From hydrogen to Hexpol: 5 can't-miss Rubber in Auto speakers

Invaluable insights and unmatched analysis—those are just the things you expect from some of the best conference speakers.

So, go ahead and count this year's Rubber in Automotive Conference speakers among some of the best.

Attendees will have the chance to hear from executives at Michelin North America and Hexpol, while garnering insights from trusted and familiar sources, including industry analyst Bill Hyde and industry veteran Joe Walker.

And that's just the first part of day one.

You can find more details on registration, hotel accommodations and the agenda at rubbernews.com/auto.

For now, here's a look at five can't miss speakers at this year's Rubber in Automotive Conference, set for May 10-11 in Akron.

There is no doubt that new mobility is changing the entire game for the automotive industry. The rise of electrified and autonomous vehicles are placing new demands on auto suppliers across the rubber sector.

But what about hydrogen technology— What role does it have to play in the future of the automotive industry and what opportunities will emerge for rubber industry players?

Karen Schwartz, Michelin North America vice president of marketing for B2B, will discuss the technology and rubber industry opportunities in her keynote presentation set to kick off the Rubber in Automotive Conference May 10.

Prior to stepping into her current role, Schwartz was global managing director for the Digital Services Platform Group at Michelin, which is housed within the Services and Solutions Global Business Line. There she was responsible for leading a SaaS "Start-up" team.

She began her career with Michelin in 2018 as the North American B2B Marketing Director for Michelin's on-road business.

Prior to coming to Michelin, Schwartz spent 15 years at Procter & Gamble, holding several brand management positions. She received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

If you're going to grow your business and gain ground in the rapidly changing automotive industry, you need the right people in your corner.

And Gary Moore knows a thing or about how important the right partners can be.

During his presentation on the first day, Moore, president and CEO of Hexpol Compounding Americas, will explore the value of partnerships in today's marketplace. In doing so, he'll tackle some of the changing industry needs and focus on finding the right solutions.

Moore has been with Hexpol for more than 15 years and, during that time, has held various global management positions within supply chain and sales.

He is a graduate of the University of Uxbridge, England, where he earned a bachelor's degree in materials science. He also gained a master's in business management at UWE in Bristol, England.

Technology isn't just reshaping what drives our vehicles, it's changing how we design our vehicles and the parts that go in them.

And for auto suppliers from tires to seals that means leaning a lot more heavily on simulation—both for design and product testing. Because, honestly, they'll have no choice. Auto makers, including General Motors, soon will require the use of the technology.

In his keynote presentation set for the second day of RIA, Josh Goossens, manager of Tenneco's Driv and Clevite Elastomers operation, will explore the emergence of virtual product development and prototyping for automotive parts, how it can be used and how it makes a difference.

Goossens has nearly 25 years of experience with Tenneco, holding various roles of increasing responsibility within materials engineering since 1999. His areas of responsibility include elastomer compound development, material selection, mixing process development, core material research and material property testing for simulations.

Goossens has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Toledo.

For more than two decades, Bill Hyde has been among the go-to industry experts for analysis on the often difficult to predict elastomer markets.

And he's bringing his insights to Rubber in Automotive next month.

During his presentation, he'll focus on the market outlook for elastomers used in automotive applications.

Hyde, who has been consulting in the market since 2002, currently is vice president of olefins and elastomers for Chemical Market Analytics, which is part of Opis, a Dow Jones company. The business previously was known as IHS Markit Chemical Insight, where Hyde led a group focused on analyzing markets related to C4 Olefins, synthetic and natural rubber and tire raw materials.

He began his career with Union Carbide Corp. in 1990 where he had various positions within engineering, optimization, planning and logistics. In 2000, he joined Texas Petrochemicals as a business analyst. Hyde joined CMAI, which was acquired by IHS in 2011, in the Olefins Consulting Practice in 2002.

He has bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Tulane University.

Through his rubber industry career—which spans more than four decades—Joe Walker has developed the kind of wisdom that helps to better understand the way forward.

And in an auto industry facing uncertainties, his wisdom is valuable.

During his presentation, set for 1 p.m. May 10, Walker will dive deeper into the some of the supply issues that are facing the rubber chemicals industry and how those emerging concerns could impact automotive applications.

Walker, who retired March 30, most recently served as Freudenberg-NOK's director of materials and laboratories. He spent a total of 24 years with the company. Prior to joining Freudenberg-NOK, he had stints at Honeywell/Alliant Techsystems and Wacker Silicones Corp.

In his retirement, Walker will oversee the new training academy at the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers.