Manufacturing & Industrial Materials

A roster of manufacturing and materials specialists at the forefront of innovation in the production and utilization of industrial materials

Richard Crane

Richard Crane

Hi, I’m Richard. I am the Co-Founder and CTO of MILL5. I live and work in the Boston area. I enjoy working on the bleeding edge of technology including AI/ML, IoT, Azure, SaaS, Mobile, and more. My goal is to inspire others to innovate using software.

Hi, I’m Richard. I am the Co-Founder and CTO of MILL5. I live and work in the Boston area. I enjoy working on the bleeding edge of technology including AI/ML, IoT, Azure, SaaS, Mobile, and more. My goal is to inspire others to innovate using softwar... Show more

Ron Ekins

Ron Ekins

Ron Ekins is the Director of Field Solution Architecture for EMEA & LATAM at Pure Storage, where he serves as the primary technical advisor on data-related discussions. With over 30 years of experience in data management within highly regulated environments, Ron brings a wealth of expertise in the development, design, and delivery of complex information systems projects. His extensive background is complemented by his certifications as a Cloud and Enterprise Architect and his notable contributions to the field, including multiple US patents related to data security and governance.

An esteemed Oracle ACE Director, Ron is an active and influential member of the global Oracle community and has had the privilege of speaking at numerous prestigious industry conferences around the world.

Ron Ekins is the Director of Field Solution Architecture for EMEA & LATAM at Pure Storage, where he serves as the primary technical advisor on data-related discussions. With over 30 years of experience in data management within highly regulated envir... Show more

Christian Andrade

Christian Andrade

PhD in Accounting and Finance from Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), researching the impact of corporate governance distance on cross-border M&A performance, 11 years as Partner Director at Fênix Consultoria, 7 years as CFO at Fumex Tabacalera (American subsidiary), and 4 years as CIO at CdF International(Dutch Company).

Has successfully led 5 cross-border M&A transactions, leveraging Microsoft Business Central (BC) for financial integration, valuation, and post-merger process harmonization. More than 100 ERP implementations in more than 20 countries.

Holds dual Master’s degrees (Management Science – University of Kent, UK, and Accounting – UFBA), an MBA in Corporate Finance (FGV), and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Computer Science (UFBA). Certified PgMP and PMP (PMI). Recognized for natural leadership, mentoring, and coaching abilities, with high commitment, structured thinking, and excellent negotiation skills.

PhD in Accounting and Finance from Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), researching the impact of corporate governance distance on cross-border M&A performance, 11 years as Partner Director at Fênix Consultoria, 7 years as CFO at Fumex Tabacalera (Am... Show more

Melissa Hale

Melissa Hale

Melissa Hale is a Power Platform Developer who transitioned from pursuing a PhD in venom and parasite research to finding a more fulfilling career and work-life balance in tech. With a strong background in SharePoint, Power Automate and Canvas Apps, Melissa has transformed business practices in both start ups and large firms. Beyond her professional role, she dedicates her expertise to the charity "Collaboration for Kids," enhancing their operations through the Power Platform. Based in Liverpool, United Kingdom, Melissa is enthusiastic about learning and growing within the Power Platform community. Melissa is dedicated to leveraging ethical AI and responsible technology to create meaningful and efficient solutions for organisations.

Melissa Hale is a Power Platform Developer who transitioned from pursuing a PhD in venom and parasite research to finding a more fulfilling career and work-life balance in tech. With a strong background in SharePoint, Power Automate and Canvas Apps, ... Show more

Warren Parad

Warren Parad

Warren solves application security problems in distributed architectures. He has journeyed through many different locations, technologies, and industries from Health Care IT in Wisconsin to E-Commerce in Switzerland. Now, he is the AppSec specialist and CTO at Authress, building tools for seamless security, authentication, and authorization with a focus on the intersection of business and technology.

Warren solves application security problems in distributed architectures. He has journeyed through many different locations, technologies, and industries from Health Care IT in Wisconsin to E-Commerce in Switzerland. Now, he is the AppSec specialist ... Show more

Mariusz Kujawski

Mariusz Kujawski

Mariusz is an experienced Architect and Data Engineer who specializes in creating Data Platforms for projects focused on Data Warehouses, Data Lakes, and Machine Learning. He's skilled in popular cloud systems like Azure, GCP, and AWS and has over 14 years of experience in the data processing industry in Finance, FMCG, Pharma, and Telecommunication. Mariusz works on innovative projects for clients in Poland and beyond. He's certified in data engineering from both Azure and GCP. Beyond his technical expertise, Mariusz is a big fan of history, books, drawing, data engineering, and the Python language. He enjoys sharing his knowledge, and you can find his articles on Medium.

Mariusz is an experienced Architect and Data Engineer who specializes in creating Data Platforms for projects focused on Data Warehouses, Data Lakes, and Machine Learning. He's skilled in popular cloud systems like Azure, GCP, and AWS and has over 14... Show more

Angela Trego

Angela Trego

Dr. Angela Trego, PE, PMP inspires, creates, and fosters confidence through her speaking and training, focusing on imposter syndrome and soft-skills development. As a highly successful engineer, Angela held technical and senior leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies across multiple industries and around the globe. An award-winning teacher and mentor, Dr. Trego serves on several technical, non-profit, and executive boards. Angela’s technical expertise combined with leadership experiences offer unique insights to enhance your organization's potential. Above all, Angela is passionate about empowering others with vital skills to help them become more successful. Discover more at: angelatrego.com.

Dr. Angela Trego, PE, PMP inspires, creates, and fosters confidence through her speaking and training, focusing on imposter syndrome and soft-skills development. As a highly successful engineer, Angela held technical and senior leadership roles at Fo... Show more

David Hawthorne

David Hawthorne

David Hawthorne is Director of Cloud Engineering at O3 Solutions, where he leads the architecture and delivery of SaaS applications built on .NET and Azure. He has worked with the .NET ecosystem since version 3.5, spanning the evolution from Web Forms to .NET Aspire. He is a regular speaker at regional and national conferences including DevOpsDays, BSides, SlossTech, and AI in Production, with sessions covering DevOps practices, application security, and AI.

David brings over 20 years of experience across system administration, software development, data architecture, and cloud infrastructure—giving him a full-stack perspective on building production systems. At O3 Solutions, David's team helps build industrial construction software—an industry where reliability and security aren't optional. He is active in the Western North Carolina tech community as a mentor and advocate for the next generation of technology professionals.

David Hawthorne is Director of Cloud Engineering at O3 Solutions, where he leads the architecture and delivery of SaaS applications built on .NET and Azure. He has worked with the .NET ecosystem since version 3.5, spanning the evolution from Web Form... Show more

Steven Chinsky

Steven Chinsky

Past experience
- Over 250+ NAV/BC Implementations in Manufacturers, Supply Chain (WMS), Food and Beverage, Retail, Service, Oil and Gas, Chemical, Industrial Equip., Rental/Service, and Home Goods
- Over 16 years as an Accountant in a variety of positions (VP of Finance, Director of Finance, Audit Manager, Controller, and Director Operations)
- Extensive knowledge and implementation over 30 NAV/BC ISV APPs
Awards
- Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP)
- NAVUG/BC All-Star
- 4-time NAVUG/BC Granite Award recipient
- DUG Guardian Award recipient
Professional
- IMA/CMA – Member 1988
- AICPA – Member 1985
- APICS – Member 2004
- DCI Summit – Programming Committee (2012 – Present, Chair (2016-2018), Board of Advisor (2013-2015 and 2021-Present)
- Dynamics User Group (DUG) – NAV/BC Forum Moderator, Dynamics Con Content Committee
- Directions NA – Content Committee (2018-Present)
Certifications
- MCP – MB-800
- Dynamics Credentialed Professional
- Microsoft Certified Professional

Past experience - Over 250+ NAV/BC Implementations in Manufacturers, Supply Chain (WMS), Food and Beverage, Retail, Service, Oil and Gas, Chemical, Industrial Equip., Rental/Service, and Home Goods - Over 16 years as an Accountant in a variety of p... Show more

Michael Simms

Michael Simms

A seasoned technical manager with significant experience in SQL Server, Azure Data Tools and AI, Power Platform, as well as Microsoft Dynamics AX & F&SC in addition to several other technology stacks. I have been at the leading edge of technology for over three decades. I have had the opportunity to architect and implement several projects in the ERP, data and AI space and have assisted in or been the principal in the go-live for several clients.

A seasoned technical manager with significant experience in SQL Server, Azure Data Tools and AI, Power Platform, as well as Microsoft Dynamics AX & F&SC in addition to several other technology stacks. I have been at the leading edge of technology fo... Show more

Mikhail Chumakov

Mikhail Chumakov

Over nineteen years of experience in software development and design.
I have been passionate about cloud technologies for the last nine years.
My journey with the cloud began with Azure. However, about three years later, AWS became my primary cloud provider at work. 
From the beginning, I was impressed by how cloud technologies help engineers in their work and help deliver solutions much faster and easier. 
For the last four years, my interests and work mainly focused on serverless infrastructure, containerized applications, and search. 
Besides that, I am also curious about other cloud providers, like GCP and Azure.

I'm the AWS Community Builder.

Speaker and co-organizer of the "Mambo Jambo Cloud Talks" community meetup in Prague.

Over nineteen years of experience in software development and design. I have been passionate about cloud technologies for the last nine years. My journey with the cloud began with Azure. However, about three years later, AWS became my primary clou... Show more

Jose Azevedo

Jose Azevedo

Professional Experience
More than 20 years of experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365
25 years of experience within different ERPs (SAP, Oracle Applications, Sage X3 and Dynamics 365)
University Invited Teacher
Career started in Portugal and moved to London 7 years ago
Different Roles in Consulting (Business Consultant, Functional Consultant, Project Manager, Programme Manager, Engagement Leader, Team Leader, Site Manager, Product Manager and Solution Architect)

Vertical Experience
Fashion, Food and Pharmaceutical (Retail and Manufacturing)
Real Estate

Some Personal
Food, Wine and Gin Lover
Runner (finished 4 marathons), Trekker (finished 10 ways of Camiño to Santiago), Padel and Bodyboarding

Professional Experience More than 20 years of experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 25 years of experience within different ERPs (SAP, Oracle Applications, Sage X3 and Dynamics 365) University Invited Teacher Career started in Portugal and move... Show more

Adrià Ariste Santacreu

Adrià Ariste Santacreu

I'm Adrià Ariste Santacreu, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O Technical Architect with fifteen years of experience in global implementations and integration design. I started working as an X++ developer with Axapta 3.0 and Dynamics Ax 2009 and now in the cloud with Dynamics 365. I've had the chance to work with companies worldwide, helping them get the most out of Dynamics 365 F&O (FO), Power Platform (Dataverse, Power Apps, Power Automate) and Azure. As a Microsoft MVP, I enjoy sharing my knowledge through speaking and writing. In my sessions, I focus on practical ways of using Microsoft's tools to solve real-world problems.

I'm Adrià Ariste Santacreu, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O Technical Architect with fifteen years of experience in global implementations and integration design. I started working as an X++ developer with Axapta 3.0 and Dynamics Ax 2009 and now in the ... Show more

Guro Faller

Guro Faller

Solution architect from Norway with a passion for vintage clothing and good customer experiences. Guro has worked for 10+ years with Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Her background is varied, with experience in retail, fashion, financial services, marketing, and event management.
Guro is part of organizing multiple community events, such as the Nordic Summit.

Solution architect from Norway with a passion for vintage clothing and good customer experiences. Guro has worked for 10+ years with Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Her background is varied, with experience in retail, fashion, financial services... Show more

Thomas Van Dorpe

Thomas Van Dorpe

Presales Architect at Cegeka with over seven years of experience in Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, specializing in process manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry solutions with a focus on AI

Presales Architect at Cegeka with over seven years of experience in Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, specializing in process manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry solutions with a focus on AI Show more

Dan Giangiulio

Dan Giangiulio

Dan is a Senior Solution Architect with 15 years of experience in the ERP sector, particularly in manufacturing and distribution logistics. His commitment to delivering high-quality solutions and innovative problem-solving skills are at the core of his professional ethos. As a technical architect and subject matter expert, Dan excels in developing straightforward solutions for complex challenges, employing creative and effective strategies.

A Microsoft Certified Professional with expertise in Dynamics 365, Dan is dedicated to utilizing the latest technologies to improve business processes. He values continuous learning and actively contributes to the industry dialogue, sharing insights and engaging with peers on technological advancements and best practices.

Dan’s pragmatic approach and deep understanding of the ERP landscape make him a respected voice in the community, ready to share knowledge and perspectives that drive the field forward.

Dan is a Senior Solution Architect with 15 years of experience in the ERP sector, particularly in manufacturing and distribution logistics. His commitment to delivering high-quality solutions and innovative problem-solving skills are at the core of h... Show more

Pavneet Ahluwalia

Pavneet Ahluwalia

Pavneet is a Sr. PRODUCT MANAGER at Azure Kubernetes Service focusing on Scale and Performance. He has 4 years of experience working in containers and cloud platform. Prior to that he worked in Digital marketing, and data science and co-founded 2 startups with successful exits.

Pavneet is a Sr. PRODUCT MANAGER at Azure Kubernetes Service focusing on Scale and Performance. He has 4 years of experience working in containers and cloud platform. Prior to that he worked in Digital marketing, and data science and co-founded 2 sta... Show more

Varshit Agarwal

Varshit Agarwal

Infrastructure Architect, DevOps Evangelist, and Open Source contributor specializing in Kubernetes, cloud-native platforms, and large-scale distributed systems. With deep experience in industrial edge deployments, he designs resilient architectures powering mission-critical workloads

Infrastructure Architect, DevOps Evangelist, and Open Source contributor specializing in Kubernetes, cloud-native platforms, and large-scale distributed systems. With deep experience in industrial edge deployments, he designs resilient architectures ... Show more

Hendrik Lösch

Hendrik Lösch

Hendrik Lösch is a management consultant and architect at ZEISS Digital Innovation. The focus of his work is on the development and evaluation of software, based on Microsoft technologies. He also enjoys writing and talking about his work as well as his enthusiasm for clean code, software evolution and test automation in its various forms.

Hendrik Lösch is a management consultant and architect at ZEISS Digital Innovation. The focus of his work is on the development and evaluation of software, based on Microsoft technologies. He also enjoys writing and talking about his work as well as ... Show more

Mou Rakshit

Mou Rakshit

26 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN SUCCESSFUL IT LEADERSHIP • DATA MANAGEMENT & ARCHITECTURE •
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYTICS & REPORTING • AGILE AND PREDICTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

EDUCATION
• MS, Computer Science, Honors, Wayne State University, 2006-2008
• Master's in Health Services Administration - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2017-2020)
• MS in Analytics and Data Science (In Progress), Georgia Tech 2021-2026
• BE in Electronics & Telecommunications, IIEST, 1994-1998
• Chief Technology Officer Certificate Program from Wharton Executive Education, June 2023-May 2024

Certification
• Microsoft Certified: Fabric Data Engineer Associate
• Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty
• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
• Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate

• Databricks certified Data Engineer Professional
• Databricks certified Data Engineer Associate
• Databricks certified Data Analyst Associate
• Databricks certified GenAI Engineer Associate
• Databricks certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate
• Databricks certified Machine Learning Engineer Professional
• Databricks certified solution architect essentials

26 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN SUCCESSFUL IT LEADERSHIP • DATA MANAGEMENT & ARCHITECTURE • BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYTICS & REPORTING • AGILE AND PREDICTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT EDUCATION • MS, Computer Science, Honors, Wayne State University, 2006-20... Show more

Ron Veen

Ron Veen

Ron Veen is a seasoned software engineer with extensive experience ranging from Microservices to mainframes. His passion for software engineering and architecture has been his guiding force throughout his career. With over 20 years of expertise in the JVM and the Java ecosystem, Ron is an Oracle Certified Java Programmer (OCP) and a certified Sun Business Component Developer (SCBCD/OCPBCD).

A dedicated Java enthusiast, Ron also has a keen interest in alternative JVM languages, particularly Kotlin. At Team Rockstars IT, he serves as a Special Agent and lead developer, frequently speaking at international conferences. Ron is the author of books on Java Cloud-native migrations with Jakarta EE and on Virtual Threads, Structured Concurrency, and Scoped Values. He has also co-written a book on Kotlin.

Ron Veen is a seasoned software engineer with extensive experience ranging from Microservices to mainframes. His passion for software engineering and architecture has been his guiding force throughout his career. With over 20 years of expertise in th... Show more

Rebecca Solano

Rebecca Solano

Rebecca is a hands-on, human-centered, collaborative organizational change leader interested in developing great teams and culture, co-creating large-scale strategic vision, driving value nimbly, and a believer in integrating change strategies to develop organizational resiliency and competitive edge. She has 5+ years in cross-industry OCM for ERP implementations and tech adoption, as well as over 10 years in strategic and business communications, including 6 years of bilingual business communication & advocacy.

Rebecca is a hands-on, human-centered, collaborative organizational change leader interested in developing great teams and culture, co-creating large-scale strategic vision, driving value nimbly, and a believer in integrating change strategies to dev... Show more

Bill Ryan

Bill Ryan

With over three decades of experience in business and technology transformation, Bill Ryan helps organizations align AI with real business outcomes. As a former Director of Business Programs at Microsoft and a senior leader at Avanade, Bill has led global initiatives across Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and AI adoption. Today, as the founder of Sync(d) AI, he specializes in helping organizations build scalable AI Centers of Excellence using Microsoft technologies, while keeping humans at the center of every solution.

With over three decades of experience in business and technology transformation, Bill Ryan helps organizations align AI with real business outcomes. As a former Director of Business Programs at Microsoft and a senior leader at Avanade, Bill has led g... Show more

Michelle Francis

Michelle Francis

Michelle Francis is a seasoned technology professional specializing in enterprise systems and digital transformation within the manufacturing sector. At Lindsay Corporation, she leads initiatives that integrate Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and AI-driven solutions to streamline operations and enhance business efficiency. With extensive experience in system analysis, process optimization, and change management, Michelle focuses on bridging the gap between IT and business teams to deliver scalable, secure, and innovative solutions. Her work emphasizes practical adoption strategies that drive measurable ROI and sustainable growth.

Michelle Francis is a seasoned technology professional specializing in enterprise systems and digital transformation within the manufacturing sector. At Lindsay Corporation, she leads initiatives that integrate Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Platform,... Show more

Robbie Wilson

Robbie Wilson

Rob is a senior technology and leadership consultant with Keller Schroeder - an employee-owned, Microsoft Gold Certified tech consulting firm established in 1978. Having started his career as a software developer, Rob has deep experience with technical team dynamics from all sides of the table. He has led several high performing teams in his 33-year tenure at Keller Schroeder and is a certified leadership coach who believes in the value of clear and consistent communication, visual tools, and a common and objective language.

Rob is a senior technology and leadership consultant with Keller Schroeder - an employee-owned, Microsoft Gold Certified tech consulting firm established in 1978. Having started his career as a software developer, Rob has deep experience with technic... Show more

Mithun A. Sridharan

Mithun A. Sridharan

I'm Mithun A. Sridharan, an entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker on Strategy, Management Consulting and Digital Transformation. I'm a Forbes Technology Council Thought Leader and a Member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. As a strategy and technology executive, I advise senior leaders and corporations derive value from their strategic technology investment portfolios. I am a TEDx speaker and regularly share insights at industry conferences and corporate events. I have also contributed thought leadership to high-impact journals and magazines, such as the World Economic Forum, the American Banker, Wired, Bloomberg, etc. I hold an MBA from ESMT Berlin, a Master of Science from Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, both in Germany and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Madras, India.

I'm Mithun A. Sridharan, an entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker on Strategy, Management Consulting and Digital Transformation. I'm a Forbes Technology Council Thought Leader and a Member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. As a strategy... Show more

Beau Schwieso

Beau Schwieso

With 20 years of leadership experience in digital transformation across several manufacturing industries, I am a transformational leader who drives innovation and change while fostering a values based culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.. I also write a blog at www.dynamicsdad.com/blog

With 20 years of leadership experience in digital transformation across several manufacturing industries, I am a transformational leader who drives innovation and change while fostering a values based culture of excellence, collaboration, and continu... Show more

Erica Foley

Erica Foley

Erica Foley is a Portfolio Director with a passion for transforming project and program management through data and emerging technologies. With a strong background in professional services and software implementation, she leads strategic initiatives that blend AI, automation, and executive-level insights. Erica specializes in creating scorecards and dashboards that drive decision-making across complex portfolios, most recently applying AI capabilities within Business Central, F&O and Dynamics 365 CE. Her work bridges the gap between delivery teams and executive stakeholders, helping organizations unlock the full potential of AI-powered project management.

Erica Foley is a Portfolio Director with a passion for transforming project and program management through data and emerging technologies. With a strong background in professional services and software implementation, she leads strategic initiatives ... Show more

Andrew Boerger

Andrew Boerger

Andrew leads a small analytics team for a mid-sized automotive manufacturer, responsible for data integration, engineering, modeling, and visualization. The products in his team's stack include Azure Synapse Analytics, Fabric, and Power BI. He lives and works in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Andrew leads a small analytics team for a mid-sized automotive manufacturer, responsible for data integration, engineering, modeling, and visualization. The products in his team's stack include Azure Synapse Analytics, Fabric, and Power BI. He lives ... Show more

Sandeep Pawar

Sandeep Pawar

Sandeep is a Mechanical Engineer turned Data Analytics engineer, specializing in using Data Science to solve Manufacturing and Product Development challenges.

Sandeep is a Mechanical Engineer turned Data Analytics engineer, specializing in using Data Science to solve Manufacturing and Product Development challenges. Show more

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