2026 Speakers

Jon Cox is a Business Development Manager with expertise in industrial automation, project development, and strategic customer engagement. Based in Houston, he focuses on building strong relationships and driving business growth across the energy and industrial sectors

Bronson is the Global Vice President for MagDrive Technologies. He has more than 18 years of experience handling global regulatory and technical issues related to fugitive emission programs across various industries, particularly refining, petrochemical, and chemical plants. He has worked with facilities to develop and manage LDAR programs, including those subject to U.S. EPA LDAR Consent Decree (CD) requirements, and has participated in or led more than 375 CD LDAR audits at facilities across the U.S. Through this experience, Bronson has gained in-depth knowledge of equipment leak fugitive emission source monitoring, tagging, and LDAR database management. He is familiar with NSPS Subparts VV, VVa, VVb, GGG, GGGa, KKK, QQQ, OOOO(a,b,c), MON, HON, API 622, API 624, API 641, TA-LUFT, and ISO 15848. In addition to LDAR, Bronson is highly experienced in introducing technologies to these industries worldwide, from software to hardware, to enhance overall operations and daily efficiency.

Thom Jessup is the National Sales Manager for Fluid Sealing Products at EGC Enterprises, Inc. and has more than twenty-five years of experience in gasket materials, packing technology, valve sealing, and fugitive emissions compliance. His mechanical engineering background is reinforced by years of hands-on experience in production, machining, engineering design, and R&D management, which gives him a practical and comprehensive perspective on sealing system performance. 

Thom serves on the Valve Manufacture Association Technical Committee, is the Chair of the Manufactures Standards Society Packing and Gaskets Technical Committee, participates in multiple MSS committees, and contributes to several API task forces focused on fugitive emissions standards. He is a past President of the Fluid Sealing Association, a current member of the FSA Board of Directors, and remains active in both the Compression Packing and Gasket Technical Committees.

Fabian Alefeld is the Director of Business Development & Additive Minds Academy at EOS, where he leads global initiatives to scale industrial additive manufacturing across new verticals, applications, and the current and future workforce. He is also the host of the Additive Snack podcast, featuring candid conversations with industry pioneers to advance knowledge and drive innovation with additive manufacturing.

Hanna Gerbstedt is a physicist who earned her degree from the University of Kiel in Germany. She joined Flowserve in 2013 and has held a variety of engineering leadership roles across R&D, Order & Product Engineering, and Business Unit Engineering. From 2022 to 2025, she served as Director of BU Engineering before transitioning into Strategic Business Management. In 2025, Hanna became Director of Product Management (Product Line Leader). Originally based in Germany, she relocated to the United States in 2024.

Matthew Derner is the Senior Manager of Education, Training and Energy Efficiency Programs. He holds a leading role in promoting pump system related programs that deliver energy efficiency in commercial and industrial settings. Additionally, he is responsible for managing Pump Systems Matter (PSM), HI’s training subsidiary, and for the overall promotion and growth of the Hydraulic Institute’s portfolio of training and certification programs that focus on pump system optimization, and efficiency.

Matthew has a strong background in global sales of pumps, drives and various rotating equipment in both the manufacturing and distribution segments, with an emphasis on energy efficiency and total cost of ownership and Life Cycle Cost. 

Randal Ferman has 49 years’ experience in the pump industry. He served in a variety of engineering roles with Flowserve, a major global player in the pump manufacturing arena, and is currently a full-time principal of Ekwestrel Engineering LLC, Austin, Texas, providing independent, objective engineering consulting services on new and existing pumping equipment and systems, including design, performance, NPSH and cavitation, repairs, and re-rates. His clients span a range of industries including oil & gas, electric power generation, water, wastewater, solids handling, chemical processing, pump manufacturing, pipeline transportation, engineering firms, and legal counsel.

Chad Laird is the Business Development Manager for the Water and Power markets at Rotork, where he focuses on delivering valve automation and flow control solutions to industrial customers. He brings over twenty years of experience in the valve automation and process control industry. Before returning to Rotork, Chad served as Technical Sales Manager for Isolation Valves and Automation at Setpoint Integrated Solutions, where he also held leadership roles as Inside Sales Manager and Area Sales Director. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade with Rotork in valve automation and began in roles at Cameron Valves and Groth Corporation. 

Nadine Tribur, PE, MBA, is a Senior Director at FTI Consulting who works with owner operators, EPCs, and organizations in oil and gas, construction, and other capital intensive industries. With 20 years of industry experience, including leading an engineering organization of more than 500 professionals, she has seen firsthand how disconnected systems and processes can create barriers to accessing and using critical information. These barriers can contribute to safety risks, compliance exposure, costly rework, and inefficient operations. Nadine helps organizations address these challenges by connecting technology, information, and business processes so people can find, access, and use the information they need to make better decisions and work more efficiently. Her focus is on addressing information challenges at the root and creating practical solutions that support reliable, connected operations.

Rainer Krause is the Head of the EagleBurgmann Academy, where he leads global training, knowledge transfer, and customer education initiatives for one of the world's leading industrial sealing technology companies. With more than 25 years of experience in training management, technical education, knowledge management, and adult learning, he specializes in making complex technical concepts accessible and relevant to diverse audiences.

Originally trained in engineering and machine technologies, Rainer's academic background also includes educational sciences, educational and applied psychology, and English and German linguistics. Throughout his international career in Germany, England, and other European countries as well as the United States, he has combined technical expertise with a passion for communication, learning, and organizational development.

Today, he works with engineers, business leaders, customers, and universities around the world, helping connect technical knowledge with business impact and building bridges between disciplines, people, and cultures.

Jaclyn Herrera is the Chief Marketing Officer and Bridgebuilder at ChasmBridge, a CHIEF member. Whether planning for long term brand management or driving revenue results, Jaclyn brings a strategic mind with clear road paths and measurable results.

She specializes in high growth-oriented businesses that are aiming to make a transaction, enter new markets, dramatically improve revenue results or that are going through major cultural change. Through a relentless focus on the customer experience, Jaclyn has increased revenue opportunities through lead generation by $6M/month, improved total cost of ownership of technologies through aftermarket pull through by 28%, and designed customer journey maps that improve experience and engagement with NPS results as high as 9.

Her incredible leadership has resulted in many personal and business awards including - business industry recognition, marketing recognition for product launches and exhibition results, and project industry recognition.

Margaret Misera is a Lead Rotating Equipment Engineer at Venture Global LNG with more than 12 years of experience in the specification, selection, and application of rotating equipment across theoil and gas value chain and broader energy industries. Throughout her career, she has supported complex capital projects whileworking equipment solutions that improve reliability, efficiency, and operational performance. Margaret is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas, earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Baylor University and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University. Passionate about advancing the engineering profession, Margaret enjoys sharing technical knowledge, supporting industry collaboration, and encouraging the next generation of engineers.

Brindesh Dhruva serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Bray International, a global leader in flow control and automation solutions.  In this role, he leads the company's global technology, engineering, operations, and strategic growth initiatives.  Prior to Bray, Brindesh spent 14 years with SLB in various global roles. With more than two decades of experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing, and business leadership, Brindesh has built a reputation for transforming organizations through innovation and customer-focused strategies.  He is responsible for driving Bray's global technology roadmap, expanding manufacturing capabilities, and advancing digital and operational transformation initiatives across the enterprise.  He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from Yale University and is an inventor and published author in fluid physics, drilling, telemetry, artificial lift, and industrial process control.  A passionate advocate for talent development he has a long history of developing talented people into the next generation of business leaders.  As a keynote speaker, Brindesh shares practical insights on leadership, technology innovation, operational excellence, global manufacturing trends, and navigating growth in an increasingly dynamic industrial landscape.

Drew Donahue is Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Taco, a global manufacturer of hydronic and thermal-management systems and equipment, where his work focuses on hyperscale data centers and other mission-critical markets. He brings more than 15 years of experience in
engineered equipment and industrial markets, including extensive work in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing.
Drew’s work focuses on the mechanical infrastructure and thermal-management systems supporting large-scale data centers and the evolving requirements these facilities place on equipment design, manufacturing, testing and supply chains. He collaborates across owners, consulting engineers, contractors, modular system integrators and manufacturers to help address the technical and operational challenges created by increasingly large, complex and rapidly deployed data center campuses.

Ben Waterland is the Mission Critical Business Unit Manager at VSP Technologies, where he leads business development and technical strategy supporting the data center industry. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and has been with VSP since 2015, holding roles in engineering, technical sales, and business unit leadership.

In his current role, he works with data center owners, equipment manufacturers, contractors, and engineering teams to improve the reliability of liquid cooling and supporting infrastructure. His focus is helping customers reduce leak risk, improve connection integrity, standardize installation practices, and apply proven engineering principles to demanding data center environments.

Shon is a seasoned reliability leader and engineering graduate of North Carolina State University, recognized globally for his ability to help organizations implement holistic asset management strategies that deliver real, measurable business value. With deep expertise in methodologies such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Lean, and Six Sigma, Shon focuses not only on asset performance but also on the people, processes, and cultural change required to sustain reliability excellence.

Over the past two decades, Shon has led transformational reliability and asset management initiatives across industries including pharmaceuticals, defense, metals, petrochemical, pulp & paper, power generation, and aerospace. His approach blends strategic planning, adult education, and change management to build the leadership alignment, frontline engagement, and business process structure needed for lasting improvement.

He is a Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP), a Certified Asset Management Assessor (CAMA), and a Certified Change Management Professional (CMP) through Prosci and Colorado State University. Shon teaches at the University of Tennessee as an instructor in the Reliability and Maintainability Center’s Reliability Boot Camp for students and industry. He regularly facilitates workshops and speaks at professional conferences around the globe — having presented at over 100 events in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. As a founding partner and owner at Eruditio, Shon helps organizations move beyond theory to action by aligning reliability strategy with operational execution and leadership behavior. His widely read blog, ReliabilityNow.com, with over 200 articles and 4,000 monthly readers, offers insights on manufacturing, leadership, reliability strategy, and education.

A.W. Schultz is a scholar, consultant, Amazon bestselling author, podcaster, TEDx speaker, and international speaker. He partners with asset management professionals in manufacturing to enhance performance and sustainability in smart factories and robust asset care programs.  

Having supported many of the world’s largest companies across food, chemicals, oil and gas, medical devices, steel, cosmetics, and mining, Schultz coaches individuals and teams to reach their full potential. He specializes in leadership development, strategic execution, and building people-centered infrastructures that embed a high-performance leadership culture.  

With over 20 years of manufacturing experience, he holds two bachelor’s degrees, an MBA, and is pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Change. He is a certified Project Management Professional, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional.

Brad Baumann is Sales Director of Corporate Accounts at Advanced Rupture Disk Technology (ARDT), where he leads strategic market development, corporate engagement, and business development across industrial, energy, OEM, and emerging technology markets.

His career spans manufacturing, mechanical engineering, product innovation, and commercial leadership. Prior to joining ARDT, Brad spent nearly five years with OsecoElfab, including four years as an Innovation Engineer, where he co-developed a patented rupture disc platform that generated more than 10% in new portfolio revenue. He later transitioned into regional commercial leadership, applying an engineering driven approach to customer applications and market development.

With more than 15 years of experience across engineering and manufacturing environments, Brad focuses on connecting technical innovation with practical applications, market needs, and scalable commercial growth.

Renee Murphy, M.S., is a Senior Environmental Scientist with Ensolum, a Dallas-based environmental consulting firm. With an unconventional career journey from luxury fashion to environmental science, she is an international keynote speaker on sustainable remediation, phytoremediation, and systems thinking.

Renee holds a Master of Science in Plant Science from Cal Poly Pomona and combines scientific expertise with innovation to translate complex environmental challenges into practical solutions.

She has presented across North America, Europe, and South Africa at conferences including Battelle, AEHS, RemTech Europe, NICOLA, and LaRSSA. She has also delivered two TEDx talks exploring interconnectedness, innovation, and the power of nature.

Renee serves on the AEHS West Scientific Advisory Board and teaches Sustainable Gardening at Western Nevada College. Her work challenges audiences to rethink assumptions, embrace collaboration, and approach familiar environmental problems from new perspectives while advancing sustainable practices and inspiring the next generation of scientists and women pursuing careers in STEM.

Joshua Martindale is the Sales Director for Industrial Control Solutions and a passionate advocate for developing leaders at every level of an organization. A West Point graduate, Joshua served as both a U.S. Army Armor Officer and Space Operations Officer, earning membership in the prestigious Order of Saint George and the Order of Saint Barbara.  He now brings that same mission-driven mindset to the industrial sector, where he leads teams built on trust, purpose, and the belief that people are every organization's greatest strategic asset. Joshua's approach to leadership is direct, practical, and deeply human.

Hina Butt is the Lifecycle Portfolio Manager for Drive Products at ABB, responsible for global lifecycle services and portfolio strategy initiatives. She has extensive experience in industrial automation, service business development, modernization programs, and customer lifecycle management. Hina is passionate about innovation, customer success, and advancing the next generation of industry leaders. She serves on the PVIC Advisory Board, helping guide discussions on lifecycle services, digital transformation, and industrial innovation.

Ben Madison manages Regulatory & Technical Affairs for Grundfos in North America. He has over twenty years of experience across the aviation, oil & gas, and water industries focused on regulation, standardization, and technology. Ben is a member of multiple committees across HI, NSF, IEC, AWWA, and WWEMA, and supports CSA, UL, and IAPMO standards development. When he isn’t talking your ear off about the latest PFAS regulation, you’ll likely find him reading the Code of Federal Regulations, researching the latest developments on Build America, Buy America (BABA), or trying to figure out exactly what the latest tariff announcement means to all of us.

Andre Davanzo is the Global Director of Strategic Business Development at TEADIT®, where he leads global growth initiatives across strategic markets, product development, marketing, digital transformation, and commercial excellence. With more than 20 years of international experience in B2B industrial markets, Andre specializes in helping manufacturers accelerate growth through strategic partnerships, specification development, distributor engagement, and data-driven marketing.Throughout his career, he has led global initiatives spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, with expertise in industrial sealing solutions, energy, data centers, hydrogen, mining, chemical processing, power generation, and OEM markets.Andre is passionate about turning technical products into compelling commercial strategies. His work combines sales, engineering, marketing, and customer insight to build sustainable competitive advantage. He is also a frequent speaker on industrial sealing technology, emissions reduction, reliability engineering, and the role of sealing solutions in critical infrastructure.