multiple patents. After five years with Swagelok, Ames accepted a Graduate Fellowship at Edison Welding Institute. He spent the next 11 years in various leadership roles related to energy production, including the Department of Energy's Nuclear Fabrication Consortium Director. Ames has also founded/co-founded four companies in the energy and chemical space ranging from a chemical processing equipment OEM, oil and energy equipment refurbishment, mobile app development, and an oil & gas EPCI company.
Ames' accomplishments in the energy market serve as career highlights. He was selected to be the New Technology Chairman for DOE-NE's committee on the Future of Nuclear Energy. He was also a board member for the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation for four years and was voted as 2008's Best Young Engineering in the Oil and Gas Industry by Deep Offshore Technology International. Ames was the Technical Programs Chair for the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers for three years and has delivered over 50 energy-related publications. Throughout his career, he has worked in a professional capacity in over 20 countries. Ames strives to use his global industry and entrepreneurial experience to positively contribute to the future workforce and the technologies they will be responsible for deploying.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Executive Director
- CEO and Executive Director - LIFT
- CEO and Executive Director at Detroit
Nigel Francis is the CEO and Executive Director at Detroit-based LIFT, one of the founding Manufacturing USA institutes.
Prior to joining LIFT, Nigel served as Vice President and Officer, Advanced Engineering & Technology Development at American Axle (NYSE:AXL), after working as Senior Automotive Adviser to the State of Michigan and Senior Vice President, Automotive Industry Office, Michigan Economic Development Corporation where he was charged with developing, implementing and executing a comprehensive strategic plan and road map to promote, retain and grow the automotive industry in Michigan.
Francis has over 35 years of experience in the global automotive sector having held executive level positions at OEM and Tier 1 companies in North America and Europe, including Tata Technologies, Executive Vice President, Bright Automotive; and Vice President, Vehicle Engineering at Mercedes-Benz Technology. He has spent the majority of his career in advanced design and engineering product development and in recent years has been closely involved with clean technology through hybrid and electric vehicle development and vehicle light-weighting initiatives.
Francis holds a Bachelor's of Science degree with honors from Brunel University in London, England. Professional affiliations include fellow, Institute of Mechanical Engineers of Great Britain; chartered engineer, Great Britain; Member SAE and Member SME. He sits on the advisory boards of several technology companies and universities.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer
- Chief Technology Officer at LIFT, the Detroit
Noel Mack is the Chief Technology Officer at LIFT, the Detroit-based Department of Defense manufacturing innovation institute.
In this role, Mack implements new technology focus areas to ensure alignment with Department of Defense priorities, directs large scope, complex projects and programs, leads LIFT member involvement in technology projects and serves as a mentor to LIFT technical and engineering staff.
Mack brings over 35 years of experience in engineering and design to LIFT. Previously, Mack served as a product line executive, strategic technologies at American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. and as Director and Business Unit Lead, Driveline and Transmission Systems at Ricardo's Detroit Technical Center. Mack also held leadership positions at Magna International, Inc. and Magna Steyr.
He began his career in the aerospace and defense industries, working at Denel Aviation as the Principal Engineer, Stress and Design, and as Manager of CAD and Specialist CAE Engineer for Combat Vehicles, Tanks, Heavy and Light Armored Vehicles at Denel Land Systems/Ermetek.
Mack holds six U.S. patents and is a graduate of both the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with Aeronautical Specialization and the University of Detroit Mercy, where he earned a Master of Engineering Management degree and a Graduate Certificate in Business Turnaround Management.
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President
- Director
Paula Sorrell is the Associate Vice President - Innovation & Economic Development at George Mason University. Prior to George Mason, she served as V.P. of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Capital for the Michigan Economic Development Corp, overseeing $1B under management to support Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem, including university research and tech transfer, technology service providers, tech incubators, seed funding programs, portfolio investments and fund of funds. With a focus on leveraging private funding into early tech development, expanded private and federal investment leverage from 6:1 to 35:1 and expanded the pipeline of new tech companies three-fold. Primary focus was building companies built on strong science from university research, including creating state initiatives for First Customer program, Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization program, and Technology Commercialization Assistance program for early stage companies.
Prior to MEDC, she has held senior management roles at seven early technology companies. All start-ups resulted in successful sale of the company, or are still a going concern; four were university tech transfer spin-outs. Paula was a part-time lecturer at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering in the Center for Entrepreneurship on topics of tech-to-market strategies. Past consulting work includes technology business evaluator of investment portfolio companies and investment funds. She helped start the 14 year-old Michigan SBDC Tech Team, an organization that helps early stage tech companies raise on average $60MM per year. She currently sits on the boards of the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Institute, the Ann Arbor Local Development Finance Authority (treasurer), the and Michigan Translational Research Advanced Transportation. She holds a bachelor degree in marketing and an MBA from Central Michigan University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Program Management
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- Senior Director, Talent Programs
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- Vice President of Department of Defense Sales
Philip Chizek, has more than 30 years of Automotive, Aerospace and Defense experience in international sales, marketing and business development for advanced and emerging technologies.
In his current role at the Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT), Philip manages all aspects of business development including: sales, marketing, project definition, stakeholder relations, member growth and relations. He also supports building a scalable and growth business infrastructure for the institute.
Philip is a highly successful professional and U. S. Air Force Veteran with a broad range of business and technical experiences that has provided global sales, marketing and business development leadership for a diverse range of large and small companies and organizations such as: L3 -Combat Propulsion Systems, U.S. Army - Science and Technology, Ford Motor Company, and Allied Signal Aerospace.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Facility Operations
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Financial Officer of the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute
Victor Claudio serves as Chief Financial Officer of the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII). In this role, Claudio is responsible for all financial and administrative functions of the organization. Claudio brings to ALMMII a diverse background in both the public and private sectors, with a keen focus on organizational finance and business operations. Claudio's professional experience includes product development, fundraising, start-ups and value stream alignment for small, medium and enterprise companies.
Recently, Claudio created a retention and scalability strategy and led the design of a suite of servicing products for one of the leading financial technology enterprise companies in the United States managing a portfolio of over $250B in recurring annual volume. Claudio is credited for the creation of new products that led to additional revenue streams of over $780M within 6 months of launch.
Prior to his role in enterprise product strategy, Claudio co-founded a financial technology and service company focused on creating a new vertical in the financial industry. The result was a digital personal financial wellness product providing services and solutions for the financial services industry. Claudio also successfully owned and operated a process manufacturing and consulting business where he provided a wide range of services to streamline and improve manufacturing technologies and processes for the electronics industry.
Claudio began his career with Code Alarm Inc., holding various technical positions, where he led effective teams of technicians and engineers through the manufacturing, production test and product development cycles for the leader in automotive security for OEM and retail industries.
Claudio studied internationally and possesses a BA in Management from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. Claudio also holds an MBA in Accounting and master's degree in Financial Management and a post graduate certificate in financial planning.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Covington & Burlington LLP