Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) has recently announced the speaker lineup and key topics of discussion for the 2019 Tire and Rubber Summit.

High-profile executive speakers from rubber companies, non-tire manufacturers, rubber compounders, suppliers, auxiliary businesses, and regulators are to command the platform at the event.

Paul Barter, Management Consultant, Business Professor, Entrepreneur and Venture Investor, is scheduled to deliver the dinner keynote address on June 11.

June 12 Sessions

• Rubber Material Feedstocks—Supply and Demand Outlook: The speakers for this segment are Dennis Corson, Senior Vice President, Sales and Operations, Alan L. Grant Polymer; Robert Rist, Regional Director, Product Management, Reinforcement Materials, Cabot Corporation; and Karthika Kizhakke Vellate, Senior Procurement Analyst, Beroe. The discussion will revolve around the challenges and trends affecting the supply and demand for the tire industry’s core raw material feedstocks such as NR, SBR, CB, processing oils and others. The panellists will also provide their insights into the latest feedstocks procurement strategies relevant in today’s market environment.
• Regulatory Initiatives and Outlook: The panellists for this segment are Sarak Amick, Vice President, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association; Michael Sherbo, Director of Appeals, Dominion Customs Consultants; and Pierrette LeBlanc, Senior Engineer, Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada. The discussion will touch upon several key regulatory initiatives relevant to rubber and tire manufacturers in Canada. It will additionally include directives concerning Canada’s Chemical Management Plan and Canada’s Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. As customs compliance and programs continue to adapt to meet challenges in the global trade environment, trade still remains under scrutiny.
• Canadian Economic Outlook: Led by Josh Nye, Senior Economist, Royal Bank of Canada, this segment will offer an overview of the key culprits that will shape the Canadian economy in the coming year.
• Driving to the Future—Part I: The panellists participating in this segment will be Khaled Boqaileh, Co-Founder & CEO, LabsCubed; Don Heelis, P.Eng, Sales Manager, Cimcorp Automation; and Ross McKenzie, Managing Director, Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research. New technologies can offer surprising ways in which they can alter the manner in which companies reach their business goals. The discussion will centre around several technologies, such as connected vehicles and advanced networks, that are affecting the tire industry.
• Driving to the Future—Part II: The expert speakers for this segment are Mike Nehls, General Manager, Tire & Wheel Testing, Smithers RAPRA; Jay Spears, Director of Standards and Regulations, Continental Tire, The Americas; and Eric Chaniot, Chief Digital Officer, The Michelin Group. Technological advancements have influenced industries in different ways, altering the way they understand and advance product development, manufacturing processes, and other business aspects. The panellists will focus on several current technologies and ideas that are informing automotive and tire industries today.