Tag

Productivity

Safety as a Competitive Advantage: How to Build Safety Into Your Culture and Drive Productivity
MANUFACTURING, VIDEO, MANUFACTURING

Safety as a Competitive Advantage: How to Build Safety Into Your Culture and Drive Productivity

Peter Gibbons joined 3M in November 2021 as group president of Enterprise Supply Chain, which includes planning, procurement, internal and external manufacturing, logistics, quality, engineering, and business supply chain.

Prior to 3M, Peter served as chief executive officer of TireHub, a joint venture last mile distributor between Bridgestone and Goodyear. Possessing a wealth of experience in manufacturing and supply chain operations, Peter previously held senior-level executive positions at Mattel, Starbucks and ICI Paints. His growth mindset, inclusive leadership, and orientation toward developing talent and culture has helped him lead highly successful complex changes and significant transformation.

“I believe that building confidence and removing the fear of failure are key components of leadership,” says Peter. “People achieve great things when they are embraced and valued; when they are connected, not isolated; and when their intelligence and imagination are unleashed.”

Outside of work, Peter enjoys hiking, reading, and supporting the Glasgow Celtic soccer club and serves on the board of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from University of Edinburgh and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland.

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Factory Fast-Forward: How Smart Manufacturing is Empowering the New Workforce Demographic Summary
MANUFACTURING, VIDEO, MANUFACTURING

Factory Fast-Forward: How Smart Manufacturing is Empowering the New Workforce Demographic Summary

Christina Upah is the vice president of Attack Helicopter Programs for Boeing Defense, Space & Security and the senior site executive in Mesa, Ariz. In this role, Upah leads more than 4,600 employees supporting the design, production and delivery of the AH-64 Apache and AH-6 Little Bird helicopters for the U.S. Army and allied defense forces around the globe.

Prior to this role, Upah was director of Mesa Site and Attack Operations. In this position, she was responsible for overall production of the Apache and Little Bird for global customers.

Upah has previously served as the director of International Apache Programs, where she led the program execution of foreign military sales and direct commercial sales supporting customers worldwide. Additionally, she served as the director for Apache India and Supplier Transitions Programs and as the director of Domestic Apache Programs.

First joining Boeing in 1997, Upah has held positions within production operations, fabrication, human resources, supplier transitions and program management. Most notably, she progressed through program management positions of increasing responsibility, having led the successful program start-up of the Little Bird and Apache international and development programs, with a core emphasis on contracts, estimating/pricing, cost management and scheduling.

Upah holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources and psychology from Ottawa University. She is an Arizona native and serves on the board of directors for the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

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The Employee Experience and Connecting the HR and Finance Functions — A Conversation with Mark Fordyce of Workvivo by Zoom
HUMAN RESOURCES, VIDEO, HUMAN RESOURCES, PODCAST

The Employee Experience and Connecting the HR and Finance Functions — A Conversation with Mark Fordyce of Workvivo by Zoom

At the 2025 edition of the North American HR Executive Summit series we sat down with Mark Fordyce of Workvivo by Zoom to talk about how a new generation of tools and technologies are changing the way leaders interact with and understand their people. How can HR professionals best leverage these new abilities to improve things like employee job satisfaction, retention rates, skills development, and productivity? We also discussed ways to build better connections between the HR and Finance functions —especially in large organizations— to coordinate and collaborate on impactful projects, demonstrate ROI on some of the soft skills involved in human resources, and make better decisions about how resources are committed to drive positive outcomes. For all this and more, give this episode a listen!

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Future-Ready Finance: Strategies for Driving Value in an Evolving World
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Future-Ready Finance: Strategies for Driving Value in an Evolving World

Joe Tkac brings nearly two decades of finance expertise to the beauty industry. Based in Tampa, FL, he leads L’Oréal’s North America BEST Finance Shared Services as Senior Vice President of Finance, overseeing Accounting, Controlling, and Treasury. His leadership spans key roles as Vice President of Commercial Finance for both the Consumer Products and Luxe divisions. As Vice President and CFO for Kiehl’s, Joe honed his multi-channel expertise, navigating the complexities of modern retail. He’s passionate about leveraging financial insights to drive growth and create value within the beauty business. He holds a BBA from Villanova University and an MBA from Seton Hall University. Outside of work, Joe enjoys tennis, travel, and family time in Tampa.

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Three Steps to Use Advanced Manufacturing Analytics to Empower Staff
MANUFACTURING, VIDEO, MANUFACTURING

Three Steps to Use Advanced Manufacturing Analytics to Empower Staff

Willem Sundblad is the co-founder and CEO of Oden Technologies, a company empowering manufacturers to make more, waste less, and innovate faster through machine learning and applied analytics. He is a Forbes.com contributing writer and a recognized leading voice in manufacturing analytics. Chris has been at INX International for over 30 years. He is responsible for the role of VP of Offset Division.

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Overcome Uncertain Times: Digitally Enabled Transformation to Drive Business and Workforce Success
MANUFACTURING, VIDEO, MANUFACTURING

Overcome Uncertain Times: Digitally Enabled Transformation to Drive Business and Workforce Success

James Newman is the Head of Product and Portfolio Marketing at Augury. He has 20+ years of experience across engineering, manufacturing, and technology adoption, James brings a customer-focused outlook to understanding how technology impacts organizational outcomes. Nick Ott is the Director of IT for Canfor Southern Pine. Nick has spent 15 of his 20 years in IT in the Wood Processing Industry. Throughout his IT career he has held positions responsible for System Development, Infrastructure Delivery, M&A, and Project Management.

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Improve Employee Retention, Wellbeing, Productivity, and Quality of Life Through Caregiving Support
HUMAN RESOURCES, VIDEO, HUMAN RESOURCES

Improve Employee Retention, Wellbeing, Productivity, and Quality of Life Through Caregiving Support

Discover why the growing caregiving crisis is a critical workforce concern, and what it means for employers’ ability to attract and retain talent Learn about the impacts of caregiving on employee wellbeing and productivity, and where existing benefits and resources are falling short Explore ways employers can deliver holistic caregiving support and differentiate your organization in the race to attract/ retain talent Illustrate real-world examples of how leading employers like Cisco, Hilton and Memorial Hermann Health System are building a culture of care — Kristin Spodobalski Sr. Director of Growth – Northeast Wellthy Kristin Spodobalski is the Sr. Director of…

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Leveraging Artificial and Business Intelligence to Drive Productivity Improvement and Compliance
LIFE SCIENCES, VIDEO

Leveraging Artificial and Business Intelligence to Drive Productivity Improvement and Compliance

Common drivers for success: Leveraging Artificial and Business Intelligence to deploy automated systems to detect abnormal performance Deploying an automated management alarm and escalation system; used emails and text messages to accelerate response to performance-impacting events Creating real-time management dashboards and alerts, tailored for each role Connecting and integrating data across multiple platforms, e.g. PLCs, ERPs, QMS, LIMS, etc. Manufacturing Case Study: 300% productivity improvement in a capacity-constrained environment — Jaime Velez Partner OQSIE For the last 15 years Jaime has supported more than one hundred consulting engagements with Life Science companies delivering significant productivity improvements in supply chain and…

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