Commercialization Breakfast Panel

The Commercialization Breakfast Panel provides an overview of how to grow your company from a pre-revenue position to profitability - including the key components of market analysis, customer development, product development, resource identification, profitable business model development, business plan development and capital funding.

Commercialization Breakfast Panel
Presented by Technology Highway

Thursday, March 14, 2013
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Macomb-OU INCubator at Velocity Collaboration Center
6633 Eighteen Mile Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48314

Meet the Panelists:

	Francis Criqui, Principal & PMO Following a 40-year career with General Motors, Mr. Criqui was Regional Director for an engineering consulting firm for five years and worked another five years as Director of Operations for a management consulting firm prior to his current position with Technology Highway. He has extensive experience in technology and innovation, strategic planning, lifecycle management, product data management, process design and definition, standards and regulatory compliance, project management and organizational performance. Mr. Criqui has a BSME from Lawrence Tech University and a MBA from the University of Detroit.
	Robert Horvath, Vehicle Launch Lead Mr. Horvath is a world class manufacturing executive with extensive expertise in operations, turnaround and product launch in the U.S., Europe and Mexico. His straight-forward, passionate leadership style engenders urgency and has made him effective from the shop floor to the boardroom. Robert's early years at Ford Motor Co. and Rockwell International molded him into a change agent, applying Dr. Deming's SPC and Lean Six Sigma as the bedrock for P/L successes. During his 30+ years, he has owned and operated a European tier-one full service automotive supply firm with JIT deliveries to 19 assembly plants across Europe.
	James Masiak, Principal & Product Technology Mr. Masiak is a process and product manager, having spent 32 years with General Motors Corporation in both domestic and international assignments. His recent projects include vehicle program and financial process development and implementation within the global engineering community. He has integrated strategic and technology business plans. He developed a vehicle benchmarking process for both GM and competitor vehicles. His early career demonstrated vehicle and component development in the areas of safety and noise & vibration performance. He has both a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and a MBA from the MSU Executive Management Program. He is currently a SAE Professional Instructor.
	Margaret Palmer, Business Development Officer Ms. Palmer developed expertise in market analysis and forecasting during 36 years with General Motors Corporation in divisional and corporate staff assignments. She provided business assessments to support strategic decisions in sales, marketing, inventory management, supply chain management, product development and capacity planning. She has taught classes in business strategy, organizational leadership and business ethics as an adjunct professor for the College of Business at University of Detroit Mercy and holds a MBA from Michigan State University and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Oakland University.
	John Rupp Sr., Principal & Production Processes Mr. Rupp is a University of Michigan trained industrial engineer with a 20-year career at tier-one automotive suppliers in industrial relations, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials management, operations management and ultimately company president. This was followed by a 25-year career in independent management consulting providing measurable, sustainable and profitable business problem solutions for 17 clients at 32 locations in the United States and Canada. These companies were manufacturers in various industries from small to medium to Fortune 100 corporations, including 4+ years at General Motors, North America.

Continental breakfast will be provided on behalf of Technology Highway.

For more information on this panel, or to register for this free event, call Joan Carleton at (586) 884-9324 or email macINC@oakland.edu.