The bluEPrint by Executive Platforms

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276

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Jun 2025

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EN-US

About the show

Executive Platforms builds world-class forums to facilitate the sharing of ideas among the senior leadership of businesses and organizations with common objectives, interests, and challenges. Through conversations with leading experts, The bluEPrint will bring you insightful conversations, analysis and ideas surrounding key topics across multiple industries while uncovering real-world solutions to universal challenges that face leadership professionals in their daily work.

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June 16, 20257 min

The Pulse of High Performance, a Business Podcast Hosted by Seth Davies of Competitive Solutions

At the 2025 edition of the North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit series we sat down with Seth Davies of Competitive Solutions to talk about his B2B podcast, The Pulse of High Performance.Executive Platforms has collaborated with Competitive Solutions since its earliest days, and there are few organizations better positioned to speak to senior executives about how they have achieved success and what advice they would want to share with an audience of business leaders at all stages of their careers and working lives. In this episode we talk to Seth about the past, present, and future of his show in the hopes that some of our listeners will find it valuable as well. Enjoy! Seth DaviesExecutive Vice PresidentCompetitive Solutions, Inc. As EVP of Competitive Solutions, Inc., Seth runs the day-to-day operations of the Atlanta office. He joined CSI in 1997 as Director of Sales and Marketing. Prior to joining CSI, he worked in the printing and publishing industry serving as Southeast Regional Director for Enterprise Communications. Seth is a popular speaker at Human Resource, Operational Excellence and Quality Conferences. He believes organizations today must create and sustain a culture with three non-negotiable attributes. Those attributes include a sense of urgency, a clear and concise business focus and leadership driven, shared accountability. He has assisted a wide variety of organizations in the development of their key business metrics, documented communication strategy, and established a collective accountability across the company. Organizations Seth has worked with include Pfizer, Genentech, Genzyme, Goodwill Industries, Revlon, Michelin Tire, Gerber Legendary Blades, National Institute Severely Handicapped (NISH), and several Army Depots. He is a graduate of Presbyterian College. -- With over 32 years of experience transforming businesses through effective leadership training, Competitive Solutions, Inc. is giving organizations the power to make decisions that are fact-driven and company-directed. We are providing meaningful ways to collect data that leads to the creation of a responsible business culture. We believe that by bringing transparency, unity, and stability to each company we work with, we help our clients drive success throughout their organizations.

June 10, 202519 min

Making Informed Choices About Where to Build and Grow Manufacturing Operations — A Conversation with Johan Beukema of BCI Global

At the 2025 edition of the North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit series we sat down with Johan Beukema of BCI Global to have a conversation about site selection and footprint optimization in a world where these decisions are always important, but recent events are bringing them into sharper focus than ever.We have had the pleasure of speaking with the experts at BCI Global at many Executive Platforms’ events over the years. In this episode we talk about which questions are always important, and also what is new and changing in this space. What do senior executives need to know when they make decisions about where their businesses are going to operate? What does good advice look like, and how do you get a well-rounded, multi-faceted understanding of all the factors and variables you need to make an informed decision? For all this and more, give this episode a listen! Johan BeukemaManaging PartnerBCI GlobalJohan Beukema is Managing Partner at BCI Global, leading the global manufacturing footprint optimization and location & site selection practice. He has a degree in International Business at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Johan started at BCI Global in 1999 and has since then supported hundreds of companies in their manufacturing, supply chain and location projects across the globe, including North and South America, EMEA and the full Asia region. He has a very strong experience base in different industries with references such as e.g. (sample only) J&J, IKEA, Novo Nordisk, Olympus, ThermoFisher, Insulet, Abbott, Silgan Closures, Pepsico, Mondelez, Yanmar, Cisco, Starkey, ExxonMobil, Navico Group, Elring Klinger, Mann + Hummel, Bausch & Lomb, and many others. He is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars and he is a Member of the global Site Selectors Guild. -- BCI Global is a recognized global consulting leader in developing manufacturing footprint and distribution network strategies and location strategy & site selection consulting for production plants, distribution centers, engineering/software hubs in US, Mexico, LATAM, Europe, China and Asia. BCI has teams and offices in Atlanta, Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas; in Europe in the Netherlands and Frankfurt; and in Asia in Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and India Clients acknowledge BCI’s combination of strategic thinking and operations focused action plans; its independent, result oriented and co-operative attitude; and its tailor-made, cost effective approach.

June 3, 202513 min

What AI Brings to Workforce Management and Workforce Development — A Conversation with Matt Delaney of Covalent

At the 2025 edition of the North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit series we sat down with Matt Delaney of Covalent to talk about the advances and new capabilities Artificial Intelligence is bringing to the important fields of workforce management and workforce development, especially as it relates to manufacturing organizations. How does one separate the optimism and enthusiasm for AI from what is really practical and applicable to companies working today? What do the real-uses cases look like now, and how do experts like Matt think this will build and grow? Where are these new tools going to be in the next few years as they mature into comfortable, familiar, trustworthy additions to the existing toolbox? For all this and more, give this episode a listen! Matthew DelaneyHead of Enterprise SolutionsCovalentMatt is the co-founder and Head of Enterprise Solutions at Covalent Networks, a multi-stakeholder software application that streamlines the hands-on learning in the field and on the floor and elevates mission-critical proficiency data to company leaders so that they can make informed workforce decisions. Covalent is an enterprise SaaS application that enables end-to-end workforce qualification processes on-the-floor and in-the-field. In doing so, we capture unique qualification data that can be operationalized to drive cross-training, accelerate time-to-productivity, inform manpower planning, and enable process control (e.g., qualification-based badging / work order sign-off). Customers include Fortune 500 aerospace and automotive OEMs.--Covalent’s growing suite of tactical software solutions enables complex manufacturers to continuously maximize labor productivity by systematically:>> Administering training programs — down to parts, processes & machines >> Closing performance gaps by leveraging production & quality data >> Optimizing who works on what, increasing throughput by up to 5%Customers include Fortune 500 jet engine, automotive, and chemical manufacturers.www.covalentnetworks.com

May 27, 202523 min

How Data-Based Simulations Find the Fastest Wins and Best Options for Optimization — A Conversation with ChiAha

At the 2025 edition of the North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit series we sat down with Andrew Siprelle and Tom Lange to talk about something every manufacturing leader with shopfloor experience knows intuitively but has spent a career trying to prove: Sometimes fixing the little things even when everything else is working right pays bigger dividends than the ‘big wins’ that everyone understands but require time and resources to deliver an often temporary solution. Figuring out where to get the most ROI has too often been a thankless task done after the fact whose lessons learned may well be forgotten by the time the next time a proactive maintenance decision or process optimization strategy session comes around. Recent advances in digital simulations unlocking plant data and demonstrating where the actual dollars and cents are waiting to be saved and earned are taking the pain out of how to prioritize how people spend their time and energy. For a fascinating conversation about making a difficult thing easy while looking for the best results the easiest way, give this episode a listen! Andrew SiprelleFounderChiAhaAndrew is driven by a passion to unlock the value of simulation and modeling in helping to solve real-world problems. Since founding Simulation Dynamics, Inc. in the early 90’s, he has been an educator, a consultant, a simulation tool developer, and a smart applications technology leader. Andrew coined the term “Discrete Rate Simulation”, and developed one of the earliest libraries for quickly building models of multi-stage plants that produce powder or bulk solids; for example a breakfast cereal plant. ChiAha is the culmination of a lifelong dream for Andrew, who has always wanted to reinvent and more widely distribute the benefits of the DRS worldview. Tom LangeDoctor of ReliabilityChiAhaTom joins the ChiAha team after a long and successful career with Procter & Gamble. -- ChiAha’s Prediction Toolkit Can Help You Answer Your Factory Flow Questions. ChiAha can predict production line performance and OEE within 1% accuracy using high fidelity data-driven behavior. Get objective answers, at lightning speed, to many of your strategic questions related to the design, operation and improvement of high speed production. Let Chiaha help you accelerate your “raw data to prediction” journey!

May 20, 202526 min

A Speaker Roundtable from NAMES25 — A Conversation About Manufacturing Leadership with SAP, DESTACO, and Boeing

At the 2025 edition of the long-running and successful North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit series we recorded a special episode of Executive Platforms’ BluEPrint Podcast series speaking to the challenges and opportunities submitted by attendees of the event as they filled out their delegate profiles, weighted by popularity.In this wide-ranging, organic conversation, three manufacturing executives share their thoughts and experiences on the issues and ideas they care about. It is a fantastic deep dive into what is most relevant to manufacturing leaders today. Give it a listen!Our roundtable panelists are…Andy HancockGlobal Domain AdvisorSAPAndy Hancock is a Global Vice President of the Centre of Excellence within SAP Digital Supply Chain. As a seasoned global executive who has held numerous leadership roles during his 15-year tenure at SAP, he has brought quantifiable results to leading global brands through innovation advocacy. Having worked in more than 40 countries and experienced a vast array of cultures, he understands the importance of challenging the status quo to drive business outcome and create a competitive differentiator in turbulent global markets. Andy brings thought leadership and a clarity of vision to businesses by merging a strong technical foundation, a passion for solving problems and leveraging a vast array of knowledge obtained from real world situations he has encountered during his career. He understands how to quickly uncover the root of a problem and articulate a clear path to a successful business outcome. Andy holds a Master’s in Computer Science and a Bachelor in Aeronautic Engineering from the University of Salford, United Kingdom. He is also a Professional Member of the British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute for IT.Rakuya ArtisVice President Global Operations & Supply ChainDESTACO With over 18 years of experience in manufacturing management and operations in the Automotive industry, Rakuya is a seasoned executive who leads the global operations and supply chain functions for DESTACO, a world leader in clamping, gripping, transferring, and robotic solutions. As a key member of the executive leadership team, she develops and executes the global manufacturing and supply chain strategy, including production, procurement, and logistics, across nine facilities in three regions.Rakuya is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and have served on the DE&I councils at Dover and my previous company, MAHLE. Christina Upah Vice President Attack Helicopter Programs & Senior Mesa Site Executive Boeing Christina Upah is the vice president of Attack Helicopter Programs for Boeing Defense, Space & Security and the senior site executive in Mesa, Ariz. In this role, Upah leads more than 4,600 employees supporting the design, production and delivery of the AH-64 Apache and AH-6 Little Bird helicopters for the U.S. Army and allied defense forces around the globe.Prior to this role, Upah was director of Mesa Site and Attack Operations. In this position, she was responsible for overall production of the Apache and Little Bird for global customers.Upah has previously served as the director of International Apache Programs, where she led the program execution of foreign military sales and direct commercial sales supporting customers worldwide.First joining Boeing in 1997, Upah hprogressed through program management positions of increasing responsibility, having led the successful program start-up of the Little Bird and Apache international and development programs, with a core emphasis on contracts, estimating/pricing, cost management and scheduling.

May 15, 20257 min

Kawa Chiu of Abdera Therapeutics — Advances in Targeted Radiotherapeutics

At the most recent edition of the Biomanufacturing World Summit series we sat down with Kawa Chiu of Abdera Therapeutics to talk about advances in targeted radiotherapeutics and some of the supply chain implications of recent developments. Radiotherapeutics differs from traditional radiation therapy in that an antibody or small molecule delivers radiation internally to the cancer cells, sparing healthy tissue that might be damaged by externally applied radiation. A lot of great progress is being made in the sophistication and efficacy of this form of treatment —especially through a biologics approach— but it does come with challenges on sourcing and delivering treatments that are dangerous to handle without special care, and whose shelf-live is measured in half-lives. For a fascinating look at one of the forefronts of medicine, give this episode a listen! -- Kawa ChiuChief Technical OfficerAbdera TherapeuticsKawa Chiu is the Chief Technical Officer at Abdera Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company leveraging antibody engineering to design and develop next-generation precision radiopharmaceuticals for cancer. Kawa joined Abdera in 2022 and built out Technical Operations organization and CMC capabilities. During her tenure, Kawa and her team developed Abdera’s lead program, ABD-147, a targeted radiopharmaceutical biologic therapy designed to deliver Actinium-225 (225Ac) to solid tumors expressing delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) with high affinity. The FDA cleared the IND for the treatment of SCLC and LCNEC in May 2024 and recognized the potential of ABD-147 to become a transformative treatment option in areas of high unmet medical need by granting fast track designation in extensive-stage SCLC in June 2024, and an orphan drug designation for the treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma in August 2024. Prior to Abdera, Kawa served as the vice president of CMC supply chain at Lyell Immunopharma, a cell therapy company focused on solid tumors. At Lyell, Kawa oversaw CMC programs that enabled three IND approvals, established the company’s autologous patient supply chain, and implemented a progressive cloud based, integrated manufacturing systems. Prior to Lyell, Kawa spent 14 years at Genentech in South San Francisco and at Roche in Basel, Switzerland in roles including head of Oceanside drug substance manufacturing, global head of technical operation strategy, global head of biologics operational excellence and global head of supply planning. Kawa started her career and held a number of manufacturing positions at Merck & Co., Inc. Kawa holds a B.S. in operations from The Ohio State University, a M.Sc. in Engineering from University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from New York University, and a Master in Public Health from U.C. Berkeley.

May 8, 202537 min

The Fundamentals, Wins, and Successes Manufacturers Can Focus On in Times of Disruption — A Conversation with AlixPartners

At the 2025 edition of the North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit series we sat down with some of the team from AlixPartners to talk about what manufacturing leaders can do to move their operations forward at a time when long-term planning is off the table for the time being. The answer is surprisingly positive! Making the mental shift from working on the strategic big picture to the tactical best practices that day-to-day operations depend upon opens up many opportunities to give time, attention, and resources to the issues and ideas that are sometimes forgotten about or put to one side as ‘good enough’ or ‘not a priority.’ The truth is there are many easy wins and low-hanging fruits that are not worked on in times of stability and certainty that can add up to substantial improvements in productivity, profitability, and employee job satisfaction when leaders concentrate within their own operations and teams to optimize what they can control while waiting for greater clarity on what is still up in the air in the future.For an optimistic and impactful conversation about what manufacturers can do right now to make impactful positive changes in their organizations right now, give this episode a listen! Panelists: Allen MerrimanPartner, Manufacturing & OperationsAlixPartnersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-merriman-60480/Bio: https://www.alixpartners.com/our-people/28094/allen-merriman/Anna HortonSenior Vice PresidentAlixPartnersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-horton/Sudeep SaxenaPartner, Manufacturing & OperationsAlixPartnersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudeepsaxena/Bio: https://www.alixpartners.com/our-people/28167/sudeep-saxena/Bhavik MistryDirector, Manufacturing & OperationsAlixPartners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavikkmistry/Moderator:Geoff MIcksHead of Content & ResearchExecutive Platforms--AlixPartnershttps://www.alixpartners.com/

May 1, 202523 min

The Speaker Roundtable from NAHRES25 — A Conversation About HR Issues and Ideas

For this special episode of Executive Platforms' bluEPrint Podcast series we sat down with two of the top speakers from the 2025 edition of the long-running North American HR Executive Summit series for a wide-ranging discussion about the issues, ideas, challenges, and opportunities that are top of mind for human resources leaders today, as suggested by the attendees of the event. Give it a listen! This roundtable includes… Panelists: Denise AbbottSenior Vice President Human ResourcesFedEx Denise Abbott has served as Senior Vice President HR for FedEx Express Corporation since November 2021.In this Business Partner role, Denise leads the HR strategy and service delivery for FedEx International and Airline Operations with a focus on talent, human capital management and enhancing the employee value proposition.Denise has more than 30 years of employee relations experience working with corporate professionals in a variety of industries. She joined FedEx Ground in 2011 as a Senior Attorney in the Labor Law Group and held various roles within the company before becoming Vice President Human Resources at FedEx Ground in 2017. In 2020, Denise joined the FedEx Express team in Europe, expanding her role to include a global remit in 2023.Denise earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and her law degree from Duquesne University School of Law. She is the recipient of the prestigious FedEx Five Star Award.Denise currently lives in Amsterdam with her husband David where she enjoys traveling the world and learning to speak Dutch. Karen LightVice President, Total RewardsWalmart Karen Light has more than 20 years of experience as a senior HR executive responsible for People, Total Rewards, and Benefits Programs that drive talent retention and engagement, lead business transformations, and deploying solutions to decrease costs, reduce risk, and improve efficiency. At Walmart, she is responsible for supporting the well-being of more than 1.5 million associates. Moderator:Geoff MicksHead of Content & ResearchExecutive Platforms Geoff joined the industry events business as a conference producer in 2010 after four years working in print media. He has researched, planned, organized, run, and contributed to more than a hundred events across North America and Europe for senior leaders, with special emphasis on the energy, mining, manufacturing, maintenance, supply chain, human resources, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, finance, and sustainability sectors. As part of his role as Head of Content & Research, Geoff hosts Executive Platforms’ bluEPrint Podcast series as well as a blog focusing on issues relevant to Executive Platforms’ network of business leaders. Geoff is the author of five works of historical fiction: Inca, Zulu, Beginning, Middle, and End. The New York Times and National Public Radio have interviewed him about his writing, and he wrote and narrated an animated short for Vice Media that appeared on HBO. He has a BA Honours with High Distinction from the University of Toronto specializing in Journalism with a Double Minor in History and Classical Studies, as well as Diploma in Journalism from Centennial College.

April 28, 202511 min

The Employee Experience and Connecting the HR and Finance Functions — A Conversation with Mark Fordyce of Workvivo by Zoom

At the 2025 edition of the North American HR Executive Summit series we sat down with Mark Fordyce of Workvivo by Zoom to talk about how a new generation of tools and technologies are changing the way leaders interact with and understand their people. How can HR professionals best leverage these new abilities to improve things like employee job satisfaction, retention rates, skills development, and productivity? We also discussed ways to build better connections between the HR and Finance functions —especially in large organizations— to coordinate and collaborate on impactful projects, demonstrate ROI on some of the soft skills involved in human resources, and make better decisions about how resources are committed to drive positive outcomes. For all this and more, give this episode a listen! Mark FordyceRegional Director, US SoutheastWorkvivo by ZoomMark Fordyce serves as the Digital Employee Experience Director of Workvivo dedicated to helping clients achieve their employee communications, engagement, and advocacy ambitions. Having started his career in public relations for FleishmanHillard and Weber Shandwick, Mark transitioned to leading IT and consulting efforts at companies like McKesson Corporation to improve the overall employee experience. The best part of working at Workvivo is to witness first-hand how clients manage to transform the way employees feel, getting to 80% or greater engagement. That level of engagement turns employees into advocates, improves the execution of new or changing go-to-market strategies, helps attract and retain top talent for a competitive edge, and improves overall company culture.-- Workvivo by Zoom is an employee experience platform (EXP) that simplifies communication and increases engagement by empowering employees to be heard and helping everyone feel included, no matter where they work.Founded in 2017, Workvivo has seen momentous growth, which led to its acquisition by Zoom in 2023. Workvivo regularly tops software review sites, including Gartner Digital, with a #1 spot on G2 for internal communications, intranet and engagement tool categories. For more information, visit www.workvivo.com.

April 22, 202516 min

The Ripple Effect: How C-Level Leadership Behavior Shapes Organizational Culture — A Conversation with Barbara Hess of CCS Medical

At the 2025 edition of the North American HR Executive Summit series we sat down with Barbara Hess of CCS Medical to talk about the power and responsibility HR professionals have to help the C-Suite executives of their organization set a tone and reflect the values they want to see in their company culture. While leading by example is always important and valuable, there are all kinds of tangible dividends that pay out when a workforce sees what its leadership care about and put their energies towards. From productivity to safety to retention to cultural transformations that build positive outcomes in all sorts of ways, big and small, a lot a of great things can come from HR working with senior leadership to build culture. For all this and more, give this episode a listen! Barbara HessChief Human Resources OfficerCCS MedicalBarb Hess is an accomplished senior human resources executive with an impressive history of helping private equity-backed organizations build critical infrastructure, scale, and achieve successful exits. Her success in private equity environments is rooted in her ability to quickly diagnose situations, generate practical solutions, make thoughtful decisions, and drive consensus across executive teams/boards of directors.Barb is currently Chief Human Resources Officer for CCS Medical and since 2021, has been an integral part in standing up the CCS Health business, growing company revenue, expanding headcount 20-30% YOY while doubling the patient base, and boosting talent retention by 30% in a highly competitive labor market. Prior to this, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer for private equity-backed Medical Specialties Distributors (MSD) where her leadership and talent/succession management expertise contributed to the company’s rapid growth ($350M to $800M in 2 years) and ultimate sale to McKesson.Earlier in Barb’s career, she was Director of Organizational Development for Cardinal Health (Fortune 20), where she implemented enterprise-wide solutions that shaped global culture and sustained progress via gaining C-Suite support and skillful change management. Barb started her career with Nationwide Insurance as an HR Business Partner supporting 4.5K employees across the Financial Services and IT groups.Barb earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management/Labor Relations from Cleveland State University and a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Capella University. Outside of work, she is active in the community with organizations such as Make-aWish (Executive Chair of Governance and Compensation Committee / Board Member for OH, KY, & IN) and The James Cancer Care Center fundraiser. Barb also enjoys having fun with friends and family, running, outdoor activities, and world travel.