2020 Software, Innovation & Technology Speakers
Matt Adams, Manager, Strategic Initiatives; Sphera
Matt Adams is a thought-leader in the EHSQ and Product Stewardship space. Matt has a great mix of field-level, technology and consulting experience with companies across all industries. Matt holds a degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Guelph and is currently acting as the Principle Consultant for Product Stewardship at Sphera.
Jamie Barismantov, Chief Operating Officer; SupplyShift
Received his doctorate in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz with a focus on environmental economics and resource management. Jamie has extensive consulting and academic experience in sustainability, climate action strategy, responsible supply chains and is frequent speaker in academic and corporate venues.
Before co-founding SupplyShift, Jamie co-founded EcoShift Consulting, taught environmental economics and sustainable design at UC Santa Cruz, conducted nation-wide research at the Urban Institute, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama. Jamie is the driving force behind connecting SupplyShift with its customers and partners, and ensuring successful outcomes and continuous improvement in supply chain operations.
Laura Brooks, Project Manager; AECOM
Laura Brooks is an MIS project manager and senior implementation specialist. She has served as project manager and technical analyst for the design, configuration, and implementation of multiple Environmental, Health, and Safety Management Information System (EHS-MIS) solutions for clients in the oil and gas, manufacturing, and defense and aerospace industries. Laura also has extensive regulatory compliance and EHS management experience.
Donato Calace, Vice President, Accounts & Innovation; Datamaran
Dr. Donato Calace is the Director of Accounts and Innovation at Datamaran. In this role, he leads global innovation projects for the firm as well as the sales and account strategy. He is the bridge between the community of existing and potential Datamaran users and the tech/product teams.
Donato speaks frequently at expert-conferences world-wide, he advises on the prioritization of business-critical R&D projects, understanding and anticipating the competitive landscape. Finally, he leads on the engagement and cooperation with the academic world.
Starting from 2019, Donato is in charge of leading the expansion of Datamaran's operations in the United States.
A true expert in his field, in June 2016, Donato was awarded a Ph.D. in the international program "The Economics and Management of Natural Resources" developed by the LUM Jean Monnet University – Italy, Megatrend University, Belgrade (Serbia), China Three Gorges University (CTGU – China), Louisiana Tech University (USA) and Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University (SPbSFTU – Russia).
Recently, he wrote the definition of materiality for the Encyclopedia of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals edited by Springer.
Linsey DeBell, Senior MIS Project Manager; AECOM
Linsey DeBell is a Senior MIS Project Manager for AECOM. She came to MIS solution implementation from an air quality background and brings strong regulatory analysis expertise that is useful for content focused compliance module implementations. Her responsibilities and expertise include project management and planning, business analysis, requirements gathering, design workshop facilitation, design documentation, and content development for MIS solutions.
Glen Eckberg, Vice President, Health, Safety & Environment; Mars Inc.
Glen Eckberg is the Vice President of Health, Safety and Environment for Mars Wrigley. Mars Wrigley is the world's leading manufacturer of chocolate, chewing gum, mints and fruity confections, distributing world famous brands in more than 180 countries.
Glen has over 25 years of experience in Safety and Environmental management, joining Mars, Inc. as part of the Wrigley acquisition. He has worked in an international environment for the majority of his career providing leadership and support in Safety and Environment for operations in nearly 25 countries.
He received his B.S. and M.S. from Northern Illinois University – College of Engineering & Technology, and delivers results through strategies in leadership, culture and systems. Glen believes strongly in the business value of HSE and is driven by the ability to enhance the lives of Associates, their families and communities. His wife and two children serve as constant reminders of the importance of not just working safely but rather living safely.
Danyel Hoffman, Senior IT Business Analyst; CHS Inc.
As a Senior Business Systems Analyst at CHS Refineries, Pipelines and Terminals, Danyel is responsible for managing, implementing and supporting software applications. She works directly with the business users to present them with solutions that provide value and alignment across the organization. Danyel led the Enablon implementation which included implementing five modules along with integrating with multiple partners including Verisk 3E, RegScan, TapRooT, Lawson HR as well as data migration from three historical solutions into Enablon. This software implementation aligned two refineries located in McPherson KS and Laurel MT and pipelines and terminals across multiple states.
Danyel holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems from Fort Hays State University. She has 14 years of experience designing, developing, coding and implementing software utilizing IT systems to help achieve strategic business goals in the agriculture, insurance, oil and gas industries.
Rick Hagar, Business Coordinator; TOTAL Refining & Chemicals
Rick has been with RETIA for 10 years and with Total for 30. With RETIA, he manages the company's software tool known as ENFOS, and liaisons with Total's Legal, Financial, and Purchasing Departments. He also is a major SAP user. He joined RETIA from Total Petrochemicals and Refining USA, Inc.'s Public Affairs Department where he managed the company's internal and external web sites and media relations. He previously was long-term Oil & Gas Journal's Gulf Coast News Editor and a reporter at several newspapers in Texas and Oklahoma.
Sulaiman Hamidi, Director, Sustainability & Product Stewardship; Allergan plc
Sulaiman Hamidi is Director of Sustainability and Product Stewardship for Allergan, a global diversified global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model - Growth Pharma. In this role, he is responsible for development, and implementation of company-wide sustainability programs including sustainability metrics, engagement with internal and external stakeholders on sustainability initiatives, and sustainability reporting. Sulaiman also works in close partnership with R&D, Sales, and Manufacturing functions to assess the EHS impact of products.
Prior to joining Allergan, Mr. Hamidi was responsible for managing EHS programs at the facility, regional, and corporate levels for Baxter Healthcare and Watson Pharmaceuticals. Sulaiman has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences, has completed graduate studies in Environmental, and Occupational Health, and is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) with over 25 years of experience managing Sustainability, Risk Management, and EHS programs.
Ryan Janoch, Founder and Chief Operating Officer; Mapistry
Ryan is the founder and COO of Mapistry, an environmental compliance software platform that minimizes risk for the world's leading industrial and manufacturing companies. He is a licensed professional engineer with experience in environmental program development and implementation for hundreds of industrial sites, including ready-mix concrete plants, metal recyclers and bulk marine terminals all over the U.S. He has led multi-disciplinary teams to develop new regulations and testing protocols as well as served on a regional air board, state regulatory stormwater committee, and national industry committees. He has an MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland and a BS in Biology and Geology from Tufts University.
Alan Johnson, Director of Strategic Alliances; Verisk 3E
Alan L. Johnson is responsible for devising and executing Verisk 3E's strategic partnerships and alliances. Since joining Verisk 3E in 2015, he has negotiated partnerships with a wide range of industry leading companies. Mr. Johnson has more than 10 years of business development and product management experience in the software industry, spearheading many successful B2B and B2C partnership programs. He holds a BA in Political Science/World Languages and Cultures from Mercyhurst College, a certificate from L'Université Laval in Français Langue Étrangère (FLE), and a dual MBA in Sales and Marketing Management/International Business from the Rochester Institute of Technology - Saunders College of Business.
Stephanie King, Director EHS Excellence; INVISTA
Mrs. King is the Director of EHS Excellence for INVISTA in Houston Texas. She has held various leadership positions within INVISTA for the past 9 years. She has served in Health, Safety, and Environmental Management positions as well as in Global and Corporate roles during her 30 year career. Most recently, she was responsible for EHS Innovations which included implementation of strategic innovations in the EHS field. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama, and a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from the University of Houston, Clear Lake.
Ben Kruse, Director, Global CSR Reporting & Insights; AT&T Inc.
Ben Kruse is Director of Global CSR Reporting & Insights at AT&T. In this role, Ben leads the CSR/ESG reporting practice for the corporation, including the development of AT&T's annual corporate responsibility reporting and interface with strategic rating & ranking organizations, ensuring proper alignment with investor demand for robust ESG disclosure. In addition to coordinating disclosures from more than 200 subject matter experts across AT&T's various operating companies and business units, Ben's team works to leverage insights gained from reporting and investor engagements, benchmarking best practices to influence operational and policy-related enhancements across the company.
Tina Lau, Area Environmental Land Resource Manager; Lehigh Hanson Inc.
Tina Lau has more than 16 years’ experience in environmental compliance for the aggregates, construction and construction materials industries. She is currently the Area Environmental & Land Resource Manager overseeing Lehigh Hanson’s Bay Area operations, including sand & gravel mines, a hard rock quarry, cement terminals, asphalt plants and bay mining operations. Tina leads the efforts to ensure Lehigh’s operations are in compliance with all environmental, land use and lease requirements, in addition to supporting the company’s acquisition, divestiture, and expansion efforts. She also represents Lehigh Hanson during regulation development and agency/public interactions. Prior to Lehigh Hanson, Tina was an Environmental Specialist at Graniterock in Watsonville. Tina holds an MS in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco and a BS in Environmental Economics & Policy and a BA in English Literature from UC Berkeley.
Daniel McDermott, Senior Consultant; Huco Consulting
After graduating from Rice University in 2011 with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology, Dan joined Huco Consulting and quickly became one of Huco's subject matter experts for mandatory reporting requirements. Currently, he is Huco Consulting's Enviance practice lead as well as heading up Huco's Greenhouse Gas Reporting team. He has worked with several of Huco's customers to implement EMIS solutions and set up standardized processes for monitoring and tracking air and water data.
Dr. Claire Melamed, Executive Director; Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
Dr. Claire Melamed is the CEO of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. This growing network brings together several hundred members -- governments, private sector, and civil society -- to harness and leverage data and data technology towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. She was previously Managing Director of the Overseas Development Institute, and in 2014, she worked in the office of the UN Secretary General, writing the report of the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution, "A World That Counts". "We say that every life counts, but we still don't count every life", she says in her advocacy to use the knowledge provided by data to improve lives and protect the planet. Claire is based in London and heads up a global team based in six countries. Claire serves on a number of Boards and advisory groups for institutions including the UK Office of National Statistics Data Science Campus, Government of UAE Task Force on Global Data Commons, Overseas Development Institute Human Mobility Initiative, and Mo Ibrahim Foundation Governance Index.
R Mukund, CEO & Founder; Gensuite LLC
R Mukund is Founder & CEO of Gensuite LLC and a proven organizational leader with over 25 years of experience in progressive roles as a technical professional, team leader, Six Sigma Master Black Belt, executive program manager, and most recently, chief executive officer since 2010. He has a track record of distinction in diverse organizations from research & technology, consulting, corporate diversified & global, and cloud-based, tech-enabled services.
The Gensuite® product, developed under Mukund's leadership from inception, today supports over 200 company subscribers with a cloud-based, best-practice driven software suite of safety, environmental, sustainability, quality, security, product stewardship, responsible sourcing and equipment asset management modules, together with a broad array of innovative products & services. Together, these solutions enable global Gensuite users to foster safe, sustainable work environments and high performance functional programs worldwide. With best-in-class Mobile capabilities, multi-lingual interfaces, and integrated analytics, Gensuite today serves over 1 million users in 30+ industry sectors and 120+ countries, supported by a global team located in 11 offices and 8 countries, and headquartered in Mason, OH, USA.
Mukund received his M.S. in Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences & Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was acknowledged as a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program in 2013 and 2016, and was awarded the 2016 Cincinnati Business Courier C-Suite Award for CEO <$100M Private Business for his outstanding business leadership and contributions to the region. He currently serves on the Mason Deerfield (OH) Chamber Board of Directors; the advisory board of the Indian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky; and on the board of RxPredict Inc., a health and wellness startup.
Rahul Nair, HSE IT Strategy Leader; Cummins Inc.
Rahul is HSE Systems Project Manager with Cummins with more than a decade of experience in various aspects of EHS management system implementation with expertise in the interaction of EHS with IT Systems.
He manages the IT tools for EHSMS and ensures that right systems are available for common EHS business practices with global implementations across 600 facilities in 90 countries. He is also a BVC trained Lead Auditor with extensive auditing experience in ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001 across different facilities.
Prior to joining Cummins, Rahul was in Infosys as Lead Consultant and providing a leadership role in their EHS Center of Excellence as well as taking up consulting engagements with different clients.
When he is not playing with his 5-year-old son, he loves to cook different cuisines and learn new recipes.
Carol Singer Neuvelt, Executive Director; NAEM
Carol Singer Neuvelt is the Executive Director of NAEM, the premier association for environmental, health and safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) management. Under her leadership, NAEM has grown from a small group of environmental professionals into a robust, national organization with more than 1,800 individual members and 100 corporate members — representing the full spectrum of industry sectors among Fortune 1,000 companies. Thanks to her expertise in delivering quality professional development programming, NAEM has grown into the largest professional community for EHS&S decision-makers.
An experienced leader in the professional development field, Carol was a keynote speaker at the Manufacturing Education Council's 20th annual symposium, where she presented on the 21st century skills workers will need to fuel the green economy. She also spoke at NAEM's "Measuring Corporate Sustainability" conference and at the Conference Board's 2010 "Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability" event in New York.
Her long-term perspective and insights into corporate EHS&S best practices also have been featured in a variety of publications, including The Chicago Tribune, the Bureau of National Affairs, Environmental Leader, the National Safety Council's Safety+Health magazine, EL Insights and NAEM's Green Tie blog.
Prior to joining NAEM, Carol was the Deputy Director for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Public Liaison, where she managed the agency's interaction with external stakeholders. She also was responsible for creating and implementing the EPA's national Pollution Prevention Awards.
Carol has also worked for the United States Trade Representative in the Executive Office of the President. She began her career in Washington, D.C., in the national defense arena, working on Capitol Hill and in the private industry as a lobbyist.
As Executive Director, she is a member of NAEM's Board of Directors.
Nathan Powell, Staff Data Engineer, EHS; Tesla Inc.
Nathan Powell is a Staff Data Engineer at Tesla specifically working with the EHS team and is responsible for Environmental, Health and Safety software systems and data analytics. Tesla’s fast-paced, data driven culture provides a perfect environment for developing modern approaches to EHS problems. During his time at Tesla, he has lead the deployment of multiple EHS software solutions and has advanced the proliferation of EHS analytics throughout the entire organization. Nathan has spent his whole career in the Energy Sector, starting with Oil and Gas, then moving into Nuclear, and finally with Tesla. Nathan holds a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M with a focus in Radiological Health.
Kevan Reardon, Environmental Engineer Lead; Koch Fertilizer LLC
Kevan Reardon is an Environmental Engineer Lead with Koch Fertilizer Enid, LLC who graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in Biological Systems Engineering. In his role, Kevan manages Koch Fertilizer Enid's NPDES and RCRA programs. Since starting with Koch in 2016, Kevan has worked to develop and implement sustainable programs that are capable of meeting current and future environmental regulatory obligations.
Kevin Richards, EH&S Director; ProcessMAP Corp.
Kevin Richards joined ProcessMAP Corporation in 2017 after a successful career in corporate environmental health and safety. Kevin utilizes his expertise to support the system development team in their efforts to provide best-in-class software tools for ProcessMAP customers. Kevin also supports the implementation team in preparing requirement documentation for customers; the business intelligence team in refining products and solutions to meet customer requirements. He also provides EHS training to ProcessMAP's technical support team. Kevin's EHS experience across a wide variety of industries helps him to better understand the customer's requirements and allows him to act as a customer champion during the entire life cycle with ProceesMAP. Kevin received his BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester.
Max Rutz, Managing Director for Safety Strategy, Optimization, and Compliance; Delta Services Group Inc.
Max is responsible for the development and implementation of key EHS strategies, analytics, and process improvements; as well as DGS's EHS management framework, and overall training implementation and compliance.
Prior to Delta Global Services, Max worked in EHS leadership roles at General Electric and Greif, where he partnered with operations and EHS teams to identify improvement opportunities and strengthen EHS processes, tools, and initiatives that resulted in significant performance improvement and world-class injury and illness rates.
He's also managed EHS for dispersed workforces, focusing on employee and leadership accountability in EHS, and focus programs designed to reduce employee injuries and improve quality.
Max holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He lives with his wife and daughter in Houston.
Kelvin Sanborn, Director, EHS Strategy and Operations; GE Healthcare
Kelvin Sanborn leads the Digital & Analytics efforts for GE's Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) function. Kelvin's organization manages GE's EHS data strategy and systems as well as the EHS digital portfolio, including emerging technologies and advanced analytics. Kelvin has wed his domain expertise in the industrial application of EHS to his depth of knowledge in the data and technology space to transform how EHS risk is managed at GE. His team's work democratizes data, produces advanced analytics, and manages technologies like sensors and wearables to prevent injuries and unplanned downtime.
Kelvin is a graduate of Tufts University with a degree in environmental engineering. He's been at GE for 14 years and is currently based at GE's Boston headquarters.
Jeff Sanford, Director; Humantech
Jeff Sanford leads teams that help to develop, manage, and sustain global ergonomics programs using software solutions for Fortune 1000 clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including food and beverage, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and steel. Recent client engagements include Applied Materials, Clemens Foods, Cummins, Microsoft, Moen, Timken, Tower Automotive, and First Solar.
Prior to joining Humantech, Jeff worked as a divisional ergonomics engineer within the seating systems division of Lear Corporation. Managing ergonomics issues at nine U.S. facilities, launching new products, and solving ergonomics issues arising from products, workstations, processes, and packaging were some of his responsibilities.
Jeff received a Bachelor and Master of Human Kinetics degrees and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. He has achieved recognition as a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE).
Reed Thomason, Manager of Safety, Ergonomics and Industrial Hygiene; BMW Manufacturing Co.
Reed Thomason has worked for BMW Manufacturing for over 19 years. Mr. Thomason is responsible for compliance, planning, steering and managing occupational safety methods and systems at Plant Spartanburg.
Prior to working as the Section Manager, Reed worked as a safety specialist in each of the different production technologies at BMW specializing in equipment safety design and specifications. Reed has also worked as a safety specialist at General Motors and Toyota.
He is a Certified Safety Professional and a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals. He has a Bachelor's degree in Safety Engineering from Eastern Kentucky University.
Annie Tschida, Manager, EHS; Kinder Morgan Inc.
Annie Tschida is a Corporate Manager of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) for Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America. She oversees the company's EHS information technology systems and is responsible for implementing software and managing system governance across Kinder Morgan. Prior to her current role, she has held positions within Kinder Morgan Operations, including Manager of Systems, Records and Training for Natural Gas Operations.
Barbara Veith, Director EHS; Fruit of the Loom Inc.
Barbara Veith, Director Environmental, Health & Safety for Fruit of the Loom, Inc. is responsible for providing expertise and strategic leadership for the global company environmental, health and safety programs and initiatives to ensure proper compliance and optimization within established regulations and guidelines and to maintain our program to communicate critical business information to participating employees in the event of business interruptions, threats or critical events. Barbara is an Authorized 10 and 30-hour General Industry Trainer and an American Red Cross Instructor.
Sameer Vyas, Founding Partner; Huco Consulting Inc.
Sameer Vyas is a founding partner at Huco Consulting, a data management systems firm focused on integrated EHS&S solutions. Sameer has managed and supported several large-scale EMIS solutions for a variety of clients. He has led the development of unique solutions by using leading off-the-shelf enterprise solutions or by developing cloud-based point solutions. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A from the University of Southern California.
Kathleen Walsh, Senior Advisor; Hess Corp.
Kathy is a Senior Advisor in the Environmental Health and Safety group at Hess. In her current role, she manages and supports existing EHS software systems, new deployments and is also implementing various strategy and standardization projects. Kathy has worked at Hess for 30 years, has a B.S. in Computer Science from Rowan University and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University. She lives in Houston with her husband and 4 boys.