Perspectives Thought Leadership Presentations

Automation Fair 2022 Hero banner Perspectives

Perspectives, a Thought Leadership Event

Learn about our vision for the future and the changing face of manufacturing

On Demand | #ROKevents

Perspectives, a thought leadership event held in conjunction with Automation Fair 2022, brings you insights from Microsoft’s Andrew Pratt, Kevin Laczkowski of McKinsey & Company, Rockwell Automation senior leaders, and more.  

You’ll hear about the changing face of manufacturing and discover how leaders are leveraging technology to tackle sustainability, workforce, and supply chain challenges in ways that fit the unique needs of their business. Learn about our vision for the future and gain clarity on the next steps for your digital transformation journey. 

Accelerating Innovation in a Rapidly Changing World

Digital Transformation to Drive Resiliency, Sustainability and Growth

In this compelling keynote, Blake Moret offers powerful insights on current impacts on manufacturing, and how to apply the latest trends in technology to power us into the future of manufacturing.

Geopolitical changes are demonstrating the importance of local manufacturing and supply chain resilience. At the same time, investor, consumer, and regulatory pressures have challenged manufacturers to become more environmentally conscious. Join Kevin Laczkowski to hear how leading manufacturers are finding ways to leverage digital transformation to deliver sustainability, resiliency, and productivity. 

Blake Moret is Chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation. As CEO, Blake is dedicated to delivering the company’s strategy to bring the Connected Enterprise to life.

Joining Rockwell Automation in 1985 as a sales trainee, Blake has built his career with the company and has held leadership positions in many areas of the business, including international assignments in Europe and Canada. In his previous role, Blake served as Senior Vice President of Control Products and Solutions, one of the company’s two business segments. Blake became CEO on July 1, 2016 and was elected Chairman of the Board effective January 1, 2018. He is passionate about workforce development and creating a diverse worldwide team of employees that can and want to do their best work.

Kevin Laczkowski is a Senior Partner in the Chicago Office. Kevin has been with McKinsey for 19 years and has served leading global institutions on transforming their businesses to enable a step change in value creation.  Kevin holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, an MEM (Masters in Engineering Management) from Northwestern University, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Western Michigan University.  Prior to McKinsey, Kevin was in Operational roles at Ford Motor Company and Eaton Corporation.

Harnessing the Power of Innovation

Optimizing Production in a Post-Pandemic World

Groundbreaking technology is rapidly transforming automation and empowering new ways to work. Cyril Perducat inspires with powerful insights on how we can leverage new technology to drive business value.

The increasing pace of change has brought new challenges in manufacturing and shifts over the last few years. In this session, Tessa Myers describes how companies are transforming production logistics, rethinking their operational networks, and driving efficiencies in their operations.

Cyril Perducat is Chief Technology Officer at Rockwell Automation. Cyril and his team of technologists are focused on growing Rockwell’s already broad technology offering and expanding what is possible in the industrial automation space. He is responsible for charting the company’s technology roadmap, our reusable intellectual property library, and research related to core technology.

Cyril joined Rockwell following a 25-year career with Schneider Electric, where he most recently served as executive vice president, Internet of Things and Digital Offers.

He holds a master’s degree in Engineering from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers (ENSAM Paritech) and a Masters Degree in International Project Management from ESCP Europe Business School.

Tessa Myers is senior vice president, Intelligent Devices at Rockwell Automation. In this role, she leads strategy, people and talent development and the worldwide growth of the operating segment, which includes drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components and configured-to-order products that are the foundation of smart production systems.

Since joining Rockwell in 1999, she has built broad global industry expertise with significant leadership roles in sales, channel and partner management and business unit and product development across hardware and software, working in the U.S., Canada and Singapore.

Tessa holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Accelerating Digital Transformation through Cloud

Building and Executing a Cybersecurity Strategy

The future of industrial technology is about possibilities. Brian Shepherd discusses the importance of scalable, flexible, and secure systems with contextualized data at the center. Discover the latest in open and integrated data-driven cloud-native solutions that disrupt traditional approaches to digital transformation.

Technology advances have left us addicted to data and information. But high-profile cyber and ransomware attacks have rocked the manufacturing industry and raised government attention to the need for stronger oversight to protect businesses worldwide. Rachael Conrad shares the latest trends and cybersecurity standards for IT and Operations Technology.

Brian Shepherd is senior vice president, Software & Control. In this role, Brian leads strategy, product management, and product development for our portfolio of control and visualization software and hardware, information software, and network and security infrastructure.

Brian has extensive experience in the industrial software space. Most recently, he was president of production software and Smart Factory solutions for Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. Before that, he was a long-time senior executive at PTC, a Rockwell Automation strategic alliance partner.

Brian earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, Dearborn.

Rachael is the vice president for Services. In this role, she is responsible for driving the growth and performance of our global Services business to create more value through professional services, data-driven connected and managed services, cybersecurity and infrastructure services, workforce development and asset management services.

Rachael joined Rockwell Automation in 1997 as a trainee in our Leadership Development Program. Throughout her career, she’s held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility across the organization

Rachael holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and her master’s degree in Business Administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Jim Peach is the Head of Global Technical Services and OT Security at Kraft Heinz.  Jim's core expertise stems from a 28-year career in reliability, maintenance and operations in the Oil and Gas industries.  During this time, he was credited as inventor on patents related to systematic controlled access to hazardous machinery. 

In 2020, he transitioned to the food and beverage manufacturing sector. 

Jim currently resides in the Netherlands after working internationally in Europe, North America and Asia.  Jim is a continuous innovator and learner passionate about the value of reliability.

Attracting, Enabling, and Retaining Workers during the Great Resignation

A Conversation with Andrew Pratt

Once supply chain challenges subside, the biggest long-term challenge facing manufacturing is the workforce.  In this insightful keynote, Jimmy Etheredge and Blake Moret discuss how automation and the use of technology are critical to attract and train the next generation of workers.

In this fireside chat, Blake Moret, Chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation, and Andrew Pratt, Vice President at Microsoft, reflect on uncertainties facing business leaders and opportunities to transform. Hear their thoughts on the future of industrial technology and new ways companies can succeed.

Jimmy is CEO of Accenture North America, the global company’s largest geographic market, generating $29B in revenues in FY22. He leads nearly 80,000 people to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity for Accenture’s people, its clients and its communities.

Jimmy continuously strives to create a workplace where everyone can be who they are, feel respected and experience a sense of belonging. His commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has helped the company earn numerous top rankings as a great place to work and a DEI leader. He is a trained mental health ally, a champion of Accenture’s mental health and wellness programs and a passionate supporter of Accenture's earn-and-learn apprenticeship program.

Since becoming CEO of Accenture North America in 2019, Jimmy helped steer the organization and its clients through the pandemic. His growth strategy expanded the breadth and depth of the services Accenture North America provides to 13 industry groups, numerous Fortune 500 companies and some of the largest organizations in the U.S. federal government.

Jimmy joined Accenture in 1985. He became a partner in 1997 and executive partner in 2011. His career included leading the teams responsible for many of the company’s largest clients and overseeing practices in both North America and Europe. While directing Accenture’s business across 10 U.S. states in the Southeast, Jimmy extended Accenture's innovation hub network by creating an innovation incubator at Georgia Institute of Technology and expanding Accenture's hub in metro Washington D.C.

He sits on the boards of TechBridge National, the Global Apprenticeship Network (a Switzerland-based coalition) and several Atlanta organizations.

Jimmy has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, where he currently serves as a trustee and is a member of the university’s Hill Society.

Andy Pratt joined Microsoft from his prior role as CEO and Founder of The Marsden Group when it was acquired by Microsoft in March 2021. Andy brings leadership in technology innovation in complex industrial environments, proven expertise in rapid prototyping both hardware and software, and a relentless customer focus.

Andy’s approach combines trusted partnerships with industry leaders and deep knowledge of Microsoft’s latest technologies to accelerate the delivery of business value at scale, in the face of the phenomenal pace of digital transformation. Andy empowers business leaders to agree on strategic intent and mobilises operational teams to engage enthusiastically with challenging problems and pioneering approaches. Close collaboration, compelling solutions, and the introduction of Horizon Three methods into Horizon One models are hallmarks of Andy’s team.

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