Tata Consultancy Services
The 2025 Detroit Auto Show invites you to the Mobility Global Forum on Jan. 15 – 16 at Huntington Place in Detroit. The two-day Mobility Global Forum event will include keynotes, panels and fireside chats with selected industry experts and will feature powerful programming with insights honing in on the symposium’s overarching theme, “Convergence of Industry, Technology and Talent.” Presentations will be held on the Huntington Place Atrium and Grand Ballroom stages.
The Mobility Global Forum will be held in conjunction with Industry Days, two days of industry, mobility tech and talent collaboration complete with exclusive industry show access. Industry Days will see the return of AutoMobili-D, a technology showcase previewing the latest in mobility innovations. The two days will also feature an energized show focus on workforce development and retention, as well as cultivating student interest in careers within the industry.
Key Speakers and Presenters
Tarek Abdel-Baset
Chief Engineer, Hydrogen Storage Systems
FORVIA
Dr. Rose B. Bellanca
President & Chief Executive Officer, Washtenaw Community College
John Bozzella
President & Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for Automotive Innovation
Elaine Borseth
President, Electric Vehicle Association
Jose Flores
Chief Executive Officer, Ancor Automotive
Justine Johnson
Chief Mobility Officer, State of Michigan
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Natalie King
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Dunamis Charge
Jeff Makarewicz
Group Vice President, Technical Resources Toyota North America Research and Development
Naresh Mehta
Global Chief Technology Officer, Manufacturing, Tata Consultancy Services
Dr. Venkatesh Prasad
Senior Vice President of Research and Chief Innovation Officer
Center for Automotive Research
Christine Roeder
Executive Vice President, Global Epicenter of Mobility
Christina Roki
Automotive Content & Culture Creator
Anupam Singhal
President, Manufacturing, Tata Consultancy Services
Scott Tobin
Chief Executive Officer, Envorso
Eric Warren
Executive Director, Global Motorsports Competition
General Motors Corporation
2025 Speaker Schedule:
Atrium Stage Schedule, Panel Topics, and Speakers:
Atrium Stage – Wednesday, January 15
9 am: Meet our Future Leaders: Students and Recent Graduates on their Experiences in the Auto Industry presented by Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Panelists:
Ian Gibson – Student, Kettering University
Dauan Hendley -Recent Graduate
Palak Ukey – UM Dearborn
Co-Moderators:
Avazeh (Ava) Attari – Director, Higher Education Partnerships, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Christina Roki – Automotive Content & Culture Creator
10 am: Road Ahead Address
Speaker:
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
10:25 am: Impact of the New Administration on the Automotive Industry presented by Alliance for Automotive Innovation
Conversation with:
John Bozzella – President and Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for Automotive Innovation
Glenn Stevens – Executive Director, MichAuto
11 am: Driving Possibilities STEM Initiative presented by Toyota
Panelists:
Dr. Sibrina Collins – Director, STEM Ed Institute at Eastern Michigan University
Teliah Hinton – Student, Ypsilanti Community Middle School
Robert Jansen – Superintendent, Lincoln Consolidated Schools
Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross – Superintendent, Ypsilanti Community Schools
Moderator:
Jeff Makarewicz – Group Vice President, Technical Resources Toyota North America Research and Development
12 pm: Accelerating Next Level Growth Through Motorsports presented by Have Blue Designs
Conversation with:
John Waraniak – Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Have Blue Designs; SAE International Fellow
Eric Warren – Executive Director, Global Motorsports Competition, General Motors Corporation
1 pm: Connected Vehicles: Driving Mobility presented by Automobility Advisors
Panelists:
Nicholas Cole – Principal Consultant, AutoMobility Advisors
Allen Levenson – Director, Data and Analytics, AutoMobility Advisors
Seema Nilakhe – Consumer Technology, Mobility and Automotive Consultant, AutoMobility Advisors
Moderator:
George Ayres – Managing Director, Automobility Advisors
2 pm: Bad Behaviors: Autonomous Driving, Distraction & Safety presented by Autoliv
Panelists:
Analia Jarvis – Manager, Government Affairs, Autoliv
Steve Kiefer – Chairman, The Kiefer Foundation
Bruce Mehler – Research Scientist, MIT
Ian Reagan – Senior Research Scientist, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Moderator:
Mike Rowe – Director, Business Development, Electronics and Mechatronics, Autoliv
3 pm: Maintaining EV Momentum presented by Electric Vehicle Association
Panelists:
Katherine Garcia – Director, Clean Transportation for All Campaign, Sierra Club
Michael Stanton – President and CEO, National Automobile Dealers Association
Gil Tal – Director, The Electric Vehicle Research Center, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis
Moderator:
Elaine Borseth – President, Electric Vehicle Association
4 pm: Future of Technology for Urban Mobility presented by Detroit Smart Parking Lab
Panelists:
Josh Bitterman – Co-Founder and Head of Business Development, IonDynamics Energy
Kevin Bopp – Chief Executive Officer, Park Rite, Detroit Smart Parking Lab
Daniel Chiaravalli – Managing Director, ALBA Robot
Donte Harris – Project Manager, itselectric
Moderator:
Lauren Mattar – Mobility Technical Program Manager, NextEnergy
Atrium Stage – Thursday, January 16
9 am: Keeping SE Michigan as a Destination of Choice for Mobility Startups presented by Michigan Central
Panelists:
David Medina Alvarez – Principal Chief Executive Officer, LIVAQ
Michael Healander – President and Chief Executive Officer, Airspace Link
Emma Jabour – Senior Advisor, Development and Economic Transformation, City of Detroit
Justin Kosmides – Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Bloom
Moderator:
Mark de la Vergne – Director, Economic Innovation and Policy, Michigan Central
10 am: Accelerating Impact: Building Innovation Ecosystems through Strategic Partnerships presented by Office of Future Mobility and Electrification
Panelists:
Clare Braun – Director, Strategy and Integration, Michigan Central
Kevin Mull – Senior Director, Office of Urban Strategy and Innovation, Bedrock Detroit
Tim Slusser – Chief of Mobility Innovation, City of Detroit
Moderator:
Justine Johnson – Chief Mobility Officer, State of Michigan, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
11 am: TCS Forum: Future-Ready Mobility – Steering Towards a Greener Horizon presented by Tata Consultancy Services
Panelists:
Anupam Singhal – President, Manufacturing, Tata Consultancy Services
Earl Newsome – Global Chief Information Officer, Cummins
M.S. Krishnan – Professor and Faculty Director, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
Moderator:
Naresh Mehta – Global Chief Technology Officer, Manufacturing, Tata Consultancy Services
12 pm: Harnessing AI to Deliver Product Creation & Manufacturing Excellence presented by Center for Automotive Research
Panelists:
Dr. Fatma Koçer-Poyraz – Vice President, Engineering Data Science, Altair
Stephen Bell – Chief Analyst-Connectivity, Informa Tech Automotive Group
Binoy Damodaran – Data and Technology Transformation, IBM Services
Ken Royce – Automotive and Sustainability Field Principal, Infor
Moderator: Dr. Venkatesh Prasad – Senior Vice President of Research and Chief Innovation Officer, Center for Automotive Research
1 pm: Electrifying Michigan: Navigating the EV Journey for Educators, Industry and Consumers presented by Washtenaw Community College
Panelists:
Dr. Rose B. Bellanca – President and Chief Executive Officer, Washtenaw Community College
Tom Butman – Vice President, Butman Ford Dealership
Neal Foley – Director of Marketing and Electrification
Glenn Stevens – Executive Director, MichAuto
Moderator:
Alisyn Malek – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Middle Third
2 pm: Intersection of IP and EV Technologies presented by US Patent & Trademark Office
Panelists:
Jennifer Dukarski – Emerging Technology, Automotive and Media Attorney Butzel Long Ann Arbor
Kristie A. Mahone – Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA)
Conrad Wong – Intellectual Property Attache, US Patent & Trademark Office
Moderator:
Derris Banks – Regional Director, US Patent & Trademark Office
3 pm: Preparing the Workforce for the Future Industries of Tomorrow presented by Michigan’s University Research Corridor
Conversation with:
Britany Affolter–Caine – Executive Director, Michigan’s University Research Corridor
Jonathan Nipper – Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
4 pm: You Drive the Future presented by MichAuto
Panelists:
Katelyn George – Civil Engineering Student, Wayne State University
Jeet Jhaveri – Computer Science Student, Michigan State University
Ahmad Mirou – Aerospace Engineering Student, University of Michigan
Co-Moderators:
Maddie Thomas – Talent Initiatives Specialist, MichAuto
Christina Roki – Automotive Content & Culture Creator
Ballroom Stage Schedule, Fireside Chat Topics, and Speakers:
Ballroom Stage – Wednesday, January 15
10 am: AI-Infused Mobility: Driving the Future presented by Tata Consultancy Services
Speakers:
Rakesh Devpura – Head, Manufacturing North America, Tata Consultancy Services
Luke Harvey – Principal Solutions Architect, Worldwide Automotive, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Arun DeSouza – CXO Executive Advisor, Netskope
Moderator:
Subhash Sakorikar – Global Head, Industry Excellence Group, Manufacturing, Tata Consultancy Services
11 am: Avoiding Pitfalls and Seizing Opportunities of Software-Designed Vehicles presented by Envorso
Speaker:
Scott Tobin – Chief Executive Officer, Envorso
Moderator:
Brian Rhodes – Research & Analysis Manager, Connected Car & Vehicle Experience, S&P Global Mobility
12 pm: Detroit’s Talent Transformation in the Automotive Sector: A Fire Side Chat Discussing the Recent Mobility and Employability Study presented by Lightcast
Conversation with:
Drew Coleman – Senior Director, MichAuto
Susan Koehn – Senior Consultant, Lightcast
Rachel Sedenberg – Director, Enterprise Research, Lightcast
1 pm: Why Hydrogen: Exploring Hydrogen’s Potential and Opportunities within the Mobility Space presented by FORVIA
Speaker:
Tarek Abdel-Baset – Chief Engineer, Hydrogen Storage Systems, FORVIA
Moderator:
Carl Anthony – Managing Editor, Automoblog
2 pm: The Road Ahead: Navigating the Winding Roads of the Auto Industry presented by S&P Global Mobility
Speaker:
Mike Wall – Executive Director, Automotive Analysis, S&P Global Mobility
Moderator:
Mark Phelan – Auto Critic and Columnist, Detroit Free Press
3 pm: Managing Through the Increasing Industry Stress and Uncertainty presented by AlixPartners
Speaker:
Mark Wakefield – Global Automotive Market Lead, AlixPartners
4 pm: Unlocking Aerial Mobility presented by Joby Aviation
Speaker:
Lydon Sleeper- US Strategic Policy Lead, Joby Aviation
Ballroom Stage – Thursday, January 16
10 am: The Strategy and Talent Needed Now for Our Ever-Evolving Industry presented by McKinsey & Co
Speakers:
Umesh Goel – Partner, Automotive Sector, McKinsey and Company
Brooke Weddle – Senior Partner, People and Organizational Performance Practice, McKinsey & Company
Moderator:Ed Garsten – Senior Transportation Contributor at Forbes.com
11 am: How Inclusivity in the EV Industry Positively Impacts Economic and Environmental Community Growth presented by Dunamis Charge
Speaker:
Natalie King – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dunamis Charge
12 pm: “SAFER by 2030” – A True Road to Zero Achieving a 30% Reduction in Highway Fatalities by 2030 presented by The Keifer Foundation
Speakers:
Katie Bower – Director, Office of Highway Safety Planning, Michigan State Police
Steve Kiefer – Chairman, The Kiefer Foundation
Moderator:
Terry Rhadigan – Strategic Advisor, Detroit Regional Chamber/MichAuto
1 pm: Welding Data, Not Just Steel: How Digital Transformation is Reshaping Automotive Talent
Speakers:
Jose Flores – Chief Executive Officer, Ancor Automotive
Ted Serbinski – Founder and Managing Partner, Stanson & Co
Moderator:
Bill Vlasic – Former Detroit Bureau Chief, The New York Times
2 pm: Italy: Design, Innovation and Passion on Wheels presented by the Italian Trade Agency and the Consul of the Italy, Detroit
Conversation with:
Allegra Baistrocchi – Consul of Italy, Detroit
Franco Bevione – Chief Executive Officer, Wedoo, LLC
Stefano DePonti – Chief Executive Officer, Dallara USA
Fabrizio Mina – Chief Executive Officer, Italdesign USA
Marco Verna – Trade Commission, Italian Trade Agency, Chicago
3 pm: Responsible Use of AI – How to Build AI Governance
Conversation with:Doug Fears – Chief Operating Officer, Artis-Magi
Hushedar Mehta – Vice President, Automotive & Technology, CGI Great Lakes Business Unit
4 pm: The Road Ahead: 7 Technologies Poised to Transform Michigan’s Mobility Industry presented by Detroit Regional Partnership and Global Epicenter of Mobility
Speakers:
Will Butler – Vice President, Business Development, Detroit Regional Partnership
Jason Puscas – Chief Administrative Officer, Bollinger Motors
Moderator:
Christine Roeder – Executive Vice President, Global Epicenter of Mobility
Possible Topic Suggestions:
Industry
Investment in the transition from ICE to BEV
Consumer confidence in BEV technology – how to improve the end user experience
Is China a threat to our industry – how does the US remain competitive; regulations/tariffs
The future of ground-based mobility – more CUV’s, SUV’s and trucks with fewer sedans
Sustainability and the circular economy – how to solve end of life vehicle disposal and BEV battery recycling
BEV charging infrastructure deployment and operability
Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems – challenges and opportunities
Technology
What new technologies are OEM’s looking for in the startup space
Autonomous driving – when and where are the most likely application
How to keep the automotive consumer and end user experience as the focal point of new technology development
How will AI improve the automotive consumer experience
Evolution of drones as last mile delivery option for packaged goods
How to keep Southeast Michigan as a destination of choice for new mobility startups
Funding for tech startups – grants, venture capital, acquisitions
Talent
Workforce development – attracting, training and retaining our future workforce
Student awareness of automotive industry job opportunities and training grants
Trade schools and Community Colleges – the role they play in educating our future workforce
Public-private partnerships – the collaboration between industry and public education to attract and retain talent
2025 Mobility Global Forum FAQ
Where is the venue located?
The location of the venue is Huntington Place convention center, 1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226.
How much time is allocated for the presentation?
Your session can be up to 45 minutes in length including a Q & A within that time frame. The format can be a keynote, fireside chat, or panel. All presentation organizers are responsible for booking their own panelists and moderators.
What days will the sessions be on?
January 15-16, 2025.
Where will the presentations be held?
Presentations will be held on the Huntington Place Atrium and Grand Ballroom stages, with access to both at no cost.
Contact Information
