Traction Summit is the definitive meeting place to discuss and understand future opportunities for tires and to make the connections needed to capitalize on those prospects. With a unique blend of speakers and attendees from throughout the full tire supply chain, including the world’s leading tire manufacturers, aftermarket, and OEMs, Traction Summit is unlike any conference in the tire sector. This event is the perfect place to network with industry insiders, hear ideas and insights from different parts of the supply chain, and learn about innovations, growth opportunities, and the latest trends.
Josh Guilliams, Vice President of Consultancy, leads Smithers’ technical consulting team based in Akron, Ohio. Josh manages client relationships and works with other Smithers experts on complex projects. He also conducts in-depth investigations of a wide variety of rubber materials and final products on behalf of clients.
Before joining the team at Smithers, Guilliams spent several years in leadership at Polymer Valley Chemicals, Inc., as Technical Director and Vice President of Technical Operations. Prior to his time at Polymer Valley Chemicals, he held technical and commercial roles at Hankook Tire, EASTMAN Chemical Corporation, LANXESS Corporation, and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
Coming soon!
Dr. Beverly Wright, PhD, CAP, serves as Vice President of Data Science & AI at Wavicle Data Solutions, and Executive Director for Data Science Programs for University of Georgia, Executive Education.
Beverly is a sought-after professional speaker at established conferences, presenting on topics related to data science, consumer insights, and marketing analytics. She also operates a nonprofit that leverages data science talent, tools, and resources for community betterment, tackling tough issues like human trafficking, opioid and other addictions, mental health, and other causes.
We hope you will enjoy TAG Data Talk, and for more information, please reach out to Dr. Beverly Wright on LinkedIn.
Jay is the Director of Standards and Regulations for Continental Tire, the Americas located in Fort Mill, SC. He is responsible for all tire regulatory and standardization work throughout North and South America and represents Continental within numerous industry organizations including the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the Tire and Rim Association. Jay has been with Continental for over 15 years with leadership roles in product development, technical product management and racing development. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineer from Clemson University - home of the 2016 College Football National Champions.
John began his career with Discount Tire Company in May of 2012 at the Corporate Office. John’s role for Discount Tire includes overseeing all aspects of Merchandising (sourcing, purchasing, assortment planning, retail pricing) for the company, Vendor Relationship Management of all tire, wheel, and non-merchandise vendors, and the Product Technical Team, which includes the Product Data Analytics group, the Product Quality Team, and the Product Fitment Team, which manages the Treadwell and the tire/wheel fitment guide. Prior to joining Discount Tire, John worked for Exponent, a scientific and engineering consulting firm. Before Exponent, John worked in the Research Laboratory of Ford Motor Company, where he became internationally recognized for his research on the topics of tire aging, tire test development, tire service life prediction, and the use of nitrogen as a tire inflation media. John has authored/presented over 40 papers on tire testing, has lectured in Europe and Asia, and holds 3 U.S. Patents.
Academic Credentials and Professional Honors
Ph.D., Polymer Science, The University of Akron, 1992
B.S., Chemistry, The University of Detroit, 1986
2009 Sparks-Thomas Award given by the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society for ‘outstanding contribution to the science and technology of elastomers’.
Member of Sigma Xi; Certified Six Sigma Greenbelt
Former Adjunct Associate Professor of Chemistry, Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan
Coming Soon!
David Johansen is Vice President of Technical for Sumitomo Rubber USA, located in Buffalo, New York. He has over 25 years of experience in the tire industry, with expertise in tire design, testing and simulation, and manufacturing process control. He joined Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. In 2015. SRI is headquartered in Kobe, Japan where he worked as a manager of tire design from 2017-2019. Since 2019, he returned to the US and is responsible for the SRI North American Technical Center in Buffalo NY and Huntsville AL. David holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. He has been a USTMA committee member since 2019.
Maureen Kline is Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability for Pirelli Tire North America, responsible for the US, Canada and Mexico. She is based in Rome, Georgia.
She is a board member of the US Tire Manufacturers Association and the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada. She is on the Corporate Responsibility Steering Committee of the Automotive Industry Action Group, and on the Standards Advisory Group of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.
She writes a column on sustainability for www.Inc.com and is a frequent speaker on the topic. She teaches a course on Enterprise Sustainability within Clarkson University’s MS in Engineering Management program.
Previously she was based in Pirelli’s headquarters in Milan, Italy, where she coordinated government affairs for the company’s foreign subsidiaries, and before that was responsible for Pirelli’s international media relations.
Prior to her public affairs and communications career, Maureen worked as a journalist over a 15-year period. She was Milan correspondent for the Wall Street Journal Europe, Breaking Views, and Business Week, among others. She edited a blog on the topic of meritocracy, hosted by Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera. She wrote and co-hosted a TV talk show in Italy on business and finance, broadcast on the local channel Telelombardia.
With a diverse background in environmental law, policy, communications, non-profits, and business, Andy provides a unique perspective on strategy and execution for realizing sustainability impacts. He holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia, a M.S.E.L. from Vermont Law School, and J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Brent developed the foundation for the EV practice at J.D. Power through the creation of the company’s suite of electric vehicle experience studies. He utilizes voice of customer feedback and subject matter expertise to provide critical insights for helping the automotive industry transition to electrification through improving charging infrastructure and EV products.
Previously at J.D. Power, Mr. Gruber led the company’s Powersports, Commercial Vehicle, and most recently, Global Automotive Supplier practices. Brent was responsible for all sales, research and consulting activities involving those industries.
Brent sits on several automotive industry advisory boards, frequently speaks at industry events, and routinely conducts media interviews about automotive products and emerging trends. Prior to joining J.D. Power in 2008, Brent held senior level positions at research and consulting firms, focusing on product and service improvements based on voice of customer feedback.
Bio coming soon!
Jay is the Director of Standards and Regulations for Continental Tire, the Americas located in Fort Mill, SC. He is responsible for all tire regulatory and standardization work throughout North and South America and represents Continental within numerous industry organizations including the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the Tire and Rim Association. Jay has been with Continental for over 15 years with leadership roles in product development, technical product management and racing development. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineer from Clemson University - home of the 2016 College Football National Champions.
Top industry players attend Traction Summit with the goal of discussing innovations, finding solutions, and building relationships needed to thrive in this market. Show attendees why your services and products are necessary to improve their business operations.
Choose from one of our standard sponsorship packages, or work with us to create a custom package tailored to meet your specific conference objectives and business needs.
Smithers has been in the Tire testing market since the 1920’s and has a very strong brand for independent expert opinion on tire performance. Along with presenting leading industry information at Traction Summit, with over 90 years of expertise in rubber testing, Smithers provides custom tire analysis and standard testing to meet your requirements. Learn More
