Entrepreneur, Digitalization Ambassador, Field Service Leader, Electrical Engineer, Author, and Speaker. I moved from a mechatronics technician wiring machines to an Electrical Engineer programming production lines to a project manager and Service Leader to support manufacturing clients through the entire life cycle of their production assets. Founder of MR Service & Consult LLC, your boutique consultancy for digitalization in manufacturing, and the brand DigitalituM, which provides Digitalization tools to the manufacturing industry in North America. Recent speaking engagements at Georgia Institute of Technology and other industry-related events like MAXIMOWORLD and International Maintenace Conference (IMC). I'm passionate about Digital Transformation in the Manufacturing Industry, Transatlantic Relations, and business, as well as STEM & technical education through apprenticeship and further education. What makes me unique: Growing up in Germany and living for more than a decade in the USA makes me a hybrid of both cultures. With my technical education, I can talk Bit&Bytes, my EMBA degree from Georgia State University helps me to talk business.

With almost 20 years of experience in the automation industry, Davide couldn’t be more passionate about delivering digital transformation to our clients. He began his career in Europe working for significant EPC contractors operating in the Middle Eastern oil and gas sector. While this is where his focus on automation and instrumentation began, his interest in implementation skyrocketed with his arrival in the USA. His background is firmly rooted in the oil and gas industry, but his knowledge has diversified into other vertical markets in recent years. To challenge his knowledge, David has developed new skills and strategies that have transported him to manufacturing, process design, OEM, and water/wastewater customers. As the CEO of Bright IIoT, Davide prides himself on his attention to detail. He’s committed to delivering the best automation solutions to his customers with integrity, quality, and leadership. With every aspect of the business, he intends to help our clients achieve the competitive edge they can.

Horner APG, comprised of Horner Automation and Horner Lighting groups, is a U.S.-based, global leader in commercial automation and LED lighting. Through our customer-centric vision and innovative focus, we provide truly value-added solutions exceeding our customer's and partner's expectations.

What is standardization and why is it important? On the plant floor. In the stock room. In the back office and more! A special thanks to Siemens for sponsoring this episode and your continuned support of the show.

Solving problems that most people find impossible is what drives Preston Hadley. He's an industry leader and is on the front lines daily, making automation come to life all around him. He got his start in IT but fell in love with automation and controls and never looked back. Preston is taking it upon himself to address the skills gap in the industry, and his Change a Life Giveaway is one of the most impactful stories you'll hear. It centered around a drawing where the winner would receive a Siemens S7-1200 starter kit. The story gets even better when he shares that the winner was able to land a job in his desired field within a four-week span of taking the prize. Talk about immediate impact!

A problem solver with over 20 years of experience in various roles in automation, manufacturing, and data solutions. I have a unique set of skills and experiences that allow me to be a consultant, coach, architect, mentor, or implementer as the need fits. From my start as an engineer doing automation work in industrial manufacturing through the founder of a data solutions company, my experiences help me bring insight into issues that industrial companies struggle with today. Throughout my 20 years, I have also developed a tremendous network of people who are among the best in the world at what they do. Those partnerships allow me and my company to deliver solutions beyond my capability.

"My passion for the Automation Engineering business translates into providing creative solutions for my customers. Every project is a new challenge that I take on with the objective of exceeding customer expectations." In 2004 I saw the need for an on-call high-talent automation service and project support provider and started PowerLab Control Technologies. The twelve-employee business grew until the asset sale of the corporation in 2010.

I am a high-energy business development and sales leader with over 24 years of factory automation market development and sales experience in the development and implementation of strategies to meet and exceed business growth goals. I have a passion for technology and people and am driven to leverage my knowledge, experience, and relationships across a wide range of industries to understand a customer's needs and collaborate to develop and implement optimal factory automation solutions to achieve their goals.

All June long we've been talking about Systems Integrators. Different verticals. Different perspectives. One thing we (mostly) agree on is the fact that Systems Integration will be different five years from now than it is today. Join Vlad and Dave as we talk all about our experiences and predictions.