- Illustrating how leadership shapes the way manufacturing organizations address challenges and opportunities
- Problem solving and the role of leadership in creating a culture of problem-solvers
- How have the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of senior leadership evolved in recent years? What is driving that change?
- Discussing the importance of staying connected with the issues and people you need to understand to make informed decisions
and grow as a leader - Creating leaders at all levels to build a bridge to the future, and what should we be doing right now to get there?
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EVP of Global Manufacturing
General Motors
Gerald Johnson was named executive vice president, Global Manufacturing effective April 1, 2019. In this role, he leads GM’s global manufacturing operations, manufacturing engineering and labor relations organizations, and is a member of the GM Senior Leadership Team.
Previously Johnson served as GM vice president of North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations, a position he held since August 2017.
Before that he served as vice president of Operational Excellence, where he worked to develop and execute an enterprise-wide cultural transformation with a focus on process discipline, continuous improvement and waste elimination. Under Johnson’s leadership, a team of Lean Six Sigma experts developed a training initiative and coached employees in projects that improved the company’s operations efficiency.
Johnson started at General Motors in 1980 at the Fisher Body Plant in Euclid, Ohio. His career includes a long list of manufacturing and quality roles both in North America and abroad. Throughout his career, he has served as a mentor to many young professionals as well as played an active role in community organizations, and is currently on the Kettering University Board of Trustees.
Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial administration from Kettering University and a master’s degree in manufacturing operations from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Director of Service & Performance for Business Services
LEGO
Peter Evans was born in 1955. He joined LEGO in February 2016.
The early part of his career was in Finance in various industries, including Defence, Financial Services and Telecommunications. Peter worked for GE Capital throughout the 90’s including spells in Manchester, Brussels, Shannon (Eire) and Connecticut in various Quality Leadership roles.
From 2000 to 2013 he worked in Telecoms in the UK, first with Vodafone, then Cable & Wireless, before finally leading Operational Excellence for Virgin Media.
From 2013 to 2015 Peter led Process Excellence in Northern Europe for Maersk Line, based in Copenhagen.
Since February 2016 Peter has been Director of LCI (LEGO Continuous Improvement) at LEGO with specific responsibility for Business Service Operations and is actively involved in establishing a Global Business Services Organisation for Finance, HR and other services.
Peter is a Six Sigma MBB, a Lean Practitioner and has a deep and lasting interest in Change Management and the psychology of Change.
Peter Lives in Newtown, Wales, UK with his wife Amanda, Dogs Harvey and Maisie and various other pets and pests.
