SP Innovation Summit

Event Details

Since 2002, Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) has been the leadership forum for global automotive manufacturers, their large and small suppliers, the US EPA and other government entities from around the world to work together to improve the environmental sustainability and business value of the global automotive supply chain. SP's members represent organizations from across the automotive value chain, including global automakers, such as Ford, General Motors, Honda, Stellantis, Toyota Motor, and their key suppliers.

Co-hosted with The Ohio State University, the 2023 Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) Innovation Summit is designed as an interactive event focused on building understanding of critical barriers impacting the sustainability of the automotive value chain and working towards practical solutions to accelerate innovation in support of industry sustainability priorities.

The Summit agenda will focus in on new innovation and emerging trends related to automotive industry sustainability goals, within key areas such as carbon neutrality, circular and sustainable materials, EV battery lifecycle management and water stewardship.

2023 Summit Session Tracks.

Addressing Sustainability in ZEV Transition. This track focuses on challenges and opportunities in proactively identifying and addressing holistic environmental impacts in the transition to zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs).
Demystifying Decarbonization. This track focuses on challenges and opportunities inmeasuring and advancing decarbonization efforts across the value chain on the path toward carbon neutrality.
Catalyzing Circularity. This track focused on challenges and opportunities in accelerating industry efforts towards a circular materials economy and incentivizing innovation in sustainable materials.

Venue: The Summit will be held at the Ohio Union, located on The Ohio State University campus at 1739 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43210. Detailed directions and parking information for the venue may be found here.

Travel: Travel recommendations and links to a range of hotel partners located around the OSU campus may be found through the University Hospitality District.

Speakers

We are pleased to highlight several of the exciting speakers who will be joining us for our 2023 Summit.

Please watch this page as additional speakers are added regularly.

Joe Hinrichs

President & CEO of CSX

Kevin Butt

Sr. Director Environmental Sustainability of Toyota Motor North America

Doug Andrews

Global Energy and Environmental Manager at Lear

David Howell

Acting Director and Principal Deputy Director, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains at US Department of Energy

Laurent Pilon

Program Director of Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA E)

Jalonne White-Newsome

Senior Director for Environmental Justice of White House Council on Environmental Quality

Ginger Rothrock

Vice President at HG Ventures

Ben Grumbles

Executive Director of Environmental Council of the States

Fred Gersdorff

Senior Manager - Socially Responsible & Sustainable Supply Chains at General Motors

Andrew Hobbs

Global Director, Environmental Quality Office of Ford Motor Company

Paramita Das

Global Head of Marketing, Development and ESG , Metals and Minerals at Rio Tinto

Niels Angel

Business Owner Sustainability at Catena-X, BMW Group

Paul Balent

Global Senior Corporate Account Manager, Transportation at Nalco Water

Martin Chilcott

Chairman and CEO of Manufacture 2030

Redmond Clark, Sr.

President at Asphalt Plus, LLC

Natalie Cooke

Sustainability and Diversion Manager at Rumpke Waste & Recycling

Katrina Cornish

Endowed Chair and Ohio Research Scholar, Bioemergent Materials at The Ohio State University

Bob Crawford

Business Development Executive at GWT Insight

Corey Davis

Director of Fuel Strategy and Utilization at CSX Transportation

Lavon Detweiler

CEO of EnTech

Ahmed El Ganzouri

Director, Sustainability of Magna International

Laura Evans

Director, ES&G of Cirba Solutions

Michael Faltenbacher

Head of Transport & Mobility at Sphera

David Fauvre

Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Whale Materials

Matthew Fawcett

Global Director, Sustainability & Compliance of Gentherm, Inc

Alan Ferguson

Commercial VP, Americas at Li-Cycle

Kacie Freeberg

Senior Director - Industrial VST of ORBIS Corporation

Troy Greiss

VP EHS and Regulatory Affairs at East Penn Manufacturing Co

Oliver Gunasekara

CEO & Co-Founder of Impossible Metals

Jeff Haltrecht

Executive at Call2Recycle

Kevin Hanrahan

Chief Marketing Officer, High Performance Polymers at Arkema

Eric Harrington

Environmental Engineer Leader at American Axle & Manufacturing

Todd Haug

EV Service Network Analyst at Ford Motor Company

Jesse Henry

CEO & Founder of Heartland

Becky Hensley

Senior Manager Environmental Programs at CSX Transportation

Brandi Herres

Rumpke Waste & Recycling

Matt Howard

Vice President for Water Stewardship at The Water Council

John Jager

Vice President at Toyota Tsusho America

Fearghal Kearney

VP of Sales at Circulor, Inc.

Tim Kidman

Managing Director of Sustainability Strategy at Edison Energy

David Klanecky

CEO of Cirba Solutions

Nicole Labutong

Principal, Climate Intelligence at RMI

Roman Lanno

Professor of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University

Vickie Lewis

Founder and CEO of VMX International Inc.

Cameron Lippert

Chief Innovation Officer at ElectraMet

Klaus Lorenz

Senior Research Associate, Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at The Ohio State University

Kellen Mahoney

Director of Suppliers Partnership for the Environment

Ludwig Minassian

Business Development Manager – Licensing & Partnerships at Lithion

Charlie O'Ryan

Director of Sales at StrikoWestofen

David O'Ryan

Senior Strategic Business Development Manager at Ecoclean Group

Juan Luis Pardo

Senior Project Manager at Drive Sustainability

Philip Peay

Regional Operations Manager, TDSI at CSX Transportation

Jamie Pitcairn

Technical Director for Corporate Sustainability of Ricardo

Punyaslok (Punya) Rath

Assistant Research Professor at University of Missouri

Rachael Remmers

Sr HSE Engineer at Robert Bosch

Ben Riley

Senior Marketing Manager - Global Transportation at Nalco Water

Lauren Roman

Founder of TransparentPlanet

John Sheerin

Director, End-of-Life Tire Programs of U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association

Kunal Sinha

Global Head of Recycling at Glencore

Thea Soule

Chief Commercial Officer at ECOBAT

Chris Spencer

VP Business Development at CellBlock FCS

Cory Tatarzyn

Zero Waste SME at General Motors

Mike Troupos

Vice President at Foresight Management

Ryan Weber

Design Manager - Engineering Custom at ORBIS Corporation

Sarah Weishaar

Founder and CEO of Impact Collective Group

Alissa Yakali

Supply Chain Sustainability Manager at Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, LLC

Mark Yamauchi

Sustainability Manager at Toyota Motor North America

Dalan Zartman

COO at Energy Security Agency

Joseph R. Hinrichs, a leader with more than 30 years of experience in the global automotive, manufacturing, and energy sectors, was named President and Chief Executive Officer of CSX in September 2022. Hinrichs brings to CSX a commitment to operational excellence, experience building global businesses through investment in people and culture, and a deep understanding of balancing safety and efficiency in a complex industry.

Hinrichs previously served as President of Ford Motor Company’s global automotive business. In that role, he led the company’s $160-billion automotive operations, overseeing Ford’s global business units and the Ford and Lincoln brands, as well as leading all of Ford’s automotive skill teams, including Product Development, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Labor Affairs, Marketing and Sales, Government Affairs, Information Technology, and Sustainability, Safety and Environmental Engineering. Other titles he held at Ford include President of Global Operations, President of the Americas, President of Asia Pacific and Africa, Chairman and CEO of Ford China, and Chairman & CEO of Ford Canada. Hinrichs has also held executive roles in global manufacturing and materials planning, and logistics.

Hinrichs is recognized for his dedication to operational excellence, successfully managing and growing complex P&Ls, consistently increasing profits, and engaging with the workforce. In his recent roles, he spearheaded global business growth as he oversaw the construction of new overseas manufacturing plants, developed and launched new vehicles and services, and improved product quality.

Kevin Butt is the Regional Environmental Sustainability director of Toyota’s North American Environmental Sustainability Programs. He is responsible for the development of Environmental Sustainability Programs and Regulatory/Legislative development for all of Toyota’s North American operations.

Prior to Butt’s current assignment, he was the general manager/chief environmental and safety officer for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing for all of Toyota’s Manufacturing operations. Prior to that assignment, Butt served as the assistant general manager of Body Production Engineering for Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., (TMMNA). He was responsible for Body Engineering for all Toyota’s North American manufacturing operations. Body Engineering consists of Welding, Stamping, and Painting Operations.

Butt serves on several boards including the National Wildlife Habitat Council, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation, World Wildlife Fund National Council, North American Great Plains Advisory Board and the Yellowstone Park Foundation Board.

He has a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Science from Georgetown College.

Dave Howell is the Acting Director and Principal Deputy Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC). MESC is responsible for strengthening and securing manufacturing and energy supply chains needed to modernize the nation’s energy infrastructure and support a clean and equitable energy transition. MESC manages an $15 billion portfolio of programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to catalyze the development of an energy sector industrial base through investments that establish and secure domestic clean energy supply chains and manufacturing.

Dave previously served as Director of the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) with responsibility for the Department’s $400 million advanced vehicle applied research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) portfolio and for VTO's Battery R&D Program Manager from 2003‐2017.

He is the Chair of the U.S. Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB). FCAB brings Federal agencies having a stake in establishing a domestic supply of lithium batteries together to accelerate the development of a robust secure domestic industrial base and ecosystem for advanced batteries. Dave serves various international and inter-government forums including on the Executive Committee for the Battery500 Research Consortium, the Li-Bridge alliance Executive Committee, and as Chair for the Department’s Battery Joint Strategy Team.

He has over 35 years of experience planning and executing complex, multi-disciplined R&D activities that includes hybrid and electric vehicle R&D, advanced battery research and manufacturing, and advanced structural materials research. Prior to DOE, Dave was on the research staff of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and served on active duty at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base as the Program Manager for Advanced Materials for Space Structures at the Air Force Materials Laboratory.

Dave received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Dr. Laurent Pilon serves as a Program Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA E). His focus at ARPA-E is on energy storage.

Pilon joined ARPA-E from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he is a professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. Over the last 20 years, Pilon has engaged in a wide range of interdisciplinary research projects for the development of sustainable energy conversion, storage, and efficiency technologies.

He has co-authored 6 book chapters, nearly 200 archival journal publications, and has also filed 7 patents. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (2005), the Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer (2008), and the Heat Transfer Memorial Award (2021) from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Pilon received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Applied Physics from the Grenoble Institute of Technology, France and earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.

Dr. Jalonne L. White-Newsome joined the Biden-Harris Administration in June 2022 as the Senior Director for Environmental Justice at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Under her leadership, the Environmental Justice Team is working to deliver on President Biden’s ambitious environmental justice agenda, including implementing the recently signed Environmental Justice Executive Order, releasing the first-ever Environmental Justice Scorecard, advancing the Justice40 Initiative, and launching the White House Campaign for Environmental Justice.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. White-Newsome has tackled environmental challenges from a wide range of positions and perspectives, including in the grassroots environmental justice movement, environmental philanthropy, state government, private industry, and academia. Before joining the White House, Dr. White-Newsome founded and led Empowering a Green Environment and Economy, LLC (EGE2), a strategic consulting firm that focused on transforming communities by using people-centered solutions to combat climate change, improve public health, pursue environmental justice, and advance racial equity. She also served as the first Director of Federal Policy for WE ACT for Environmental Justice, managing their federal policy office in Washington, D.C. Dr. White-Newsome’s early environmental justice advocacy and research has focused on air pollution, climate-driven extreme heat and flooding, and improving the health of low-income, communities of color.

Dr. White-Newsome earned a Ph.D. in environmental health sciences from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Southern Methodist University, a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University, and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She is a proud wife and mother of her daughters.

Dr. Ginger Rothrock is the Vice President of HG Ventures, the Corporate Venture Arm of The Heritage Group, where she invests in early to growth stage companies developing advanced materials and systems for the circular economy, energy, water, specialty chemicals, and transportation infrastructure. Ginger has worked at the intersection of science, business, and innovation her entire career and deeply appreciates the opportunity to merge her operating experience with her desire to invest in people. She's particularly passionate about science and engineering anchoring the next generation of transformative startups. Before joining HG Ventures, Ginger served as Vice President of Technology and Commercialization at RTI International where she oversaw the commercialization of a $1 billion portfolio of R&D and served as a mentor and coach to numerous scientific innovators. She is also an accomplished scientist and serial entrepreneur who empathizes with our entrepreneurs’ unique challenges.

Ben Grumbles is the Executive Director at ECOS. Before holding this position, he was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan and confirmed by the State Senate as Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment in 2015. His duties included serving as Chair of the Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet and the Maryland Climate Change Commission and Executive Committee Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Grumbles has served as President of the U.S. Water Alliance, Director of Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, and Senior Staff and Counsel for the Transportation and Infrastructure and Science Committees in the U.S. Congress. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University, Emory University Law School (J.D.), and The George Washington University Law School (LL.M.).

Andy Hobbs is the Global Director of Environmental Quality Office at Ford Motor Company, where he has worked for over 37 years. Andy’s leadership of The Environmental Quality Office has been central to the automaker’s ability to build on the existing legacy of forward-thinking environmental stewardship and to reduce the environmental footprint of facilities globally. Ford was recently recognized for leadership in corporate transparency and performance on climate change (4th consecutive year) and water security (8th consecutive year) by global environmental non-profit CDP. Ford was awarded a place on CDPs annual ‘A List’, one of a small number of companies, and the only automotive manufacturer, that achieved a double ‘A’ score out of nearly 15,000 companies scored. Hobbs graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a honors degree in mechanical engineering.

Paramita Das is global head of marketing, development and ESG (chief marketing officer); metals and minerals, Rio Tinto. Paramita is a global executive with extensive experience in the commodities segment (metal and oil and gas). She leads marketing for metals and minerals globally and the establishment of a more environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-centric approach in the Atlantic region. Prior to her work in the marketing and development space, Paramita was the chief of staff to the chief executive officer of Rio Tinto and chief transformation officer for the Atlantic Operations for Aluminium segment with Rio Tinto. Das joined Rio Tinto in 2015, prior to which, she worked with companies including Sumitomo/UACJ/TAA and BP. She is a passionate advocate for ESG and inclusion.

Paul Balent has worked with Nalco Water in the Transportation and Manufacturing Industries for 31 years. He has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Miami University. Paul began with Nalco in R&D and transitioned to our field support team. He led the Nalco Water Global Technical Support team for 15+ years. During this time, he supported Automotive and Heavy Truck customers throughout the world. He was instrumental in the development of several of the key Nalco Water product lines including paint detackification, plastic washing, booth coatings and water flow intelligence. He is currently the Global Lead for our Automotive Parts and Heavy Truck segments as well as responsible for several key automotive customers.

Martin Chilcott is an environmental and digital entrepreneur whose focus for over 20 years has been on disruptive business models that catalyse systemic change. Having built a successful internet consultancy in the late 1990s, Martin was convinced that web technologies would play a major role in accelerating the inevitable sustainability revolution. Martin’s next venture was 2degrees, which pioneered new ways to spread sustainability practices across global supply chains. Armed with the knowledge from 12 successful years at 2degrees, Martin and his team then launched Manufacture 2030 in 2017, which is now driving progress toward decarbonisation targets with thousands of suppliers in 70+ countries. In 2022, Manufacture 2030 was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers“, named a Gartner® Cool Vendor in the 2022 Cool Vendors™ in Supply Chain Management Technology report, and selected in the ProcureTech100 for the second year running.

Dr Redmond (Red) Clark is the chairman of CBL Industrial Services, a group of companies providing a range of manufactured chemistries and technical support designed to enhance the sustainability of a wide array of manufacturing industries. He is also president of Asphalt Plus, a company producing a chemically engineered scrap tire crumb rubber for use in the asphalt paving industry. Red has a PhD in the environmental sciences. During his 51-year career, he has served as a university professor, a consulting engineer, a director of a state environmental management program, and as a president/chairman for a number of sustainability-focused chemical manufacturing and service companies operating in both domestic and international markets. Dr. Clark has served on a number of industry trade association technical and policy development committees and has authored more than four hundred publications, technical reports and presentations over the course of his career. He has provided testimony and technical consulting support on a number of economic, trade, environmental and engineering issues for a wide array of US state and federal agencies, The US Congress, various foreign governments and numerous domestic and international industrial clients.

Dr. Katrina Cornish serves as Endowed Chair and Ohio Research Scholar, Bioemergent Materials, and as Research Director, Program of Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives, at The Ohio State University. Cornish is an internationally recognized expert and innovator in alternative natural rubber/latex crops, their latex, solid rubber, and coproduct processing and formulation technologies, biodegradable and recyclable rubbers and bioplastics, valorization of wastes, and product and device innovation and development. She is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, and the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. Her career spanning federal, academic and industrial appointments has resulted in ~35 issued or pending patents, many with student and staff coinventors, over 300 published papers, numerous worldwide lectures and a history of considerable public and private funding. She is co-founder of several alternative natural rubber companies intended to increase the geographical and biological diversity of the natural rubber supply. Her research has been recognized my numerous awards, including The Ohio State University’s 2018 Innovator of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Bioenvironmental Polymer Society and the Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops. Dr. Cornish holds a BSc (1st class honours) in Biological Sciences, and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology, both from the University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, England.

Corey Davis is the Director of Fuel Strategy and Utilization at CSX Transportation where he oversees locomotive fuel conservation and emission reduction programs to help CSX implement fuel and carbon reduction strategies. He has over 27 years of experience at CSX Transportation holding various positions in Operations, Training, and regulatory compliance roles. Corey began his career with CSX on the ground as a Conductor in Atlanta, GA in 1995 and then as a locomotive Engineer in 1998, this field experience has given Corey a full perspective of railroad operations. His current role is responsible for implementing solutions to reduce locomotive emissions and improve fuel savings: Trip Optimizer, Zero to Zero, data technology improvements, and alternative fuels. He holds a degree in Transportation Technology from Mountwest Technical College and currently lives in Jacksonville, FL.

Lavon Detweiler began his career as a rubber chemist with Nishikawa Standard Company in Indiana in 1990, after graduating from Goshen College with a degree in chemistry. This was around the time when it was becoming popular in the automotive world to look for ways to reduce landfilling of manufacturing waste. Four years later, in 1994, he cofounded a company with the focus of recycling automotive waste rubber. This company evolved into Entech Incorporated which today is one of the largest manufacturers of recycled rubber powders and metal in North America. In 2007, Entech also became involved in the manufacture of tire recycling machinery through its purchase of Jomar Machining and Fabricating. Today, Jomar is the largest producer of turn-key tire recycling systems in North America. Lavon has been working as CEO of both companies for over 20 years. Lavon’s goal is for the talented teams at Entech and Jomar to continue having a positive impact on the growth and stabilization of the tire recycling industry in North America.

Dr. Michael Faltenbacher joined Sphera (formerly thinkstep) in 2006 and is responsible for the transport and mobility sector as team leader. With more than 20 years of experience in the field of life cycle analysis of transport and energy systems, he has extensive know-how on automotive sector covering the transport of passengers and goods using conventional and alternative fuel and drive systems. His work focuses on the technical, ecological and economic comparison of fuel and propulsion technologies for light and heavy duty vehicles.

One example of his work and expertise is the development of a life cycle based evaluation approach for battery electric vehicles as well as hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles. This approach has been refined over the past 15 years and is currently used in a range of public funded lighthouse projects such as the European Commission’s co-funded H2Haul and JIVE/JIVE 2 project on the deployment of FC electric heavy duty trucks respectively buses. In these projects Sphera is the responsible for the life cycle based environmental and economic evaluation of the deployed ZEV vehicles and energy supply infrastructure.

Alan Ferguson is Li-Cycle’s Commercial VP, Americas. He leads Li-Cycle’s efforts to source batteries for recycling and resource recovery and to market the various products produced at the recycling spokes and the refinery hub. He brings more than 30 years of technology development and electronics recycling experience to Li-Cycle.

Prior to joining Li-Cycle in 2020, Alan served as Vice President, Business Development for eCycle Solutions Inc. which, during his tenure, became the leading electronics resource recovery company in Canada. While in that role, his responsibilities included sales, marketing, operations management for Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD) services, Compliance Management, and Reverse Supply Chain Management. He also served in various roles at Gennum Corporation, before being promoted to Vice President, Corporate Development.

An Ontario native, Alan has a fifth-degree blackbelt in taekwondo and enjoys a wide variety of extracurricular activities.
A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Alan holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He also holds a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation.

Kacie Freeberg is the Senior Director of the Industrial Value Stream Team at ORBIS Corporation in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Kacie joined ORBIS in 2014, bringing in over 8 years of experience in Food & Beverage Manufacturing at various locations.

Throughout her journey at ORBIS, she has held different positions such as Continuous Improvement Manager supporting all functional areas within ORBIS, and a Project Manager for acquisitions and large capital projects.

Today, Kacie is responsible for all marketing, new product development, and pricing for reusable packaging that services the Automotive, Heavy Truck, and Agricultural markets. This includes all standard proprietary products and custom solutions.

Kacie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry from the University of Minnesota, and Masters of Science in Engineering Management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. She received her Master Black Belt from Arizona State University in 2016, Black Belt from ASQ in 2012, and Project Management Professional (PMP) from PMI in 2014.

Oliver is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and led three technology companies. In 2020, Oliver founded Impossible Metals to provide responsible seabed mining and refinement of battery metals, enabling the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Impossible Metals is building underwater robotics vehicles to collect battery metals from the seabed without harming the environment, as well as using bacteria to refine battery metals without generating tailings. Patents have been filed for these ground-breaking technologies. Oliver holds a Bachelor's degree with honors in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Greenwich London, UK, and a Mini-MBA from the AeA/Executive Institute, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Palo Alto, CA, USA. He is the inventor of three patents.

Jeff is known for guiding companies, teams, and boards through periods of business change.

With Call2Recycle, he is leading the build-out of the organization’s electric transportation battery logistics and recycling efforts that include servicing the electric vehicle, e-bike, e-scooter, electric motorcycle, and electric bus industries. Prior to this role, Jeff was a 7-year board member and chair of the finance committee for Call2Recycle Canada, Inc., the Canadian sister company to Call2Recycle, Inc. out of Atlanta. His first experience working with batteries began in 2012 when employed with Energizer Batteries.

Earlier companies and industries include automotive aftermarket brands Valvoline motor oil, Zerex antifreeze, and Armor All car care products, along with home improvement brands Weiser door locks and Pfister faucets.

Jeff has been featured in podcasts, interviewed for blog posts, and contributed to articles on the topic of electric vehicle and e-bike battery logistics & recycling with publications that include Auto Recycling World, Bloomberg, Depollution by Salvage Wire, Driving.ca, Electrek.co, Singletracks.com, Sustainablebiz.ca, and Wired.com.

He is a sought-after speaker on the topics of EV battery management, EV battery logistics, EV battery safe handling, and EV battery recovery from a vehicle crash scene. Jeff has co-authored three publications:

• Regulations Governing Shipment of Electric Vehicle Batteries in the U.S.
• Electric Vehicle Battery Shipping Guidelines for the U.S.
• Electric Vehicle Battery Management at End-of-Vehicle Life: A Primer for Canada

Eric began his professional career as a traditional environmental engineer but with a twist, working for the Manhattan Project facilities in Oak Ridge Tennessee – dealing with such things as uranium-contaminated wastewater, radioactively-contaminated PCBs, and mercury in the storm sewers. After hearing and reading about Ray Anderson’s sustainability renaissance at Interface, Eric was easily persuaded that his future lay in environmental sustainability, and moved into textiles with Interface dealing in green chemistry. A stint at NSF International and a few years of independent consulting followed, then he decided to get back into corporate sustainability and hired on with American Axle & Manufacturing in 2021 helping to lead their growing environmental sustainability program. He and his wife Anita live in Detroit where they get outside every chance they get, and that includes refereeing soccer on Eric’s part.

Rebecca (Becky) Hensley is a Senior Manager Environmental Programs at CSX Transportation, Inc where she coordinates the CAA program and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting. She has over 25 years of experience with EHS, sustainability, and regulatory compliance. She specializes in data management solutions and cross-functional team collaboration. Before joining CSX, she worked as a consultant for a variety of transportation, manufacturing, military and government clients. Her career has specialized in environmental permitting and developing customized solutions and tools for air, water and waste compliance.

She holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida and currently lives in Louisville, KY where she became a Certified Bourbon Steward and backyard chicken farmer.

Matt oversees The Water Council’s stewardship initiatives including WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified, water stewardship advisory services and comprehensive professional water stewardship training. Previously, TWC helped establish the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) System globally with specific oversight of North America. Matt created the world’s first professional credentialing program for water stewardship professionals and made the business case for use of the International Water Stewardship Standard (“AWS Standard”) in the North American marketplace. His 15+ years in sustainability program development and management include serving as Milwaukee’s sustainability director and leading sustainable manufacturing initiatives during his time in Washington, D.C., where he worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce and as a staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has an MA from George Washington University and a BA from Valparaiso University. He is AWS and Lean Six Sigma accredited and serves on the WELL Water Advisory and the Wisconsin Governor’s Wetlands Study Council. He served on the U.S. EPA’s National Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology from 2014-2019.

Nicole is a principal with RMI’s Climate Intelligence Program, which leverages data and technology to enhance climate performance across industrial supply chains. She leads Horizon Zero, a project to improve the accuracy and traceability of greenhouse gas data across the value chain.

Before joining RMI, Nicole was the North America lead for the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, an industry-led initiative that created the standard to measure portfolio GHG emissions by asset class. She was also an associate director at Guidehouse, leading engagements and managed teams to advance Fortune 500 companies on their sustainability journeys by setting and meeting climate change goals through effective strategy development and implementation.

Prior to these roles, Nicole led CDP’s technical work on science-based targets as a partner of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and helped advance the initiative from its inception to having hundreds of companies committed to science-based targets.

Dr. Roman Lanno is Associate Professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. The primary focus of his research group lies in applied and theoretical aspects of chemical exposure assessment and ecological effects assessment in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. His research group has developed and applied solid-phase extraction techniques as biomimetic or biological surrogates for estimating the bioavailability of organic chemicals and metals. More recent areas of interest include the environmental risks of hydraulic fracturing, trophic transfer modeling of PFAS, and the application of environmental DNA (eDNA) in ecotoxicology. He has over 30 years experience in research and consulting in environmental toxicology and ecological risk assessment with over 100 publications including research and technical articles, book chapters, and books. He has served on the editorial board for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and on the board of directors, as president, and is a Fellow of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Dr. Lanno received his PhD (Environmental Toxicology) from the University of Waterloo and MS (Fish Nutrition) and BS (Fisheries Biology) and from the University of Guelph.

Vickie Lewis is passionate about advancing a circular economy, innovation, and growth in the environmental waste management industry supply chain. As a founder and CEO Of VMX International, Lewis is an award-winning executive, growing her business and innovating in Detroit by collaborating with community leaders, automotive and government employers, and environmental technology innovators.

Founded in 2001, VMX International is an environmental firm headquartered in Detroit that works with businesses across the nation to properly recycle and dispose of items ranging from office paper to hazardous materials. VMX currently has over 50 full-time employees managing environmental projects in several states across the nation.

Lewis’s accomplishments have been profiled in the "Work and Wealth" section of Essence Magazine. Motivated by her story, Essence Magazine selected Lewis’s profile for the tabletop book Making It Happen – Creating Success and Abundance.

A native Detroiter, Vickie Lewis is the wife of Rev. David Lewis, Pastor St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church, and the proud mother of Dr. David Lewis, Jr., Anesthesiologist.

Klaus Lorenz, Ph.D., is Senior Research Associate and Assistant Director of the CFAES Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration at The Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus, Ohio, USA. He is an experienced soil scientist with research interests in soil organic carbon, and management of soil for climate change adaptation and mitigation. He received a Diploma in Biology from University of Freiburg, Germany (1997), and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences from University of Hohenheim, Germany (2001). He served as Chief Soil Scientist at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. in Potsdam (now Research Institute for Sustainability, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam), Germany (2011-2014), and as Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Scientist at OSU (2004 to date). He has written books about (i) carbon sequestration in forest and (ii) in agricultural ecosystems, (iii) soil organic carbon sequestration in terrestrial biomes of the United States, (iv) organic agriculture and climate change, and co-edited books on recarbonization of the biosphere, and on ecosystem services and carbon sequestration in the biosphere.

Kellen Mahoney serves as Director for the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), an industry association representing global automakers and their suppliers working together to improve environmental sustainability in the automotive industry.

In this role Kellen works with SP’s Executive Board to advance the vision and manage the operations of the association, while coordinating with members from across the automotive industry and supply chain to advance environmental sustainability best practice.

He is actively involved in leading industry dialogue and collaborative action on common definitions, tools, and resources for measuring and advancing progress on environmental sustainability ambitions across the automotive supply chain, including in key areas such as carbon neutrality, sustainable materials, sustainable packaging, and EV battery recycling. Kellen regularly facilitates and presents in supplier conferences, workshops and webinars related to current and emerging environmental sustainability issues.

Kellen has a B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Mr. O’Ryan has spent most of his career in new technology and process development programs within the Textile, Chemical, Automotive, Glass and Paint Finishing industries. Mr. O’Ryan has been involved in a number of successful transactions involving licensing, joint venture and strategic alliances from small and middle market companies to multinational Fortune 50 companies.

Mr. O’Ryan has or is serving on a number of private and public companies advisory boards, has lectured and presented continuing education seminars on a variety of processes and technology development programs and has consulted regularly with firms looking to facilitate new or innovative technology launches in areas that impact Automation processes and Environmental solutions. An author of over 30 articles, inventor with over 14 current patents and investor in several small niche market technologies Mr. O’Ryan also brings a history of formerly directing a small company known for very discreet benchmarking and evaluation programs with select clients of leading edge or disruptive technologies.

Prior to his current role as Senior Strategic Business Development Manager, Ecoclean, an a similar role at ATS Automation he lead the leadership role for 20 years at Advanced Technology & Marketing Group LLC. Mr. O’Ryan held a number of Senior level planning, technology and Global Product line responsibilities at ABB, Morton International, and Nordson Corporation. Mr. O’Ryan earned an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College and a BS in Business Education from Bowling Green State University where he served on the Business Colleges’ Board of Advocates until recently, while still serving as a Mentor in Residence for Oakland University and six other Michigan Universities within the states T3N Network. (Tech Transfer Talent Network

Juan Luis Pardo currently holds a position of senior project manager in CSR Europe within the Drive Sustainability partnership, focusing on addressing decarbonisation challenges with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and conducting supplier trainings. His current priority revolves around bridging the gap between Corporate Carbon Footprint and Product Carbon Footprint measurement and reporting, particularly among OEMs operating in different regions. Juan Luis has a background in computer science by the University of Castilla la Mancha, Radboud University Nijmegen, and the University of Salamanca. Additionally, he holds a master’s degree from the Free University of Brussels in environmental management. In recent years, Juan Luis worked as a consultant on climate change mitigation and finance. Notably, he has contributed to the implementation of the European Commission’s EUROCLIMA+ Programme in the Office for Latin America of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Phillip Peay is a Senior Regional Manager with TDSI/CSX Transportation. His current role includes managing the Mid-Atlantic Automotive terminals for TDSI, as well as facilitating all Capital and Special Projects. He has over 30+ years’ experience in the automotive logistics industry. Before coming to CSX, he worked as Manager of Operation in the Ports of Baltimore for 20 years. Some of his key attributes include process improvement, mentoring, and sustainable result driven programs. Phillip is also a CSX AAIG participant and a facilitator within TDSI University.

He holds a BA in Human Resources and a BA Marketing. He currently resides in Rosedale, MD, where he serves as the President of the local Recreation Council, and is dedicated to the continued development of our youth. He is a family man; married 27yrs, a father, and grandfather.

Jamie is Ricardo’s Technical Director for Sustainability and has more than 20 years' commercial experience of managing and directing projects for clients. Jamie leads work to support clients with corporate sustainability/ESG, circular economy and climate risk and he is currently working with a number of global businesses to help them understand and address their sustainability challenges.

Jamie specialises in the automotive and manufacturing sectors and uses his deep technical knowledge and market experience to deliver impactful solutions for clients. His work informs organisations how they need to pivot their business models to take account of climate change and identifies strategies to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities.

Jamie utilises his knowledge of carbon management and net zero strategy development together with their associated methodologies, such as life cycle assessment, to support corporate sustainability decision-making and reporting.

Jamie holds a BSc in marine and environmental science from St Andrews university and a Masters degree from the University of Strathclyde in environmental and business studies.

Lauren is the Founder of TransparentPlanet, a consultancy established in 2012 to support start up businesses in the sustainability space. As Business Director of Metals & Minerals Ecosystems for a leading blockchain company, she lead the battery lifecycle management pilot with Ford Motor Company, Cirba Solutions, SNT, BBB Industries and LiCycle.

With a very long career in electronics lifecycle management, Lauren suggests you look at her LinkedIn profile for details! She is currently supporting two companies in the sustainability space: Optel Group, a 30-year old technology company with over 6000 track and trace deployments globally. Optel works with battery manufacturers, OEM's and the mining industry and specializes in supply chain traceability, CO2e tracking and ESG analytics solutions. She is also supporting IC Recovery, a Massachusetts start up with an innovative process to efficiently remove chips from boards and certify the chips for reuse. With all the chip issues, regulations and restrictions around critical minerals sourcing and pressure for OEMs to deliver products with lower CO2 footprints, it could be of value to automotive manufacturers that still suffer from major chip supply issues.

John Sheerin serves as the Director of End-of-Life Tire Programs and is responsible for environmental, regulatory and legislative issues relating to these programs. He is a national expert on the issue of scrap tires and represents the tire industry on these matters before state legislatures, and state agencies in and develop regulations and rulemakings.

John also produces the biennial USTMA U.S. Scrap Tire Markets report and participates in various state, trade association and standard-making committees to address abandoned tire piles and encourage growth of scrap tire markets.

Before joining the USTMA in 2014, John was the Retail Environmental Director for Bridgestone Retail Operations, responsible for all the company’s environmental aspects, including compliance management, environmental education, property-related environmental issues, waste recycling and disposal, and emergency situations. Prior to that, he worked as a Professional Environmental Engineer.

Mr. Sheerin holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and his master’s degree in environmental engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is also a JD graduate of the Chicago Kent School of Law.

Kunal Sinha is the Global Head of Recycling at Glencore, and based in the firm’s New York office. In this role, he oversees a global business that recovers critical metals, such a Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, and (expected in the near term) Lithium, as well as precious and platinum group metals, from post-consumer and post-manufacturing “resources” such as electronics, lithium ion batteries, end of life automotives, etc. Specific to lithium ion batteries, he is responsible for Glencore’s effort in accelerating circularity of critical minerals, by enabling recycling and refining as well as second life and end of life solutions for our customers. He also serves as a non-executive director of Li Cycle, a leading lithium ion battery recycler. He started with Glencore in Baar in 2012 in the Copper team, and subsequently served as the CEO of NorFalco, Glencore’s Sulfuric Acid marketing subsidiary – another sustainability focused business for the group, before taking over the Recycling business. Prior to joining Glencore, Kunal worked for 6 years in Management Consulting at ZS Associates. He holds an MBA from the London Business School, an M.S. in Systems Engineering (Robotics) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur.

Dorothea “Thea” Soule joined Ecobat in October 2020 as Chief Commercial Officer.

Thea has 15 years of experience in the commodities sector focused on investments and divestments, risk management, capital structure and allocations, process improvement, and supply chain system implementation.

Prior to Ecobat, she led commercial, procurement, and cane origination teams at Biosev, a Louis Dreyfus Company, from 2014 to 2020. Her role focused on driving sales and purchasing strategies, creating arbitrage opportunities, and implementing price risk management practices.

Prior to her work at Biosev, she was head of the commercial desk at Adecoagro, a sugar, ethanol, and electric energy producer in Brazil.

She has a B.S. in Neuroscience from Lafayette College and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

With the creation of General Motor’s Zero Waste program, GM has committed to diverting greater than 90% of global operational waste from landfills and thermal processing facilities by 2025. Leading this initiative is Cory Tatarzyn, Global Zero Waste SME. Through the work by Cory and the Zero Waste team, GM has achieved this target 3 years ahead of schedule with a 2022 Zero Waste performance of 91.8%. Cory holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental & Ecological Engineering from Purdue University. His main focuses are on circularity and the integration of life cycle assessment (LCA) technologies within the automotive industry to design out waste from manufacturing processes. He is based out of Denver, Colorado and is an avid rock climber and cyclist.

Sarah is Founder and CEO of Impact Collective Group (ICG), a consulting firm dedicated to helping companies across industries maximize their performance through expert sustainability solutions.

With nearly 20 years of experience in leadership and ESG and an FSA credential from the IFRS Foundation, Sarah launched ICG with a vision of helping organizations develop industry-leading success through tailored ESG solutions.

Sarah is certified in Sustainability through the NYU Stern School of Business and in Sustainable Infrastructure Systems through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She earned an Executive Master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies and Nonprofit Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and also has two Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Michigan.

In his capacity as Sustainability Manager, Mark Yamauchi heads up strategic initiatives crossing inter and intradepartmental organizations that focus on sustainability and operational efficiencies.

He was responsible for Toyota’s first Solar Photovoltaic installation in 2002. At the time, the 536 kW system was the largest commercial rooftop system of its kind in the country.

Mark led the team that developed the 1 MW fuel cell which was the first of its kind and largest in the world at Toyota’s former Torrance, California HQ Campus.

He also led the sustainability design for Toyota’s new North American Headquarters in Plano, Texas which achieved triple LEED Platinum certification.

Mark is currently leading the Trigen fuel cell program at Toyota’s Long Beach, California port facility. Additionally, he heads Toyota’s North American efforts in water stewardship.

With over 30 years of experience in real estate and facilities and sustainability, and a LEED Accredited Professional since 2002, he has provided advice on sustainability to non-profits, corporations, and governments on the municipal, federal, and international level. Mark also sits on the Advisory Boards of the UCLA Engineering Extension Global Sustainability and Recycling and MSW Management Programs.

Agenda

July 26, 2023
July 27, 2023

July 26, 2023

Main Schedule

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Breakfast & Registration

9:00 AM - 9:10 AM

Welcome & Introductions

Kevin Butt

Kevin Butt is the Regional Environmental Sustainability director of Toyota’s North American Environmental Sustainability Programs. He is responsible for the development of Environmental Sustainability Programs and Regulatory/Legislative development for all of Toyota’s North American operations. Prior to Butt’s current assignment, he was the general manager/chief environmental and safety officer for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing for all of Toyota’s Manufacturing operations. Prior to that assignment, Butt served as the assistant general manager of Body Production Engineering for Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., (TMMNA). He was responsible for Body Engineering for all Toyota’s North American manufacturing operations. Body Engineering consists of Welding, Stamping, and Painting Operations. Butt serves on several boards including the National Wildlife Habitat Council, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation, World Wildlife Fund National Council, North American Great Plains Advisory Board and the Yellowstone Park Foundation Board. He has a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Science from Georgetown College.

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Keynote: Strengthening and securing manufacturing and energy supply chains

David Howell

Dave Howell is the Acting Director and Principal Deputy Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC). MESC is responsible for strengthening and securing manufacturing and energy supply chains needed to modernize the nation’s energy infrastructure and support a clean and equitable energy transition. MESC manages an $15 billion portfolio of programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to catalyze the development of an energy sector industrial base through investments that establish and secure domestic clean energy supply chains and manufacturing. Dave previously served as Director of the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) with responsibility for the Department’s $400 million advanced vehicle applied research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) portfolio and for VTO's Battery R&D Program Manager from 2003‐2017. He is the Chair of the U.S. Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB). FCAB brings Federal agencies having a stake in establishing a domestic supply of lithium batteries together to accelerate the development of a robust secure domestic industrial base and ecosystem for advanced batteries. Dave serves various international and inter-government forums including on the Executive Committee for the Battery500 Research Consortium, the Li-Bridge alliance Executive Committee, and as Chair for the Department’s Battery Joint Strategy Team. He has over 35 years of experience planning and executing complex, multi-disciplined R&D activities that includes hybrid and electric vehicle R&D, advanced battery research and manufacturing, and advanced structural materials research. Prior to DOE, Dave was on the research staff of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and served on active duty at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base as the Program Manager for Advanced Materials for Space Structures at the Air Force Materials Laboratory. Dave received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

9:25 AM - 9:45 AM

Keynote: Emerging Innovation in Carbon Sequestration & Management

9:45 AM - 10:05 AM

Keynote: Industry Transformation & Sustainability

Joe Hinrichs

Joseph R. Hinrichs, a leader with more than 30 years of experience in the global automotive, manufacturing, and energy sectors, was named President and Chief Executive Officer of CSX in September 2022. Hinrichs brings to CSX a commitment to operational excellence, experience building global businesses through investment in people and culture, and a deep understanding of balancing safety and efficiency in a complex industry. Hinrichs previously served as President of Ford Motor Company’s global automotive business. In that role, he led the company’s $160-billion automotive operations, overseeing Ford’s global business units and the Ford and Lincoln brands, as well as leading all of Ford’s automotive skill teams, including Product Development, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Labor Affairs, Marketing and Sales, Government Affairs, Information Technology, and Sustainability, Safety and Environmental Engineering. Other titles he held at Ford include President of Global Operations, President of the Americas, President of Asia Pacific and Africa, Chairman and CEO of Ford China, and Chairman & CEO of Ford Canada. Hinrichs has also held executive roles in global manufacturing and materials planning, and logistics. Hinrichs is recognized for his dedication to operational excellence, successfully managing and growing complex P&Ls, consistently increasing profits, and engaging with the workforce. In his recent roles, he spearheaded global business growth as he oversaw the construction of new overseas manufacturing plants, developed and launched new vehicles and services, and improved product quality.

10:05 AM - 11:00 AM

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Fred Gersdorff

Fred is passionate about unlocking human potential in every person and views sustainability as a pursuit that puts people at the center of what we do. He has extensive business experience working in the medical devices, power distribution and automotive industries. Fred currently leads the sustainability efforts in GM’s Global Purchasing and Supply Chain organization. His educational background is in Chemistry with an MBA, and he is currently pursuing a PhD in Systems Engineering.

Niels Angel

Niels Angel is the Business Owner of Catena-X Sustainability team, leading transformative efforts in the automotive industry to measure, report, and reduce carbon emissions. In Catena-X Niels Angel and his team are building the Collaborative Data Ecosystem by establishing a digital platform that ensures data security and data sovereignty for all partners. Niels has over two decades of experience at BMW Group in various functions in areas of purchasing and finance, including leading the department responsible for the corporate strategy on responsible purchasing. Niels Angel has an academic background in mechanical engineering and business studies from the Universities of Kaiserslautern (Germany) and Birmingham (United Kingdom).

12:15 PM - 1:30 PM

Luncheon

1:30 PM - 1:50 PM

Keynote: Achieving Circularity of the Domestic Battery Supply Chain

Laurent Pilon

Dr. Laurent Pilon serves as a Program Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA E). His focus at ARPA-E is on energy storage. Pilon joined ARPA-E from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he is a professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. Over the last 20 years, Pilon has engaged in a wide range of interdisciplinary research projects for the development of sustainable energy conversion, storage, and efficiency technologies. He has co-authored 6 book chapters, nearly 200 archival journal publications, and has also filed 7 patents. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (2005), the Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer (2008), and the Heat Transfer Memorial Award (2021) from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Pilon received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Applied Physics from the Grenoble Institute of Technology, France and earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.

1:50 PM - 2:35 PM

Executive Panel: Changing Needs of a Closed Loop Battery Supply Chain

Moderated panel discussion with key companies in the EVB value chain digging into challenges and opportunities in proactively addressing responsible management of EV batteries across their lifecycle and increasing resiliency in sourcing of critical materials.

Alan Ferguson

Alan Ferguson is Li-Cycle’s Commercial VP, Americas. He leads Li-Cycle’s efforts to source batteries for recycling and resource recovery and to market the various products produced at the recycling spokes and the refinery hub. He brings more than 30 years of technology development and electronics recycling experience to Li-Cycle. Prior to joining Li-Cycle in 2020, Alan served as Vice President, Business Development for eCycle Solutions Inc. which, during his tenure, became the leading electronics resource recovery company in Canada. While in that role, his responsibilities included sales, marketing, operations management for Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD) services, Compliance Management, and Reverse Supply Chain Management. He also served in various roles at Gennum Corporation, before being promoted to Vice President, Corporate Development. An Ontario native, Alan has a fifth-degree blackbelt in taekwondo and enjoys a wide variety of extracurricular activities. A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Alan holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He also holds a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation.

David Klanecky

David is the Chief Executive Officer of Cirba Solutions. His impressive, over 25-year career is in research & development, operations, commercial, and strategic leadership roles across numerous innovative industries, including the global lithium business, energy storage, and several specialty materials industries. While working at Piedmont Lithium, Albemarle, and Dow Chemical he had expansive assignments in Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and China, that brought out his passion for travel and culture. He is a Chemical Engineer with an Executive MBA in Global Management, and focuses on safety, operations, talent development, and innovation.

Kunal Sinha

Thea Soule

Dorothea “Thea” Soule joined Ecobat in October 2020 as Chief Commercial Officer. Thea has 15 years of experience in the commodities sector focused on investments and divestments, risk management, capital structure and allocations, process improvement, and supply chain system implementation. Prior to Ecobat, she led commercial, procurement, and cane origination teams at Biosev, a Louis Dreyfus Company, from 2014 to 2020. Her role focused on driving sales and purchasing strategies, creating arbitrage opportunities, and implementing price risk management practices. Prior to her work at Biosev, she was head of the commercial desk at Adecoagro, a sugar, ethanol, and electric energy producer in Brazil. She has a B.S. in Neuroscience from Lafayette College and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

Jamie Pitcairn

Jamie is Ricardo’s Technical Director for Sustainability and has more than 20 years' commercial experience of managing and directing projects for clients. Jamie leads work to support clients with corporate sustainability/ESG, circular economy and climate risk and he is currently working with a number of global businesses to help them understand and address their sustainability challenges. Jamie specialises in the automotive and manufacturing sectors and uses his deep technical knowledge and market experience to deliver impactful solutions for clients. His work informs organisations how they need to pivot their business models to take account of climate change and identifies strategies to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities. Jamie utilises his knowledge of carbon management and net zero strategy development together with their associated methodologies, such as life cycle assessment, to support corporate sustainability decision-making and reporting. Jamie holds a BSc in marine and environmental science from St Andrews university and a Masters degree from the University of Strathclyde in environmental and business studies.

2:35 PM - 3:15 PM

Panel: Leading Practices in Safe Handling, Storage & Shipping of EV Batteries

Speakers will highlight leading practices in Safe Handling, Storage & Shipping of EV Batteries. Visually and orally bring the audience along a real lithium-ion battery thermal runaway, how to assess the situation, make decisions for containing the event, post event clean-up, and recycling of battery.

David Fauvre

David Fauvre is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer for Blue Whale Materials, a li-ion battery recycling company providing full lifecycle solutions. He is responsible for development and implementation of the company's corporate strategy, partnerships and business systems. David is also responsible for the company’s sustainability solutions offerings and works closely with customers, stakeholders, and regulators on achieving the company’s environmental goals. Prior to founding Blue Whale Materials, David was an attorney in private practice in Washington, DC. He obtained his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and earned degrees in engineering and political science from Brown University.

Jeff Haltrecht

Jeff is known for guiding companies, teams, and boards through periods of business change. With Call2Recycle, he is leading the build-out of the organization’s electric transportation battery logistics and recycling efforts that include servicing the electric vehicle, e-bike, e-scooter, electric motorcycle, and electric bus industries. Prior to this role, Jeff was a 7-year board member and chair of the finance committee for Call2Recycle Canada, Inc., the Canadian sister company to Call2Recycle, Inc. out of Atlanta. His first experience working with batteries began in 2012 when employed with Energizer Batteries. Earlier companies and industries include automotive aftermarket brands Valvoline motor oil, Zerex antifreeze, and Armor All car care products, along with home improvement brands Weiser door locks and Pfister faucets. Jeff has been featured in podcasts, interviewed for blog posts, and contributed to articles on the topic of electric vehicle and e-bike battery logistics & recycling with publications that include Auto Recycling World, Bloomberg, Depollution by Salvage Wire, Driving.ca, Electrek.co, Singletracks.com, Sustainablebiz.ca, and Wired.com. He is a sought-after speaker on the topics of EV battery management, EV battery logistics, EV battery safe handling, and EV battery recovery from a vehicle crash scene. Jeff has co-authored three publications: • Regulations Governing Shipment of Electric Vehicle Batteries in the U.S. • Electric Vehicle Battery Shipping Guidelines for the U.S. • Electric Vehicle Battery Management at End-of-Vehicle Life: A Primer for Canada

Chris Spencer

I was in the Textile Industry for over 18 years. Designing, manufacturing and selling both Woven and Non-Woven fabrics and Composites into many areas, mostly those involving protection from flame and high heat applications. Aerospace, Mass Transit, PPE and various Industrial and Commercial markets are a few. CellBlock was originally a customer of mine with whom I helped design the materials that are used in our LIBIK Bags, EHS Kits, DDR Envelopes, Fire Shield Blankets and most recently our new EV Blanket. I have been with CellBlock and a part of the Lithium world for just over a year now and am very excited to continue to help develop not only new products but new relationships within this industry.

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Networking Reception

Addressing Sustainability in ZEV Transition

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

EV Battery Passport Pilot - Outcomes & Next Steps

Panel discussion around a recent battery lifecycle management pilot conducted with Ford Motor Company and value chain partners, discussing the pilot approach, outcomes and lessons learned.

Laura Evans

With over 25 years of experience, Laura Evans is solutions-oriented, results-driven Sustainability Leader, with experience in designing and implementing strategic plans & roadmaps to address environment, climate, social responsibility, and governance issues. Throughout her career she acquired expertise in sustainability concepts & trends as well as social & environmental standards. She holds Bachelor of Arts in Chemical Sciences from Wichita State University.

Todd Haug

Todd Haug is an EV Service Network Analyst at Ford Motor Company. He works to understand the unique challenges and potential solutions to tracking batteries throughout their lifecycle. He spent his early career in fuel economy and emissions modeling and has a proven track record in large data analysis and optimization. Todd brings his engineering background to his passion for sustainable and equitable transportation to help solve today’s problems. Todd performed at the lead for Ford's Battery Passport pilot.

Lauren Roman

Lauren is the Founder of TransparentPlanet, a consultancy established in 2012 to support start up businesses in the sustainability space. As Business Director of Metals & Minerals Ecosystems for a leading blockchain company, she lead the battery lifecycle management pilot with Ford Motor Company, Cirba Solutions, SNT, BBB Industries and LiCycle. With a very long career in electronics lifecycle management, Lauren suggests you look at her LinkedIn profile for details! She is currently supporting two companies in the sustainability space: Optel Group, a 30-year old technology company with over 6000 track and trace deployments globally. Optel works with battery manufacturers, OEM's and the mining industry and specializes in supply chain traceability, CO2e tracking and ESG analytics solutions. She is also supporting IC Recovery, a Massachusetts start up with an innovative process to efficiently remove chips from boards and certify the chips for reuse. With all the chip issues, regulations and restrictions around critical minerals sourcing and pressure for OEMs to deliver products with lower CO2 footprints, it could be of value to automotive manufacturers that still suffer from major chip supply issues.

3:45 PM - 4:45 PM

Resilient, sustainable, energy secure supply chains: material traceability & carbon accounting approaches

Discussion of the sustainability, as well as economic gains that can come when automotive materials are traced from raw or recycled source to final product. Learn how material traceability, with CO2 and ESG metrics, can start to provide greater information on a product’s embedded CO2. and environmental footprint. Learn about new globally harmonized rules for batteries, paving the way for more reliable, accessible and consistent GHG data on batteries.

Michael Faltenbacher

Dr. Michael Faltenbacher joined Sphera (formerly thinkstep) in 2006 and is responsible for the transport and mobility sector as team leader. With more than 20 years of experience in the field of life cycle analysis of transport and energy systems, he has extensive know-how on automotive sector covering the transport of passengers and goods using conventional and alternative fuel and drive systems. His work focuses on the technical, ecological and economic comparison of fuel and propulsion technologies for light and heavy duty vehicles. One example of his work and expertise is the development of a life cycle based evaluation approach for battery electric vehicles as well as hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles. This approach has been refined over the past 15 years and is currently used in a range of public funded lighthouse projects such as the European Commission’s co-funded H2Haul and JIVE/JIVE 2 project on the deployment of FC electric heavy duty trucks respectively buses. In these projects Sphera is the responsible for the life cycle based environmental and economic evaluation of the deployed ZEV vehicles and energy supply infrastructure.

Fearghal Kearney

Demystifying Decarbonization

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Building an action-ready decarbonization strategy

From disclosure to decarbonization, this session will explore how organizations can set and achieve their climate goals and drive tangible impact for a more sustainable world.

Matthew Fawcett

Troy Greiss

Tim Kidman

3:45 PM - 4:45 PM

Transportation carbon reduction strategies

Discussion of the carbon impacts of rail transportation, and examples of company and industry strategies to further reduce carbon footprint along the value chain.

Corey Davis

Becky Hensley

Rebecca (Becky) Hensley is a Senior Manager Environmental Programs at CSX Transportation, Inc where she coordinates the CAA program and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting. She has over 25 years of experience with EHS, sustainability, and regulatory compliance. She specializes in data management solutions and cross-functional team collaboration. Before joining CSX, she worked as a consultant for a variety of transportation, manufacturing, military and government clients. Her career has specialized in environmental permitting and developing customized solutions and tools for air, water and waste compliance. She holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida and currently lives in Louisville, KY where she became a Certified Bourbon Steward and backyard chicken farmer.

Philip Peay

Phillip Peay is a Senior Regional Manager with TDSI/CSX Transportation. His current role includes managing the Mid-Atlantic Automotive terminals for TDSI, as well as facilitating all Capital and Special Projects. He has over 30+ years’ experience in the automotive logistics industry. Before coming to CSX, he worked as Manager of Operation in the Ports of Baltimore for 20 years. Some of his key attributes include process improvement, mentoring, and sustainable result driven programs. Phillip is also a CSX AAIG participant and a facilitator within TDSI University. He holds a BA in Human Resources and a BA Marketing. He currently resides in Rosedale, MD, where he serves as the President of the local Recreation Council, and is dedicated to the continued development of our youth. He is a family man; married 27yrs, a father, and grandfather.

Catalyzing Circularity

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

How to Design Packaging in the Circular Economy

Introduce a 5-step approach to designing and implementing an effective reusable plastic pallet and container program to meet customer requirements.

Kacie Freeberg

Kacie Freeberg is the Senior Director of the Industrial Value Stream Team at ORBIS Corporation in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Kacie joined ORBIS in 2014, bringing in over 8 years of experience in Food & Beverage Manufacturing at various locations. Throughout her journey at ORBIS, she has held different positions such as Continuous Improvement Manager supporting all functional areas within ORBIS, and a Project Manager for acquisitions and large capital projects. Today, Kacie is responsible for all marketing, new product development, and pricing for reusable packaging that services the Automotive, Heavy Truck, and Agricultural markets. This includes all standard proprietary products and custom solutions. Kacie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry from the University of Minnesota, and Masters of Science in Engineering Management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. She received her Master Black Belt from Arizona State University in 2016, Black Belt from ASQ in 2012, and Project Management Professional (PMP) from PMI in 2014.

Ryan Weber

Ryan Weber is a Design Manager for ORBIS Corporation Custom products in Northwood, Ohio. Ryan joined ORBIS in 2018, bringing in over 12 years of returnable packaging experience. At ORBIS, Ryan has an extensive knowledge in CAD, 3D modeling, engineering, and product manufacturing process. He is responsible for handling complex projects from concept through completion, with the support of a team of designers and engineers. He collaborates with marketing, sales and product managers to ensure implementing successful design strategies and delivery of the product.

3:45 PM - 4:45 PM

Ensuring all annually generated scrap tires enter sustainable and circular end-use markets

This session will provide an overview of state of scrap tire management in the U.S. and discuss opportunities to accelerate market development and growth for scrap tire recycling. Speakers will review existing and potential scrap tire recycling markets, and key opportunities to accelerate growth of scrap tire recycling into infrastructure solutions including rubber modified asphalt and automotive molded and extruded products. Speakers will also review and discuss the economic, environmental, and safety benefits of using group tire rubber in rubber modified asphalt to create durable and sustainable pavement solutions and the opportunities to spur market development by driving greater use for recycled rubber products in the automotive industry.

Redmond Clark, Sr.

Lavon Detweiler

John Sheerin

John Sheerin serves as the Director of End-of-Life Tire Programs and is responsible for environmental, regulatory and legislative issues relating to these programs. He is a national expert on the issue of scrap tires and represents the tire industry on these matters before state legislatures, and state agencies in and develop regulations and rulemakings. John also produces the biennial USTMA U.S. Scrap Tire Markets report and participates in various state, trade association and standard-making committees to address abandoned tire piles and encourage growth of scrap tire markets. Before joining the USTMA in 2014, John was the Retail Environmental Director for Bridgestone Retail Operations, responsible for all the company’s environmental aspects, including compliance management, environmental education, property-related environmental issues, waste recycling and disposal, and emergency situations. Prior to that, he worked as a Professional Environmental Engineer. Mr. Sheerin holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and his master’s degree in environmental engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is also a JD graduate of the Chicago Kent School of Law.

Sponsors and Partners

Sponsor Opportunities

A limited number of high-profile sponsorship opportunities are currently available. Please see our sponsor information here and contact Kellen Mahoney at kmahoney@navista.net if you would like to learn more.

SP Member Registration

Registration for employees of current SP member companies. Registrations will be approved following confirmation of corporate membership status.

Standard Price$425

Non-Member Registration

Non-member registration is open to all tiered suppliers within the automotive value chain, and other industry professionals by invitation.

Standard Price$725

Public Sector Registration

Registration for representatives of government, academic and non-profit organizations. Please be sure to use an associated email account (e.g., .org, .edu,.gov) when registering.

Standard Price$300

Registration Policies

The SP member registration rate is available to employees of existing SP member companies (see list at: https://www.supplierspartnership.org/spmembers/). Member registrations will be approved following confirmation of corporate membership status. Non-members who select the member registration rate will have their registration put on hold and will be rebilled at the appropriate non-member rate.
Non-member registration is open to all tiered suppliers within the automotive value chain, and other industry professionals by invitation.
Groups of three or more registrants from the same organization may qualify for a group discount of 20% off the listed SP member and non-member rates. Please contact us info@supplierspartnership.org to request a group discount code.
Non-profit, government and student registrants should be sure to include an associated official email account (.org / .edu / .gov) in their registration to qualify for the reduced rate.
All event registrations are non-refundable. However, we are happy to transfer your registration to a colleague at your request.
The registration fee does not include travel expenses, accommodations, parking fees or any other additional cost or service.
This event is closed to media.

Please note an automated email confirmation and receipt will be sent out from our registration partner upon registration. If you don't see an email confirmation in your inbox shortly after registering, please check your spam folder.

Pre-Event Tours

Two optional pre-event OSU campus tour opportunities are being offered to registered attendees for the 2023 SP Innovation Summit. Attendees must be registered for the 2023 Summit to sign up for a tour.

2:30 – 3:30pm on July 25, OSU's Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. The mission of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center is to engage in world-leading research, education and outreach that enhance Ohio State's programs in polar and alpine regions, cryospheric processes, reconstruction of past climates, climate variability and change, and the impacts of climate on the environment and society. Learn more at: https://byrd.osu.edu/

4:00 – 5:00pm on July 25, OSU's Center for Automotive Research. The mission of the Center for Automotive Research is to provide world-class education for the next generation of automotive industry leaders, through on-campus learning and continuous professional development; serve as a catalyst for innovation in automotive technology through collaborative, interdisciplinary research; and support economic development, regionally and nationally. Learn more at: https://car.osu.edu/

Sign up for a tour here. Please note space is limited and tour reservations will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis.

About the Summit

About the SP Innovation Summit

Since 2002, Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) has been the leading forum for global automotive manufacturers, their large and small suppliers, the US EPA and other government entities from around the world to work together to improve the environmental sustainability and business value of the global automotive supply chain.

Key Summit Themes

SP's automaker and tiered supplier members are leading action on the next generation of ambitious environmental sustainability goals aspiring to advance positive environmental, economic and community impacts through their operations and value chains. The Summit agenda will focus in on innovation and emerging trends related to key industry goals, within key areas such as carbon neutrality, circular and sustainable materials, EV battery lifecycle management and water stewardship.

2023 Summit Tracks

Addressing Sustainability in ZEV Transition. This track focuses on challenges and opportunities in proactively identifying and addressing holistic environmental impacts in the transition to zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs).
Demystifying Decarbonization. This track focuses on challenges and opportunities in measuring and advancing decarbonization efforts across the value chain on the path toward carbon neutrality.
Catalyzing Circularity. This track focused on challenges and opportunities in accelerating industry efforts towards a circular materials economy and incentivizing innovation in sustainable materials.

Who Attends?

Throughout the Summit cross-functional teams from leading automakers, tiered suppliers, industry partners, government and academia will come together to understand key industry sustainability priorities, explore barriers to action / progress, and identify opportunities to accelerate efforts in support of long-term sustainability goals.

Attendees at the 2022 Summit included a wide range of business and sustainability leaders from across the automotive value chain, including organizations such as:

ABC Technologies
Adient
AGC Automotive Americas
AISIN
American Axle & Manufacturing
Autoneum North America Inc
Bosch
Cox Enterprises
DENSO
Ford Motor Company
General Motors
Glencore
Honda Development & Manufacturing of America
ICL Group
Lear Corp.
Lucid Motors
Magna International
Michelin North America
PPG
Stellantis
Toyota Motor North America
Toyota Tsusho America
U.S. Steel
U.S. DOE
U.S. EPA
Yamaha Motor
and, many others!

Travel: Travel recommendations and links to a range of hotel partners located around the OSU campus may be found through the University Hospitality District. The closest airport is John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), which is roughly 7 miles drive from campus.

About SP

Since 2002, Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) has been the leadership forum for global automotive manufacturers, their large and small suppliers, the US EPA and other government entities from around the world to work together to improve the environmental sustainability and business value of the global automotive supply chain. SP's members represent organizations from across the automotive value chain, including leading global automakers, such as Ford, General Motors, Honda, Stellantis, Toyota Motor, and their key suppliers.

SP member companies from across the automotive industry are leading action on the next generation of ambitious environmental sustainability goals aspiring to advance positive environmental, economic and community impacts through their operations and value chains.

As members of SP, these industry leaders are coming together to work toward a shared vision of an automotive industry with positive environmental impact. SP's member-driven working groups facilitate best practice sharing and support increased industry collaboration related to short-term environmental sustainability needs and priorities, while promoting further alignment and action in support of long-term industry goals.

To learn more about SP's activities and membership opportunities, please visit: https://www.supplierspartnership.org/about-us/how-to-join/

Sustainable Practices at the Summit

Below is a summary of a few of the ways in which we are working to adopt more sustainable practices at this event.

In lieu of speaker gifts, SP is making a donation to One Tree Planted to support the planting of native trees in biodiverse forests in Appalachia. Learn more about the Appalachian tree planting project at: https://onetreeplanted.org/collections/united-states/products/appalachia
SP is striving to minimize the use of printed materials wherever possible with conference information available digitally through our mobile event app.
SP is striving to prioritize the use of recycled and sustainable materials in those items that are produced for the conference.
Our conference venue, the Ohio Union, has received LEED® Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Ohio Union has developed guidelines aimed at reducing the environmental impact of events held at the Union which SP is working with the staff to implement where possible, such as taking steps to minimize food waste and single use plastics, and to promote recycling and composting of wastes generated at the event. University Catering works closely with the Food Recovery Network at Ohio State, Mid-Ohio Food Bank to donate unused food items.
Learn more about the Ohio Union's sustainability efforts at: https://ohiounion.osu.edu/about_us/sustainability/
More information on sustainability across the OSU campus can be found at: https://fod.osu.edu/sustainability

Suppliers Partnership for the Environment

Contact us

Event Details

Speakers

Joe Hinrichs

Kevin Butt

Doug Andrews

David Howell

Laurent Pilon

Jalonne White-Newsome

Ginger Rothrock

Ben Grumbles

Fred Gersdorff

Andrew Hobbs

Paramita Das

Niels Angel

Paul Balent

Martin Chilcott

Redmond Clark, Sr.

Natalie Cooke

Katrina Cornish

Bob Crawford

Corey Davis

Lavon Detweiler

Ahmed El Ganzouri

Laura Evans

Michael Faltenbacher

David Fauvre

Matthew Fawcett

Alan Ferguson

Kacie Freeberg

Troy Greiss

Oliver Gunasekara

Jeff Haltrecht

Kevin Hanrahan

Eric Harrington

Todd Haug

Jesse Henry

Becky Hensley

Brandi Herres

Matt Howard

John Jager

Fearghal Kearney

Tim Kidman

David Klanecky

Nicole Labutong

Roman Lanno

Vickie Lewis

Cameron Lippert

Klaus Lorenz

Kellen Mahoney

Ludwig Minassian

Charlie O'Ryan

David O'Ryan

Juan Luis Pardo

Philip Peay

Jamie Pitcairn

Punyaslok (Punya) Rath

Rachael Remmers

Ben Riley

Lauren Roman

John Sheerin

Kunal Sinha

Thea Soule

Chris Spencer

Cory Tatarzyn

Mike Troupos

Ryan Weber

Sarah Weishaar

Alissa Yakali

Mark Yamauchi

Dalan Zartman