Cars will be built differently, sold differently, and even move differently. Amid the change, one event consistently brings together the people responsible for decision-making at the highest levels. They are the biggest influencers, and the hands-on participants in determining the direction of the auto industry. Once a year, you’ll find them all in one place: the Automotive News World Congress. Attend the 43rd annual Congress and prepare yourself for full immersion with nearly 800 business leaders representing manufacturers, suppliers, analysts, Wall Street, the public sector and more. Automotive News is proud to expand the World Congress with the launch of the China Genius Series. The first session is scheduled in conjunction with the World Congress on Thursday morning, January 17. Hear from China’s C-level executives as they discuss China’s plans to enter the US automotive market. Why did they decide to come to the US and how did they do it? What are their plans for future growth and expansion?
More speakers to be announced.
Gorden Wagener is chief design officer at Daimler AG and therefore responsible for the design of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Trucks. After studying industrial design at the University of Essen (1990-1993), he specialized his studies in transportation design at The Royal College of Art in London. Before he joined then Daimler-Benz AG in 1997, he worked as an exterior designer at Volkswagen, Mazda and GM. In 2008 Mr. Wagener took over his position for the worldwide operating design unit of Daimler AG. For him, design defines brands and a holistic approach is essential. Not only the products but also the brands of Daimler AG must be staged perfectly. Therefore, he and his international team are responsible for the design of all brands and products within Daimler AG, including all cars as well as a holistic corporate design of all brands. The focus is on the Mercedes-Benz brand. Under his leadership, the new design philosophy of sensual purity, which defines a modern luxury, was created in 2009. It embodies both characteristics ”hot“ and “cool“ and thereby expresses an essential aspect of the brand - the bipolarity of emotion and intelligence. Derived from the design philosophy Sensual Purity, design defined a distinct brand aesthetic for Mercedes-Benz and each of its sub-brands. A variety of cars bear Mr. Wagener‘s signature as vice president design, such as the new EQC, the A-Class with the new MBUX, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupé as well as smart and the commercial vehicles of the company like the Actros Facelift or the Vision Urbanetic and several showcars such as the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury or the Vision EQ Silver Arrow.
Mary Barra is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors Company. She was elected Chairman of the GM Board of Directors on January 4, 2016, and has served as CEO of GM since January 15, 2014. Under Barra's leadership, GM envisions a world with zero crashes, to save lives; zero emissions, so future generations can inherit a healthier planet; and zero congestion, so customers get back a precious commodity -- time. She's focused on strengthening GM's core business of great cars, trucks and crossovers, while also working to lead the transformation of personal mobility through advanced technologies like connectivity, electrification, autonomous driving and car sharing. Barra has also established a strategic direction based on putting the customer at the center of everything the company does. Prior to becoming CEO, Barra served as Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain since August 2013, and as Senior Vice President, Global Product Development since February 2011. In these roles, Barra and her teams were responsible for the design, engineering and quality of GM vehicle launches worldwide. Previously, she served as Vice President, Global Human Resources; Vice President, Global Manufacturing Engineering; Plant Manager, Detroit Hamtramck Assembly; and in several other executive engineering and staff positions. Barra began her career with GM in 1980 as a General Motors Institute (Kettering University) co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1985, followed by a Masters in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) in 1990. Barra is a member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees and the Stanford GSB Advisory Council. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Walt Disney Company; the Detroit Economic Club; and the Board of Trustees for Detroit Country Day School. She is a member of The Business Council and an At-Large Board Member of the Business Roundtable, where she also serves on the Social Issues Committee.
Carlos Ghosn is chairman and chief executive officer of the Alliance, the world’s largest automotive group. Mr. Ghosn also is chairman and CEO of France’s Groupe Renault, and serves as chairman of Japan’s Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. In addition, Mr. Ghosn oversees the Alliance’s majority interest in the joint venture that controls AVTOVAZ, Russia’s largest automaker and manufacturer of Lada vehicles. The Alliance companies combined employ more than 470,000 people in nearly 200 countries, and operate 122 manufacturing plants. Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and AVTOVAZ together sold 10.6 million vehicles in 2017 - more than one in nine worldwide. Mr. Ghosn has been the industry's leading advocate for sustainable transportation; Renault and Nissan were the first automakers to launch a range of affordable zero-emission cars and commercial vehicles. The Alliance cumulatively had sold more than 540,000 electric vehicles - accounting for about half of all EVs on the road today. Mr. Ghosn is also establishing the Alliance as a leader in the development of future automotive technology, such as autonomous drive and connected vehicles and services. Mr. Ghosn joined Nissan as chief operating officer in 1999 and was named CEO in 2001. He was the lead architect of the Nissan Revival Plan, which brought the company out of a severe economic crisis in the late 1990s and back to profitability in 2000. He turned over the CEO role to Hiroto Saikawa on April 1st 2017, but continues to serve as chairman of the Nissan Board of Directors. In 2005, Mr. Ghosn became CEO of Renault, making him the first executive to run two Fortune Global 500 companies simultaneously. In 2009, he added the title of chairman of the board of Renault. From 2013 to 2016, he served as chairman of AVTOVAZ. In late 2016, he was appointed chairman of Mitsubishi Motors following Nissan’s acquisition of a 34 percent stake in the Japanese automaker. The Alliance is the most productive and longest-lasting cross-cultural partnership in automotive history. It also has significant strategic collaborations with Daimler of Germany and China’s Dongfeng Motor. Mr. Ghosn serves on the International Advisory Council of Tsinghua University in Beijing and the Strategic Council of Saint Joseph University in Beirut. He graduated with engineering degrees from France’s École Polytechnique (Class of 1974) and from École des Mines de Paris in 1978.
Jim Lentz is chief executive officer of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA) and a senior managing officer of parent company Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), located in Japan. In this role, Mr. Lentz oversees all business for Toyota’s North America region, including manufacturing, research and development, sales, marketing, product support and corporate resources. Mr. Lentz's vision of uniting all of Toyota’s affiliates across the U.S., culminated in moving the company’s regional headquarters to Plano, Texas in 2017. Most recently, Mr. Lentz was president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., (TMS), president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc. (TEMA), senior vice president of Toyota North America (TMA), and served in a global advisory capacity as managing officer for TMC. Prior to that, Mr. Lentz served as president and chief operating officer and executive vice president of TMS. Mr. Lentz previously held several executive positions, including Toyota division group vice president and general manager, where he oversaw all sales, logistics and marketing activities for Toyota and Scion regional sales offices and distributors. He also served as group vice president of marketing for the Toyota division and vice president of Scion, responsible for the initial launch of a new line of vehicles designed for the next generation of new-car buyers. Mr. Lentz joined Toyota in 1982 as the merchandising manager for its Portland region, where he later became the distribution manager and field operations manager. Mr. Lentz serves as secretary on the board of directors for The Global Automakers, chair of the American Automotive Alliance, and is a member of the executive advisory board for Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver (DU), his alma mater. He was named “Marketer of the Year” by Advertising Age in 2006, an Automotive News “All Star” in 2007, honored at “Industry Leader of the Year” in 2014 by the Automotive Hall of Fame, and recently was named an All Star by Automotive News in 2017. Mr. Lentz earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and economics and a M.B.A. in Finance from DU.
John Murphy is a managing director and the lead US auto analyst in equity research. He advises clients on investments in automobile manufacturers, suppliers, dealers and related businesses. Key pillars of his research portfolio include: Car Wars, Who Makes the Car, the Dealer Manual, the Big Bang Series, and the Annual New York Auto Summit. He has earned high rankings in industry surveys, including the Institutional Investor All America Research Team, the Wall Street Journal Best on the Street, the Financial Times/Starmine World’s Top Analysts, and Bloomberg Markets World’s Top Analysts. Mr. Murphy has presented to numerous boards and senior management across the automotive value chain. He has also addressed a number of industry conferences including: the Automotive News World Congress, the Original Equipment Suppliers Annual Conference, the World Economic Forum Automotive Industry Sessions, the National Automobile Dealers Association Symposium, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Automotive Outlook Symposium, and many others. He joined the Merrill Lynch Auto group in 1999. Prior to that, Mr. Murphy worked at the National Economic Research Associates (NERA) in the banking and finance practice. John Murphy has a BA in quantitative economics from Tufts University, and is a CFA charter holder.
Dr. Andy Palmer, CMG, is the president and chief executive officer of Aston Martin. He joined the business on October 1, 2014. Dr. Palmer is a British-born chartered engineer, chartered manager and businessman with 37 years of automotive industry experience. He is an indentured apprentice and graduated from Warwick University with a master’s degree (MSc) in product engineering in 1990, and acquired a doctorate (PhD) in management from Cranfield University in 2004. He is a chartered engineer and a fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. In 2010, Coventry University awarded Dr. Palmer an honorary doctorate of technology and in 2014 he was appointed professor, advising the university in the automotive field. Dr. Palmer is also and industrial professor at Warwick University (2015), a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute CCMI (2105) and the first winner of the Cranfield Univeristy “The Distinguished Manufacturing Alumnus/a of the Year Award” (2106). Prior to joining Aston Martin, Dr. Palmer held the post of chief planning officer at Nissan Motor Co and was a member of the Nissan executive committee. He held a number of senior positions with the Japanese car manufacturer over the course of a 23-year career with the firm. These roles included corporate planning, product planning, marketing, sales & IT leadership and chairman of Infiniti from 2011. Dr. Palmer started his professional career in 1979 as an apprentice at Automotive Products Limited (UK). After six years with Austin Rover, he joined Nissan. In the 2014 New Year’s Honours list he was named a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) in recognition of services to the British automotive industry. After completion of his first 150 days as chief operating officer of Aston Martin, Dr. Palmer announced the company’s six year “Second Century” plan. A comprehensive strategy for the transformation and growth of Aston Martin, the plan laid out a series of mid-term actions, particularly in the area of new product development that will drive the growth of the company. The plan will see the entire range of current models replaced and expanded with the introduction of a new car every nine months through 2020. The first car to be launched from the “Second Century” plan, the DB11, was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva motor show, followed by the new Vantage and the DBS Superleggera. In addition to the new product plan, Dr. Palmer has secured new investment for the company, announced a second manufacturing facility at St. Athan in Wales to build a new SUV and created a breakthrough partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies that will co-create the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
RJ Scaringe founded Rivian in 2009 and led the company through a tough economic climate to secure substantial financing, recruit and scale an exceptional team, and establish the company’s product and technology platform. Mr. Scaringe excels in analyzing highly complex systems, combining deep analytical capabilities with a system-based development methodology. Mr. Scaringe earned his MS and PhD in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was a member of the research team in the Sloan Automotive Laboratory. In leading Rivian, Mr. Scaringe works to maintain a highly collaborative environment and his hands-on approach drives innovative thinking into all aspects of the business and company culture.
Jonathan Smoke leads Cox Automotive’s economic industry insights team, which leverages data to expand Cox Automotive’s deep expertise in all aspects of the automotive industry. The industry insights team tracks new and used vehicle sales, supply, prices, retail and fleet demand, consumer credit and auto financing, and dealer sentiment to understand the key trends impacting both the wholesale and retail markets for vehicles informed by the proprietary data from all of the company’s businesses and platforms including Manheim, Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and Dealertrack. For more than 23 years, Mr. Smoke has focused on translating data and trends into relevant, actionable insights for the industries that represent the biggest purchases that consumers make in their lifetimes: real estate and automotive. Prior to joining Cox Automotive, Mr. Smoke served as Realtor.com’s chief economist. Before that, he was the chief economist for Hanley Wood, a media and market intelligence company, and also served in a variety of roles at Beazer Homes, including senior vice president of strategy and innovation. Mr. Smoke is an executive member of the board for the Atlanta Economics Club and an active member of the Harvard Industrial Economists and the National Association of Business Economists. He has spoken at major industry conferences such as the NADA and NIADA conventions, Automotive News World Congress, and Used Car Week. His views on the economy and the auto industry are featured regularly in industry and national news outlets such as Automotive News, Auto Remarketing, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Follow him on Twitter @SmokeonCars to keep up with the latest industry insights. Mr. Smoke holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and religious studies from Rhodes College and a master’s degree in business from The University of Texas at Austin.
Donald Walker was named chief executive officer on September 13, 2010. Magna is a U.S. $40 billion global automotive supplier that designs, develops and manufactures components and systems for the world’s leading auto makers. Magna has over 173,000 employees, 339 plants in 28 countries. Mr. Walker was co-CEO from 2005 – 2010 and was chairman and CEO of Intier Automotive from 2001 – 2005. Prior to taking Intier public, he was president and CEO of Magna from 1994-2001. Mr. Walker joined Magna in 1987. Before joining Magna he spent seven years at General Motors in various engineering and manufacturing positions, including involvement in a new vehicle launch and new assembly plant. He graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BA science mechanical engineering degree in 1980. In July 2002, Mr. Walker became co-chair of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC) with the Federal and Provincial Governments to identify both short- and long-term priorities that will help ensure the future health of the automotive industry in Canada. In 2007, he became a member of the Dean's Advisory Council, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo. Mr. Walker was the past chairman of the APMA. Throughout his career, Mr. Walker has been honored with several notable recognitions. A few recent examples include being named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year in 2014, selected to Fortune magazine’s Global Business Person of the Year list in 2015, and featured on Financial Post Magazine’s first annual Power List in 2016. Mr. Walker was also named #25 on Motor Trend magazine’s Power List 2017 and the Toronto Star’s Top Five Newsmakers to watch in 2017. Most recently, he ranked among the top CEOs in Canada in the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award 2018 which is based on feedback provided by employees.
Peter K. Welch became NADA's president & CEO on Feb. 1, 2013. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) since 2003. CNCDA is the country's largest state association of franchised new car dealers. Prior to joining CNCDA in 1990 as its director of government and legal affairs, Mr. Welch was a partner with a Los Angeles law firm. A native of Detroit, Mich., Mr. Welch holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a master's degree from the University of Durham, England, and a juris doctor's degree from Loyola Marymount University of Law, Los Angeles.
Kumar Galhotra is group vice president and president, Ford North America, effective March 1, 2018. In this role, Mr. Galhotra is responsible for leading all aspects of Ford’s North American business. He reports to Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president and president, global markets. Previously, Mr. Galhotra was group vice president, Lincoln and chief marketing officer for Ford Motor Company, a position he was named to in 2017. In this role, Mr. Galhotra was responsible for leading the continued transformation of Lincoln as a world-class luxury brand, a role he was named to in September 2014. He oversaw all Lincoln operations globally, including product development; marketing, sales and service; and all team members supporting the brand. He also led the company’s marketing function and efforts to connect more closely with customers by identifying new opportunities to serve them. His focus included shifting investments towards product categories that played to the company’s strengths, and developing more effective brand communications including digital services, emobility and autonomy. Prior to Lincoln, Mr. Galhotra was vice president, engineering, a position he assumed on Aug. 1, 2013. In this global role, he was responsible for the engineering of all cars, trucks, SUVs and crossover vehicles for Ford and Lincoln brands. Mr. Galhotra became vice president, product development for Asia Pacific and Africa in 2009. In that role, he led the team that developed Ford’s aggressive plan to bring more than 50 new vehicles and powertrains to its Asia Pacific and Africa region by mid-decade. He was appointed a corporate officer on June 1, 2012. Since joining the company in 1988, he has served in various positions in product development and product strategy. Among the assignments, he led the introduction of the Ford Ranger into South American markets in 1998; was the chief engineer for the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner in the early 2000s; and was vehicle programs director for five vehicle lines in the mid-2000s. In addition, his team oversaw the development of the all-new global compact pickup truck, the Ford Ranger. Between 2005 and 2008, he was assigned to Mazda’s headquarters in Hiroshima, where he was responsible for program management and product planning worldwide. Mr. Galhotra has a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Roger Penske is the founder and chairman of Penske Corporation, a closely-held, diversified transportation services company whose subsidiaries operate in a variety of industry segments, including retail automotive, retail commercial truck dealerships, truck leasing, transportation logistics and professional motorsports. Penske Corporation manages businesses with consolidated revenues of more than $32 billion, operating in over 3,660 locations and employing more than 60,000 people worldwide.
Carsten Breitfeld is a world-renowned expert in electro mobility with a PhD in mechanical engineering. He co-founded BYTON in 2016 and the electric vehicle startup has since premiered two major concept cars, with deliveries of its first production vehicles planned for Q4 2019. His vision to transform the car into a smart device on wheels has helped the company gather major media headlines and attention all over the world. Prior to BYTON, Dr. Breitfeld spent 20 years at BMW, leading a range of key engineering divisions within chassis development, powertrain development, and corporate strategy, with more than 10 years of that time spent as a BMW group vice president. In 2010, Dr. Breitfeld was named head of BMW’s i8 vehicle program, which gave birth to the game-changing i8 luxury plug-in hybrid model. His leadership and introduction of a revolutionary development process helped launch the BMW i8 successfully in just 38 months. The model surpasses all vehicle standards in performance, materials used, and development efficiency, setting new benchmarks in the auto industry. Through his efforts, innovative sales and customer service techniques and systems have been established to market the BMW i8.
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For sponsorship opportunities and information, contact: Ellen Dennehy, Director of Relationship Marketing 313-446-6039, edennehy@autonews.com
The Automotive News World Congress will take place in the Renaissance Ballroom of the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center.
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Rates are in effect through Friday, December 21, 2018 or until the block sells out. The rooms fill up fast, so book your rooms early!
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Please note: World Congress registration fees do not include the China Genius Series. If you want to attend the Series on Thursday morning, January 17 there is an additional fee of $195 to attend. Early rates are available through October 19, 2018. Full rates are in effect beginning October 20. NAIAS tickets are for the industry supplier days only (January 16 and 17). One ticket is included with a Full Congress, Tuesday only or Wednesday only registration.Additional tickets may be purchased by Congress attendees or those registered for dinner only at the discounted price of $60. Each registered delegate can purchase no more than 3 additional tickets. You cannot purchase these specially discounted tickets if you do not register to attend the Congress.Qualified media are eligible for press passes to cover this event. To request a press pass, send your name, address, email and phone number, plus media outlet details to: jward@autonews.com. Approved media will be sent details on how to register as working media. Registrations may be transferred to another colleague at no additional charge. We do ask that you notify us so that we can amend appropriate records. If you have to cancel your registration, please advise Automotive News in writing. There is a $175 handling fee for cancellations received on or before Friday, December 28, 2018. We regret we cannot process any refunds for cancellations after that date. Registered delegates who fail to attend the Automotive News World Congress also will be liable for the full fee.
If you have questions regarding programming/speaker submissions, contact: Libby Irwin, Global Conference Director Phone: (313) 446-0420 Email: lirwin@autonews.com Speaker Submissions: click here For registration questions, contact: Janine Ward, Conference & Events Specialist Phone: (313) 446-0350 Email: jward@autonews.com To discuss sponsorship opportunities, contact: Ellen Dennehy, Global Director of Relationship Marketing Phone: (313) 446-6039 Email: edennehy@autonews.com Lyndsey Walworth, Events & Marketing Specialist Phone: (313) 446-6041 Email: lwalworth@autonews.com
PwC's global automotive practice leverages its extensive experience in the industry to help companies solve complex business challenges with efficiency and quality. One of our practice's key competitive advantages is Autofacts®, a team of automotive industry specialists dedicated to ongoing analysis of sector trends. Learn more.
Kentucky is a driving force in today's auto industry. Companies have been building vehicles in the Bluegrass State for generations, and those companies continue to succeed and grow. From assembling the most innovative cars and trucks to designing the next generation engines and parts, it's clear Kentucky is ahead of the competition. Learn more.
Brose is the world’s fifth-largest family-owned automotive supplier. The company develops and produces mechatronic systems for vehicle doors and seats as well as electric motors and drives. 25,000 employees at 60 locations in 23 countries generate approximately 7.7 billion dollars in sales. Brose has been a committed partner to the North American market since 1993. The mechatronics specialist now counts twelve locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico and employs approximately 5,000 people in the region. The entire range of Brose products is manufactured throughout the North American facilities. Every other new vehicle worldwide is equipped with at least one Brose product. Learn more.
Georgia is home to more than 300 automotive-related facilities, providing proximity to multiple OEMs in the Southeastern Automotive Alley. Throughout the past hundred years, leading automotive companies have consistently chosen Georgia as their home for manufacturing, assembly, headquarters, and innovation centers. Our extensive market knowledge, resources, and supplier connections help manufacturing companies streamline their processes, maximize productivity, and accelerate revenue growth. Read more to find out how you can become our state’s next success story. Learn more.
Our machines, plant and services enable maximum production efficiency, whether in the automotive industry, which is responsible for around 55 % of our sales, or in other sectors such as the woodworking, mechanical engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical and electrical / electronic engineering industries. We run 92 sites in 31 countries. We operate globally with our Dürr, Schenck and HOMAG brands. In addition to North America and Western Europe, we are also strongly represented in the emerging markets. In fiscal 2017, these accounted for 51 % of our order intake and 48 % of our sales. Learn more.
BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) is a global product leader in clean and efficient technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. With manufacturing and technical facilities in 66 locations in 18 countries, the company employs approximately 29,000 worldwide. For more information, please visit borgwarner.com Learn more.
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Tuesday, January 15, 2019 - Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Detroit Marriott Renaissance CenterRenaissance CenterDetroit, Michigan 48243USA