Managing Director, Morgan Stanley ...more

Tadashi Arashima
President & Chief Executive Officer,
Toyota Motor Europe
Senior Managing Director,
Toyota Motor Corporation

Tadashi Arashima graduated from Keio University with a degree in political science in 1973. He began working in the North America division of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in Tokyo, Japan that same year.
In 1977, he moved to Torrance, California in the U.S. where he worked for Toyota Motor Sales USA (TMS). From 1983 to 1989, back in TMC (Japan) North America division, he proved to be a key player in the joint effort between TMC and TMS in the planning and launch of the Lexus division.
In 1990, he moved back to TMS in California in a sales and marketing role, and was promoted to vice president of corporate planning in 1993. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Arashima worked in the production control division in Toyota City in Japan. In 1998, he was promoted to general manager of the Europe & Africa division’s marketing department.
In January 2000, Mr. Arashima joined Toyota Motor Europe Marketing and Engineering (renamed Toyota Motor Marketing Europe on July 1, 2002). There he served as senior vice president until 2001, when he was appointed chief coordinating executive of TMME until 2002. In 2003, he returned to Japan as general manager of the Europe & Africa operations center’s Europe division. Mr. Arashima was then transferred to Europe as president & CEO of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe in June 2003. He was named president & CEO at Toyota Motor Europe in June 2006.
In June 2007, Mr. Arashima became a full board member of Toyota Motor Corporation when he was promoted to senior managing director of TMC. The European market is characterized by fierce competition and is full of customers who possess a very keen eye. Mr. Arashima wants to make every effort to develop this market as a third pillar in Toyota’s global strategy.

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Odile Desforges
Senior Vice President, Renault Purchasing
Chairman & Managing Director,
Renault Nissan Purchasing Organization

Born in 1950 in Rouen (France), Odile Desforges graduated from the Paris Ecole Centrale Engineering school in 1970. She began her career as Research Officer at the Transport Research Institute. She joined the Renault Group in 1981, with the Automobile Division Planning Department before becoming Product Engineer on the R19, then Product Engineer for the C segment (1983-1985). She moved to Purchasing in 1986 as Head of Exterior Equipment and was appointed Director, Body Hardware Purchasing, in 1992, for the common Renault Volvo Purchasing Organization then, in 1994, for Renault alone. In March 1999, she became Executive Vice President of the Renault VI-Mack Group, in charge of 3P (Product Planning, Product Development, Purchasing Project). In January 2001, she was appointed President of the Volvo Group’s 3P Business Unit.
She becomes Senior Vice President, Renault Purchasing, Chairman and Managing Director of the Renault Nissan Purchasing Organization effective March 1, 2003, at which time she becomes a member of the Renault Management Committee. She reports to Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Managing Director.

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Prof. Dr. Marc Drüner
Managing Partner
trommsdorff + drüner, innovation + marketing consultants GmbH

Dr. Marc Drüner is Professor for Innovation Management and Marketing at Steinbeis University in Berlin, and Managing Partner of the consulting firm trommsdorff + drüner, innovation + marketing consultants GmbH.
After completing his studies in industrial engineering and management, he received his doctorate in Marketing from the Technical University Berlin in the area of International Management. After working with Roland Berger at the international Strategy Competence Center, Professor Drüner founded, together with Professor Trommsdorff, the consulting firm specializing in innovation and marketing questions. He is a Trainer for Innovation Management and Marketing for numerous companies.
Research and consulting themes cover the emergence of market trends and the development of innovations, their introduction into the market, as well as the management and supervision of markets and clients. He is specialized in the field of automotive and transportation. Among his clients are Volkswagen, BMW, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens and more.

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Marc Girardot
Managing Director
Global Automotive Practice
Internet Business Solutions Group
Cisco Systems, Inc.

Marc Girardot has worldwide responsibility over Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group(*) Automotive practice. In his role, Mr. Girardot and his team provide strategic insights and assistance to executives and to organizations throughout the globe on transformational topics. Most recently, Mr. Girardot consulted on topics such as: customer experience, distributed engineering, innovation, workforce mobility, corporate culture, globalization and connected vehicle with the world’s leading automakers.
Before joining Cisco in 2000, Mr. Girardot was senior associate at Booz?Allen & Hamilton’s Communications Media and Technology Group. He also has extensive experience in the oil & gas world where he has consulted for BP, Exxon and Elf. Prior to that, Mr. Girardot held a variety of management positions at industrial-gas leader, Air Liquide, in sales, financial accounting and audit as well as in strategy.
A frequent keynote speaker in international conferences, Mr, Girardot regularly contributes to Insead and IMD executive education seminars as an external speaker on a variety of topics related to change and to technology.
Marc Girardot brings over 17 years of professional experience working for leading corporations across the world (US, France, South America & UK). His expertise and experience are multi-disciplinary (sales, finance, strategy, marketing). Mr. Girardot holds an MBA from INSEAD, as well as master’s degree in business and economics from ESSEC.
* IBSG: Internet Business Solutions Group

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Pietro Gorlier
Senior Vice President, Network & Owned Dealerships
Fiat Group Automobiles SpA

Pietro Gorlier is senior vice president of Network & Owned Dealerships of Fiat Group Automobiles, based in Turin (Italy).
In this role he has the global responsibility for the development of the dealer network for all the Fiat Group Automobiles brands: Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles. He also leads the Owned Dealers organization and he is a member of the FIAT Group Automobiles management board.
In March 2007, he was appointed vice president of Network Development of Case New Holland, the Fiat Group agricultural and construction equipment subsidiary based in North America.
Mr. Gorlier joined Fiat Group Automobiles in 2006, from Iveco, the Fiat Group truck subsidiary.
In Iveco he held different positions in after sales and in sales & marketing, namely, UK parts logistic planning manager, head of parts distribution and head of customer satisfaction and market analysis. His last responsibility was head of network development.
Mr. Gorlier has a degree in business administration.

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Dr. Marcus Heitmann
Global Automotive Senior Consultant
T-Systems

Dr. Marcus Heitmann is currently a member of the T-Systems global automotive team in the area of Business Development and Consulting. Additionally he is working as a Strategic Service & Product Portfolio Manager for T-Systems and Deutsche Telekom. Some of the initiatives he is currently engaged in include: application of mobile and wireless connectivity to and from vehicles, project manager for SIM-TD within Deutsche Telekom and other activities regarding Internet and online services in vehicles.
Prior to joining T-Systems, he was responsible for information technology and vehicle electronics integration projects at the Volkswagen Group since 2004.
Heitmann received a diploma in Social Sciences and a PhD in Economics from the University of Bochum, Germany. He was also involved in the foundation of the Horst-Goertz-Institute for IT Security and an IT Security company (GIT AG) from 2000 to 2002.
He is a member of the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) and the Institute for E-Business Security (ISEB).

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Adam Jonas
CFA, Executive Director
Morgan Stanley

Adam Jonas worked with Morgan Stanley’s investment banking division in Chicago from 1996 to 1998, specializing in corporate finance and M&A in the automotive sector.
In 1999, he moved to equity research and joined the firm’s European autos team based in London. In 2003, his team ranked #1 for the third consecutive year for European auto and auto parts coverage in the Institutional Investor survey. Morgan Stanley's global autos team has been ranked #1 in the Institutional Investor survey since the poll's inception in 1999. Mr. Jonas earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration (with distinction) from the University of Michigan.
His prior experience includes internships with the Timken Company and with the Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company.

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Dr. Andras Kemeny
General Manager,
Technical Center for Simulation, Renault

Dr. Andras Kemeny is the general manager of CTS (Technical Center for Simulation), Renault, a virtual design center for vehicle engineering.
Located in Guyancourt in the Paris suburbs at Renault's Technocenter, CTS was created in 2002 as an initiative of Dr. Kemeny, as a department of Renault Engineering Development Systems.
Its goal is to provide large simulation facilities for virtual vehicle engineering as well as its deployment in the various engineering departments such as vehicle equipment, architecture, driver aid systems as well as perceived quality. The CTS includes a Powerwall equipped VR (Virtual Reality) room, several motion based and static driving simulators, and a large AR (Augmented Reality) installation.
Dr. Kemeny also has various academic activities. He was an associate research director at LPPA (Laboratory of Physiology of Perception and Action) of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) at College de France from 2000 to 2005 and was the director of a common research laboratory between Renault and the CNRS, the VR Motion Lab, from 2005 to 2007.
He is currently associate professor at ENSAM (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers) at Chalon-sur-Saone. He is the author of more than 80 scientific and technical papers and several industrial patents. He has been president of the Driving Simulation Conferences (DSC) Europe since 1995 and is a member of the steering committee of DSC North America and DSC Pacific and Asia and member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems.
He has also initiated and directed various European projects among them TRaCS (EU 1328), ULTIMATE (EU 1493) and ARI(VA)2 (EU 4000) as well as a large driving simulation software package - SCANER© - which is installed at Renault, Nissan, Audi, Hyundai, Valeo and several research
facilities in Europe, the USA, Japan and Korea.

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Peter M. Leger
President & CEO, MSX International

Leger joined MSX International in December 2006, and during his first year began transforming the company into a leading, global solutions provider to the automotive industry. Under his direction, the company has successfully achieved this objective, strengthened its solutions portfolio, and expanded its worldwide presence while growing revenue and net income. He has more than 20 years of proven experience in developing and launching business process outsourcing (BPO) services and software solutions in the global automotive industry and to other vertical markets. Previously, he was CEO of VinPlus LLC, a leading data management and software solutions provider to the automotive industry, which he subsequently sold to Netlink.
Before that he served as CEO of NAT, Inc., a leading provider of software solutions to the automotive aftermarket and financial services sector, including state-of-the-art back office warranty administration solutions. While there, he restructured the company’s business model, and rapidly expanded NAT’s suite of software solutions, which resulted in the sale of NAT to DealerTrack in May 2005. Prior to joining NAT, Leger was CEO of Credit Management Solutions Inc. (CMSI), the innovator in online credit and automotive loan processing, bridging auto dealers and the supply channel of captive OEM and third-party financial institutions. Key accomplishments included patenting and launching Credit Connection, which is now a part of DealerTrack, to the automotive retail sector in North America.
Leger also served as the president of ADP Dealer Services, where he led the company through a six-year period of rapid, profitable growth worldwide. He was instrumental in expanding ADP’s business model to include eCommerce solutions, professional and consulting services, including the acquisition of Sandy Corporation, and data management solutions. This effort included integrating over 20 acquisitions into the company, including geographical expansion into Europe, Latin America and Asia. Under his leadership, ADP also developed and launched AutoConnect, one of the industry’s early used car buying portals. Today AutoConnect has evolved and expanded into the industry-leading automotive portal, AutoTrader.com under Cox Communications.
He also held CEO and board member positions with APAC Customer Services, a BPO provider of CRM solutions to multi verticals, and Reuters Trading Room Systems, the industry leader of software and system integration solutions to global financial services companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. Leger currently sits on the Board of Outsourcing Solutions Inc. (OSI), the leading global provider of outsourced solutions for accounts receivable management.
Leger received his MBA from Concordia University and his Chartered Accountancy and BCommerce from McGill University in Montreal.

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Jean-Charles Lievens
Managing Director
CAP GEYSER

Jean-Charles Lievens is a veteran in the automotive industry with 36 years experience. His main fields of interest are distribution and network development and branding through sponsoring. Mr. Lievens held various senior positions in France as commercial director of Opel France, president of SEAT France, vice president of VW France and later on as member of the board of VW finance as well as president of a group of 34 dealerships. At European level he filled senior positions such as commercial director at Toyota Europe and most recently as senior vice president of Kia Motors Europe. Mr. Lievens has received several industry awards; e.g. for the 7 year warranty of the KIA cee'd and from Automotive News Europe for the Kia Export Strategy.
Mr. Lievens retired from his position at Kia Motors Europe early in 2008 and started his own company CAP GEYSER, located in Versailles, France, in April. He serves as an advisor to Kia Motors Europe and conducts other advisory activities in the fields of communication, CRM and sponsoring.

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Sergio Marchionne
CEO, Fiat Group

Sergio Marchionne began his professional career in Canada. From 1983 to 1985, he worked as a chartered accountant and tax specialist for Deloitte & Touche. From 1985 to 1988, he was group controller and then director of corporate development at the Lawson Mardon Group of Toronto. In 1989 and 1990, he was executive vice president of Glenex Industries. From 1990 to 1992, he was vice president of finance and chief financial officer at Acklands Ltd. Still in Toronto, from 1992 to 1994, he was vice president of legal and corporate development and chief financial officer of the Lawson Group, which was acquired by Alusuisse Lonza (Algroup) in 1994.
Between 1994 and 2000, he covered various positions of growing responsibility within Algroup, Zurich, becoming chief executive officer of the corporation. He was then at the helm of the Lonza Group Ltd, after its demerger from Algroup, as chief executive officer (2000-2001) and then as chairman (2002).
In February 2002, Mr. Marchionne became chief executive officer of the SGS Group of Geneva, a world leader in the field of company verification, testing and certification services. In March 2006, he was appointed chairman of the company.
In addition, he is a member of the supervisory board of Hochtief and of the board of directors of UBS.
He is a member of the General Council of Confindustria, of Assonime (Association for Italy’s limited liability companies) and of Unione Industriale di Torino (Employers’ Association of Turin). He is a permanent member of the Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli.
Mr. Marchionne has been chairman of ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) since January 2006.
He has been a member of the board of Fiat SpA since May 2003 and was appointed chief executive officer of the company on June 1, 2004.
In February 2005, he was also appointed chief executive officer of Fiat Group Automobiles and, in April 2006, chairman of CNH Case New Holland, the Group Company operating in the agricultural and construction equipment business.
In 2007, Mr. Marchionne was conferred a degree honoris causa in economics, management, finance and company law by the University of Cassino.

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Thierry Morin
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Valeo

Thierry Morin has been Valeo's chairman and chief executive officer since March 2001.
He joined Valeo in 1989 as finance director of the clutches product family. He then became finance director of the engine cooling product family then group financial controller. In 1996, he was appointed director of financial and strategic operations and purchasing. In 2000, he became senior vice-president in charge of finance, strategic operations and information systems, and became a member of the Management Committee.
Before joining Valeo, Mr. Morin was assistant director of the ISD division at Thomson Consumer Electronics, Los Angeles. He also held various financial positions during his ten years with Schlumberger, including financial controller of the electronics branch and head accountant of Schlumberger Europe.
Mr. Morin has a master’s degree in management from the University of Paris IX-Dauphine.
He is a member of the board of Arkema and chairman of the French National Institute for Industrial Property (INPI).

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Stefan Ohlsson
President Automotive R&D,
Semcon Caran AB

Stefan Ohlsson is president of Semcon Automotive R&D and member of the executive management of Semcon AB. Mr. Ohlsson joined Semcon in 2004 with a combined role as sales manager and managing director for Semcon's NVH business, Zound by Semcon AB.
The Semcon Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of technical development services to the automotive industry, both for cars and trucks, and can well meet the demands placed by the global clients. The automotive engineering is by far the most important in the company's operation and is currently running operations in Sweden, Germany, UK, Spain, Brazil and Russia.
Through different positions and a central role in the acquisitions of the companies IVM-Automotive in Germany and Caran AB in Sweden, Mr. Ohlsson is leading the company's global expansion. Through his some 16 years in the industry of automotive engineering he built a solid understanding of how to convert engineering challenges into possibilities and results for not only the supplying part, today Semcon, but for the different OEMs. The business area, Semcon Automotive R&D, incorporates approximately 65% of Semcon AB’s revenue of €350 million and some 2600 employees.
Mr. Ohlsson began his professional career as a test engineer in the Ingemansson Anatrol Corporation, a company where he gained experience in several different roles during more than 10 years. His first assignments included engineering tasks to project leader responsibilities in order to serve key accounts within automotive and aerospace sector customers. He then moved on to management and sales as area manager for the engineering software that the global leading provider, LMS International, market and sell. LMS products and services where at this time sold via Ingemansson in the Nordic region.
From 1997 on, Mr. Ohlsson held the position as managing director for Ingemansson Automotive AB, from where he together with his colleagues built a solid and financially strong business in a few years. International branches and partnerships were part of the set-up to maintain a high service
level to global OEMs, even though Ingemansson Automotive was small.
In 2004, Mr. Ohlsson left Ingemansson to take on new challenges in the fast growing engineering company, Semcon AB, with an agenda to "go international". As managing director of Zound by Semcon and as shortly after that head of functional performance (incl. testing, CAE and NVH) Mr. Ohlsson lead the automotive team on the path towards what today is Semcon Automotive R&D.

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Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen
Chairman and Chief Executive, Bentley

In March 2002, Franz-Josef Paefgen took his position as chairman and chief executive, Bentley Motors. Said Paefgen, "I am delighted to be taking up this role at Bentley Motors. The outlook for Bentley is both positive and exciting and I look forward to leading this strong Bentley team through one of the most important periods in its history."
It was his father's car repair shop that sparked off in Paefgen a passion for cars and an abiding interest in the automotive business. Paefgen's first car was a Beetle but he has long been a Bentley admirer - one of his favourite models of all time is the R-Type Continental.
Born in Büttgen, Germany in 1946, Paefgen studied mechanical engineering and economics at Karlsruhe and Aachen. After completing his doctorate, he became a graduate trainee at Ford of Germany in 1976, going on to work in its engine development and quality assurance departments.
In 1980 Paefgen moved to Audi in Neckarsulm to be responsible for interior equipment and electrics. He moved to the manufacturer's Ingolstadt plant as head of body trim and equipment, climate control systems in 1987. In 1991 he became head of product planning and project management, and three years later was appointed acting head of research and development.
Paefgen was a member of Audi AG's board of management with responsibility for technical development from early 1995 until April 1997, at the start of which year he took over as deputy chairman. That summer he was appointed
spokesman of the Audi management board, becoming its chairman in March 1998.
After the takeover of Lamborghini by Audi in July 1998, Paefgen was appointed president of Automobili Lamborghini Holding.
Now, as chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, he sees his primary task as ensuring that the brand is positioned where it should be: "on top of everything". This sporting luxury car range will, he believes, prove successful and profitable, and Team Bentley will win Le Mans!
Franz-Josef Paefgen is an active rower and skier, and relaxes by running and reading. Apart from sport, his hobbies are classical and Beatles music and, of course, cars. He is married and has three children.

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Jan Pettersson
President & CEO, Bilia AB

Jan Pettersson is the president at Bilia AB, the largest car retailer in Scandinavia with a turnover of 1.7 billion euro. Bilia is operating 76 outlets in Sweden, 23 in Norway and 12 in Denmark. The company is representing 9 brands - Volvo, Ford, BMW, Mini, Landrover, Renault, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai. The four brands with the highest sales volumes are Volvo, Ford, Renault and BMW.
Mr. Pettersson took over the leadership of Bilia AB five years ago. Until then the major shareholder of the company was AB Volvo (truck manufacturer). In the summer 2003, AB Volvo took over Bilia's truck and construction equipment operation in Europe to operate it as direct dealerships and Investment AB Öresundbecame the major shareholder in the company. Bilia is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
During the last five years the company has become much more customer oriented and a lot of effort has been spent on programs to develop the customer satisfaction. The company has also expanded into more brands, especially in Norway.
Mr. Pettersson has spent most of his life in the motor business. His first job was with Toyota in 1973 and since then he has spent most of the time working for Toyota in different positions. His last appointment was as president at Toyota AutoimportAB - distributor for Sweden.
Mr. Pettersson has an MBA from Stockholm University.

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Ronald M. Pirtle
Vice President, Delphi Corporation
President, Delphi Thermal Systems

Ronald M. Pirtle, 53, is a vice president of Delphi Corporation and president of Delphi Thermal Systems division. He is also a member of the Delphi Strategy Board, the company's top policy-making group, and the executive champion for the DaimlerChrysler account.
Pirtle began his career with General Motors (GM) in 1972 as a Kettering University student. After graduation in 1977, he joined the Chevrolet Motor Division as an industrial engineer in the division's Flint, Mich. manufacturing plant. He transferred to the GM corporate financial staff in 1980. Subsequent appointments on the finance staff included director of overseas operations analysis, director of cost analysis, and director of budget analysis and business planning.
In 1987, Pirtle moved to the Flint Automotive Division of the Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac (B-O-C) Group as manager of finance and planning. He was named comptroller of the Pontiac Division in 1988 and, in 1990, became executive-in-charge of the GM corporate strategic planning group. Pirtle was named finance director for AC Delco Systems in 1992 and, in 1993, Pirtle assumed additional responsibilities as Champion for the Fuel Handling and Evaporator Business Team. In 1994, he was named director of North American Operations at Delphi Packard Electric Systems, where he had business responsibility for Packard's multi-billion dollar operations in the U.S. and Mexico. In 1996, he was promoted to General Manager of Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems and elected a General Motors Vice President. Pirtle was named vice president, Delphi Corporation and president, Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems in November 1998. He remained in that role until January 2004 when Delphi created the new Thermal & Interior division comprised of business lines from the former Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems division, interior business lines from the former Safety & Interior division and HVAC electronic controls business from the former Delco Electronics division. At that time, Pirtle was named to his current position as president, Delphi Thermal & Interior division.
In 1990, he received Dollar and Sense magazine's award as one of “America's Best and Brightest Young Business and Professional Men.” In 1998, he was named a “Western New York Black Achiever” and, in 2003, was inducted into the Western New York Junior Achievement Business Leadership Hall of Fame. He has also served on the Business Council of New York State and was a member of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority, an appointment made by New York State Gov. George Pataki in 2003.
A native of Jackson, Tenn., Pirtle earned a bachelor's degree in industrial administration from GMI in 1977 and master's degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1980.

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Dr. Michiel van Ratingen
Secretary General
European New Car Assessment Program
(Euro NCAP)

Michiel van Ratingen joined Euro NCAP, as secretary general, in 2007. Prior to his current position, he held the post of technical director at First Technology Safety Systems Inc. from 2005, where he was globally responsible for development of crash test dummy products, sensors, test equipment and Finite Element Models.
Mr. van Ratingen’s automotive career began in 1995 as a product engineer at the TNO Road Vehicles Research Institute, Crash Safety Centre in Delft, The Netherlands. In 1997, he was appointed product manager crash test dummies and test methods; responsible for development of new crash test dummies, such as Q-dummies, EUROSID-2, WorldSID, and RID2 and development of crash protection assessment methods, including EEVC and Euro NCAP activities. Between 2003 and 2004, he was technology manager at TNO automotive, safety department; coordinating technological developments in R&DT, including accident analysis, virtual testing, test methods and crash dummies, structural crashworthiness, restraint and intelligent systems and material technology. In 2004 he became head of the automotive safety department at TNO Science and Industry, business unit automotive.
Mr. van Ratingen completed his PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) in 1994 having previously gained a post-graduate professional doctorate in engineering on computational mechanics (1990-1992) and an MSc degree in engineering mechanics (1984-1990).

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Wolfgang Steiger
Director Powertrain Research
Volkswagen AG

Wolfgang Steiger is the director of powertrain research for the Volkswagen Group.
His skills are in powertrain development and design.
During his career he was involved with Robert Bosch GmbH, Battelle Institute and Adam Opel AG finally there being responsible for diesel engine development and test. In 1997, he joined the Volkswagen AG group research department. He is responsible for powertrain research, including diesel and gasoline engines, transmissions, hybrids, batteries, fuel cells, engine electronics and fuels.
He gave more than 100 publications, presentations and lectures in several Universities including in China. Mr. Steiger is a member of the scientific research board of the German Car Manufacturers FVV and of the mineral oil industry DGMK
Mr. Steiger works for several European organizations:

•	Chairman of the European Road Transport Advisory Council ERTRAC
•	Steering team member of the
•	European Biofuels Technology Platform
•	Energy Science Center ETH Zürich
•	Alliance for Synthetic Fuels for Europe

Mr. Steiger graduated from the Technical University Darmstadt with a degree in mechanical engineering and holds a PhD (Dr.-Ing.) from the same university.
In 2005, Wolfgang Steiger was awarded the “Prof. Ferdinand Porsche Prize”

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Jim Tetreault
Vice President Manufacturing
Ford of Europe

James Tetreault is Vice President Manufacturing Ford of Europe and also a Vice President Ford Motor Company.
Before joining Ford of Europe, Mr. Tetreault has held several management positions in manufacturing with Ford Motor Company in North America. He held positions as Area Manager in all production departments in several plants. He has been plant manager in three assembly plants and one stamping plant in North America from 1995 until 2000.
From 2000 until 2002, Mr. Tetreault was Vehicle Operations Director of Quality, and from 2002 until 2005 was Director of Manufacturing, Vehicle Operations.
James Tetreault was responsible for the launch of the Ford 500/Mercury Montego/Ford Freestyle at the Chicago Assembly plant and for the launch of the Chicago Manufacturing Campus, Ford's first supplier park in the U.S.
Mr. Tetreault developed and deployed VPOS, Vehicle Operations Productivity Operating System, a process that codifies and standardizes productivity tools and practices across the division and that resulted in improving productivity to record levels.
James Tetreault, born in Detroit, Michigan in 1955, joined Ford Motor Company in 1988 after spending the beginning of his career at Chrysler Corp. where he worked in management positions in production and engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Michigan in 1978.

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Giovanni Maria Varazi
Product Strategy Director
Fiat Group Automobiles, Product Portfolio Management

After graduating with a master degree in electronic engineering, Giovanni Maria Varazi joined Fiat Group Automobiles in 1996, holding roles of increasing responsibility in the areas of Manufacturing, Engineering & Design, Marketing and Product.
Since 2005 he has been responsible for Product Strategy within the Product Portfolio Management Dept. In this position he dealt in particular with the product management of the multi awarded telematics platform Blue&Me™, developed through a long-term partnership with Microsoft.

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Charles Vogelheim
Vice President, Automotive Development,
J.D. Power and Associates

Charlie Vogelheim is vice president of automotive development at J.D. Power and Associates. Mr. Vogelheim is responsible for the International
Automotive Roundtable, the premier forum for industry leaders and executives to share and discuss market forces affecting the automotive industry. In his role he determines the theme, formulates the agenda, secures the speakers and then he hosts and emcees the event. To maintain contact with industry executives and product familiarity, he travels worldwide attending most international motor shows and auto industry conventions. Mr. Vogelheim is often a featured speaker at automotive seminars, educational meetings and media interviews and has been a regular correspondent on Car and Driver Radio's weekly show and an Auto Industry commentator for Fox Business News.
Prior to joining J.D. Power and Associates, Mr. Vogelheim spent 20 years at Kelley Blue Book, serving as a key member of its management team and as chief spokesman. Most recently, he was the executive editor of Kelley Blue Book's extensive used-vehicle database, the cornerstone to all of the company's products, including books, software and a Web site. Mr. Vogelheim was instrumental in helping to change the Kelley identity from a trade publishing company to the automotive industry's leading Web site, www.kbb.com. He was an original contributor to the development and implementation of several other automotive web sites. Additionally he was chairman of the Automotive Internet Standards Committee regarding the development of all major automotive Internet sites.
Mr. Vogelheim earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. His education included one year abroad studying the formation of the Common Market/European Union.

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Harald Wester
Chief Technical Officer
Fiat Group Automobiles, Fiat Group SpA

Mr. Wester joined Volkswagen AG in 1986 after graduating from Braunschweig University with a masters degree in mechanical engineering. He held a number of various positions before being promoted to general manager vehicle research and concepts in 1991. He held this title for more than three years before moving to Audi AG as program manager A2 and special vechicles in 1995.
Moving to Ferrari SpA, Mr. Wester was director of product development between 1999 and 2002. After which, he joined Magna Steyr AG in Graz as group president engineering and CTO (research development and technologies) from 2002 to 2004. In 2004, Mr. Wester joined Fiat Group Automobiles as chief technical officer and in 2007 he also took on the responsibility of this position for Fiat Group.

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