Speakers

Matt Axelrod, U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

Matthew S. Axelrod currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, a position to which he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in December 2021.

Matt and his team help protect U.S. national security by enforcing the country’s export control laws. They work to prevent exports of sensitive goods and technologies that can be put to malign purposes like weapons-of-mass-destruction proliferation, military and military-intelligence applications, terrorism, and human rights abuses. Matt also co-leads the Disruptive Technology Strike Force.

Matt previously spent over thirteen years at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida and then in a series of high-level jobs at DOJ headquarters.  From 2015 to 2017, Matt served as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, one of DOJ’s highest-ranking officials. In 2021, he rejoined DOJ on Inauguration Day as part of the senior leadership team, serving as Senior Counselor in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.

Estefania "Stefy" Corona, Knowles

Mike DEL PRIORE,
Crouzet

From Ringoes, New Jersey, Mike attended Norwich University and graduated in May of 2020 with a degree in Management. While in college, Mike participated in local volunteer work, school clubs, and played rugby. Graduating college during the pandemic threw a wrench in his career goals- literally. He took the first sales job he could find and ended up selling tools and shop supplies to car dealerships, body shops, and mechanics across central New Jersey. Now having over two years of industry experience with Crouzet in a Regional Distribution sales role and recently joining Norris & Associates (a Manufacturer’s Representative in New England), Mike has had the opportunity to experience many facets of this industry in the field. 

Tom Flick

With his unique gift to connect with the listener’s head and heart, leadership expert and former NFL quarterback, Tom Flick is one of the most sought-after leadership speakers today. With passion, authority, and authenticity, Tom delivers keynotes aimed at the heart—where real change occurs. For the past 25 years, Tom has worked with the world’s most innovative and dynamic organizations such as NASA, Starbucks, Mercedes Benz, Amazon, American Express, Google, and the Pentagon to lead and navigate through change in a rapidly fluctuating and highly competitive world. Tom’s passion for raising more effective leaders is achieved by his exceptional talent as a deft storyteller and his unique gift to connect with the listener’s heart as well as their head. Understanding people, not programs, help organizations change and grow. Tom draws on his extensive work in corporate America and his association with Professor of Leadership, Emeritus at the Harvard School of Business, Dr. John Kotter, to inspire actionable solutions that develop leaders, ignite teams, lead change, and elevate organizational and personal performance. Tom has garnered a reputation for customizing compelling, engaging presentations based on each organization’s needs and desired outcomes, collaborating directly with the client to ensure measurable takeaways for their organization. Tom’s exceptional ability to communicate clear business solutions with humor, wit, and razor-sharp insight is why he is in such high demand.

Dale Ford, ECIA

Dale Ford is a highly respected industry analyst with extensive experience producing award winning market research. He brings expertise in technology trends, competitive analysis, forecasting and supply/demand research of the electronics, semiconductor and electronics components industries. Mr. Ford has been researching the electronics and electronics components industries for over 25 years. His focused research delivers enhanced visibility on the products, technologies, and players shaping the electronics value chain.

Geoff Forman, Lectrix

Geoffrey Forman is the VP of Marketing for Lectrix - a full-service marketing agency dedicated to the components industry - where he spearheads client strategy. His career has been near exclusive to one challenge: connecting engineers to manufacturers and distributors. When not discussing SEO, marketing automation, content strategy, and emerging martech, he spends his time writing short speaker bios.   

Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial 

Jake Hall known as the Manufacturing Millennial is an advocate manufacturing, automation, and skilled trades by helping revolutionize the way people and companies present through social media. With over 70,000 Followers and 80,000,000+ views on his content, he ignites conversations about the latest in manufacturing and automation to excite the current and future workforce on innovation.

 Rebecca Heiss

Rebecca knows fear. As an evolutionary biologist and stress expert, Dr. Rebecca Heiss is dedicated to helping us become self-aware and overcome our instinctual limitations – the ancient, often subconscious fears that hold us back from our optimal performance and our happiest lives. Her research has been designated “transformative” by the National Science Foundation and it is waking up audiences around the world. As an author of the newly acclaimed book Instinct, founder and CEO of the leadership 360- review mobile application, icueity, and highly sought-after professional speaker, Rebecca has found her calling in helping others recognize the power of biological applications in their lives. A former educator, Dr. Heiss spent much of her earlier career in the classroom at both the high school and college levels and was recruited to be a founding member of an innovative charter school with a focus on entrepreneurial thinking and impact-based learning. Today she shares her work from stages around the world as a full-time speaker and facilitator of her Fearless Accelerator program and Year of Happy – an experience that delivers programming and physical subscription boxes with challenges and community to move otherwise successful people from a state of languishing in “meh” to finally finding HAPPY. Rebecca’s “fearless” message inspires hope and actionable insights to train our brains to work for us, rather than against us in times of uncertainty. With surprising humor and palpable energy, no matter if Dr. Heiss is delivering virtually or on stage, she wins over her audiences with interactive, inspiring, and timely takeaways. Rebecca lives in South Carolina with her spoiled rotten dogs named Guinness & Murphy and every day tries to live her life motto: “spread happy.”

Graham Kilshaw, Lectrix

Graham Kilshaw is the CEO of Lectrix - a digital marketing agency specializing in the components industry. After starting his career in his native England, working for The Walt Disney Company, and Rupert Murdoch's tabloid newspaper group, Graham moved to the US in the mid 90's. He joined the family publishing business and so began his career in the electronics industry. In 2016 he reinvented the publishing company into what is today, Lectrix, and launched his mission to also reinvent marketing in the components industry. "Problem First. Product Last" has become not only the tagline for his company, but also the mantra for many marketers across our industry today.

Ben Nemtin

Ben Nemtin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and a star of MTV’s highest rated show on iTunes and Amazon called The Buried Life. As the co-founder of The Buried Life movement, Ben’s message of radical possibility has been featured on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, FOX, and NBC News. President Obama called Ben and The Buried Life “inspiration for a new generation” and Oprah declared their mission “truly inspiring.” An acclaimed keynote speaker, Ben has headlined business conferences and Fortune 100 leadership teams around the world, garnering standing ovations from AIG, Anthem, Amazon, FedEx, Harvard, Microsoft, Verizon, and more. Ben is recognized as one of the World’s Top Organizational Culture Thought Leaders and was ranked 3rd Best Motivational Speaker in the world by Global Gurus in 2022.In his first year of university, Ben was unexpectedly hit with a depression that forced him to drop out. In an attempt to feel more alive, he created the world’s greatest bucket list with his three best friends. They borrowed a rickety old RV and crisscrossed North America, achieving the unthinkable. And most importantly, every time they accomplished a dream, they helped a complete stranger cross something off their bucket list. From playing basketball with President Obama to having a beer with Prince Harry, from reuniting a father and son after seventeen years to surprising a young girl with a much-needed bionic arm—Ben’s bucket list quest has inspired millions to thrive personally and professionally.

David Loftus, ECIA

Over a 35-year career in high tech, David Loftus has served in a broad range of senior executive positions, including Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Maxim Integrated, Executive Vice President Worldwide Sales and Applications for Cypress Semiconductor, Senior Vice President Worldwide Sales and Corporate Marketing for Intersil Corporation, Vice President & General Manager for Spartan Products for Xilinx Inc.In addition, Mr. Loftus served in Hong Kong from 2002 to 2005 as Vice President & Managing Director - Xilinx Asia Pacific.

Dennis Reed, Edgewater Research

Dennis Reed is a Senior Research Analyst in Technology. Dennis started in the industry in 2005 at FTN Midwest Research on the technology & semiconductor team. In 2006, he was a founding member of Cleveland Research Company and continued to develop and extensive network of technology industry professionals in the semiconductor, distribution, memory and HDD industries throughout the world. Dennis worked at KeyBanc Capital markets in New York, on teams covering Consumer Staples and Paper & Packing companies. Dennis also brings wide level of experience working in various roles with Travelers Insurance, including Market Research and various product roles supporting business unit growth in targeted end markets. Dennis is a 2002 graduate of Ohio University with a major in Sports Management.

Mark Shiring, ebm-papst, Inc

Mark's experience with sales, marketing, and customer service teams spans multiple cultures from tenures in the USA and China.

In North America he managed a sales and marketing team responsible for direct OEM and distribution sales management as National Sales Manager and then Vice President of Marketing. 

Relocated to China in early 2010 as General Manager for ebm-papst China with full P&L responsibility for the sales and manufacturing operation, Mark helped double the sales and size of the operation within a 5 year period.

After returning to the US in late 2014 as Executive Vice President focused on improving the operation in manufacturing and engineering, Mark now serves as CEO-Americas Region.

Luca Silipo, Geodis 

Luca, with a doctorate in International Relations specializing in international economics and politics, has developed his career spanning banking and the real sector. After working as an economist at the Italian Central Bank, he transitioned to the private sector, eventually becoming Chief Economist for renowned Italian and French investment banks in prominent global financial centers. He has recently created a strategic research department at GEODIS, providing the company and its clients with meticulous financial, economic, geopolitical, and risk landscape analysis. Luca's team optimized management decision-making and offered research services to GEODIS clients through papers, presentations, studies, and speeches. In recent times, as the factors enabling globalization unwind, Luca has taken on the responsibility of assisting GEODIS clients in reimagining and strategizing their supply chains. 

Beyond his professional endeavors, Luca nurtures a deep passion for music and strongly believes in the corporate sector's role in fostering social welfare, equality, and sustainability. 

Riad Nizam, Master Electronics 

Riad Nizam is the President of Master Electronics, a family-owned business celebrating over 50 years as a leading electronic components distributor. Riad received his B.S. from UC Santa Barbara, in Business/Economics and attended a 3-year Executive Education Program, OPM, at Harvard Business School. Riad has over 20 years of industry experience at increasing levels of responsibility and has performed duties in every position of distribution for Master Electronics. His sales-driven philosophy consistently inspires unique and visionary solutions for customers and suppliers and encourages an entrepreneurial mindset within his team members. Riad is an active member of YPO, pursuing a lifelong commitment to learning, developing impactful business relationships, and fostering global expansion for Master Electronics. Riad loves traveling with his wife and children to new places all around the world. He currently resides in the Phoenix area.

Denisse Sullivan, Sager Electronics

A valued member of Sager Electronics’ Marketing Communications team, Denisse Sullivan joined the company, and the electronics industry, in the role of Marketing Programs Coordinator last November. A graduate of the Universidad del Valle de Mexico in Mexico City, Denisse not only holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences but has also earned business and marketing certificates from Walden University and Long Island University. Creative and innovative, Denisse brings a fresh perspective to the team’s marketing strategies from her previous experience in areas such as live event production, copywriting for advertising, social media and web management for a creative agency, and as a columnist and blogger for a magazine. Denisse’s range of skills and qualifications means she is involved in almost every aspect of the Marketing Communications team’s efforts – from graphic design, to writing, and everything in between. While newer to the company, Denisse has already made her mark at Sager Electronics. Her new ideas, as well as her strong initiative, have been instrumental in communicating the company’s brand in the marketplace.

Cliff Waldman is a rising voice in the D.C. policy research community. Cliff has made appearances at events on Capitol Hill and in major think tanks. He is the host of Manufacturing Talk Radio’s “Cliff Notes on the Global Manufacturing Picture” which is now in its fourth year. Cliff served two years as Chairman of the Board of the National Economists Club. In 2019 he served as co-chair of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) manufacturing roundtable. In 2018 he was awarded the Certified Business Economist (CBE) designation by NABE. He received his M.A. in economics from Rutgers University. 

Tom Wichert, TDK-Lambda Americas

Tom Wichert is the Executive vice president of Sales & Marketing of TDK-Lambda Americas. He joined TDK-Lambda in 1998 as the business development manager and was named to his current position in 2017.  He directs all TDK-Lambda’s sales & marketing activities in North and South America, including working with sales representatives, distributors, regional sales managers and key account managers.  Prior to his move to TDK-Lambda, Tom was a design engineer and then program manager at Aerospace Avionics, Inc.  He earned a BSEE from West Virginia University and an MBA from Hofstra University.