John is President of The Barnes Global Advisors and the CEO/Founder of Metal Powder Works. John has a 30+ year career in product development and aerospace with Honeywell, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works™, Australia's CSIRO and Arconic. He's been involved in metal additive manufacturing throughout this career, beginning in the late 1990s when he was part of the Sandia National Labs LENS™ CRADA. Since then, he has been in and around AM, working both technical and business cases for implementation and development efforts in materials, powders, processing and printing to mature the technology for applications. John is recognized internationally for contributions to additive manufacturing, product development and leadership in engineering. His team boasts world firsts in medical, therapeutic and aerospace additive manufacturing. John stood up the AM research group at the CSIRO. John is a Materials Engineer by background but has developed expertise in manufacturing, airframe structures, gas turbines and low observables. He holds 15+ patents and applications and is published and presents internationally. He was Purdue University's Materials Engineer of the Year in 2014.  His team won the Silver Medal in the 2020 US Air Force AM Olympics. He is active in professional service, serving on the SAM AMS-AM Committee and is a member of the ASTM F42. He has served as Chair of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) AM Technical Community, Chair of the America Makes Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)'s Additive Manufacturing Steering Committee for the Process Control Working Group, was awarded an America Makes AM Ambassador in 2019 and is host of the SME Voices AMplified podcast. He is an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and RMIT University. John holds a B.S. and M.S. in Materials Engineering from Purdue University.

As the Head of Technology at GKN Aerospace, Laura developed the strategic skills required to affect technological change in large organizations. This includes translating technical roadmaps into strategic business visions and vice versa, building businesses cases, securing capital and operating funding (~$15M OpEx and ~$7M CapEx over four years), protecting and exploiting intellectual property, and collaborating across the industrial supply chain. Laura’s leadership skills are highlighted through her ability to build and enable diverse teams. She was responsible for building a new team focused on the maturation of laser/wire deposition for titanium aerostructures after negotiating a CRADA between GKN Aerospace and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, valued at $18M over five years.
Laura has a passion for optimizing manufacturing processes. For 15 years, she has focused on improving metallic alloys and processes, specifically for laser/wire deposition, friction stir welding, spin forming, machining, and various wrought processes with application to titanium aerostructures, aluminum wing skins, inlet lip skins, and copper electrical connectors, coinage, and ammunition. She directly supported aerospace production, including Boeing’s 787-9, F/A-18, and F-15. Her enthusiasm for additive manufacturing and promoting diversity in the workplace is contagious. Laura shares her energy via various public forums, ranging from executive aerospace conferences and university lectures to kindergarten classrooms. Laura graduated summa cum laude with her B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Missouri – Rolla (now Missouri S&T).

Jen led the global additive manufacturing team for Wabtec Corp. and oversaw additive engineering design, prototyping, and parts production for Wabtec’s global additive manufacturing efforts. She formed the original AM team at G.E. Transportation (now Wabtec), successfully led the launch of over 50 production additive parts, and opened four global labs in the U.S. and India with a wide range of metal and polymer 3D printing capabilities. Prior to her start in additive manufacturing, Jen led the PLM launch and held several roles in systems engineering, specializing in locomotive traction, propulsion systems, and energy storage reliability. As a graduate of the Edison Engineering Development Program, she received intense technical training and business-critical assignments, including on-shore wind and diesel engine emissions design engineering roles. Through her extensive work in the industry, Jen is also the recipient of 8 U.S. patents. Jen currently serves as an SME Additive Manufacturing Community Advisor. She’s also received multiple recognition awards, including one of 2020 Railway Age’s Top Women in Rail, 2017 G.E. Transportation’s Women in Technology award, and the 2013 G.E. Transportation Innovation Engineering award. Jen holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Grove City College and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Andy Davis is a respected leader in the Defense advanced manufacturing and industrial base community, known for his ability to catalyze diverse groups to collaborate for a common cause. He spent 19 years within the Department of Defense, most recently as the Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer of the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, where he led the organizational design, program planning and management, strategic planning, technical assessments, and the expansion of Program acquisition platforms. Prior to that, Andy worked for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), including a role as the Army’s Global Technology Advisor to the United Kingdom, Israel and South Africa; he lived in the U.K. with his family and focused on connecting industry, academia and allied Ministries of Defense with U.S. Army researchers. Andy also led the Army’s Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program, where he helped launch the Manufacturing USA Institutes, led the Army and DoD in first-of-their-kind AM technology roadmaps, created the Army’s AM community of practice, helped draft the Army’s AM campaign plan, and led the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP) in establishing a strategic framework to standardize cross-DOD collaboration. Prior to this, Andy held a variety of Army mechanical engineering positions, primarily focused on electro-mechanical design and prototyping. Andy received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Grove City College and Johns Hopkins University, respectively. Andy loves spending time adventuring with his family, is an avid outdoorsman, enjoys demolition derbies and is learning to master the art of smoking meats.

Dr. Rob Carter is an industry leader in research and strategy development for advanced materials and manufacturing with over 18 years of experience in the defense and medical sectors. Most recently, Rob was the Director for Advanced Materials and Process Engineering at Stryker Orthopedics. He was responsible for developing new materials and additive manufacturing techniques for next-generation orthopedic devices. Prior to that, he spent 16 years with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) where he was the Branch Chief of Materials Manufacturing Technology and the Founding Director for the Center for Agile Materials Manufacturing Science (CAMMS). In these roles, Rob led the development of manufacturing technologies for lethality and protection applications, research into AM and cold spray technologies, development of new materials and designs for Army applications (alloys, ceramics, and composites), and the development of specifications and standards for defense materials and manufacturing requirements. Rob led ARL’s long-term manufacturing research strategy and was ARL’s representative for the DoD working group with America Makes to create the DoD AM Roadmap. He has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech. He serves on the external advisory boards for the Mechanical Engineering departments at Penn State and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Christina’s passion for flight and aerospace design has guided her impressive career in advanced manufacturing. Prior to TBGA, she played a pivotal role at Sintavia, transitioning the company’s focus from commercial aerospace to the space and defense sectors. Her accomplishments include implementing CRM and ERP systems to boost operational efficiency and establishing strategic partnerships with industry leaders. Her background also includes significant contributions at Embraer Executive Jets and Bombardier Aerospace, where she was involved in product development and strategic planning for new aircraft designs. Christina has been recognized for her industry insights, having been invited to speak at key events such as the FAA/EASA Joint Additive Manufacturing Workshop 2024 and the AMS Strategies panel on sustainability in 2023. Additionally, she represented Sintavia at the AM Forward event with President Biden in 2022. Christina holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace Structures, Systems, and Vehicle Design from Carleton University and has project management certifications.

Tierney has 20 years of experience in various roles in Business Management. The majority of her career was spent at The Coca-Cola Company, where she managed projects in IT systems implementations, database development, and process improvement. Tierney was responsible for marketing procurement initiatives which included forecasting, developing, and executing purchasing strategies and global contract negotiation. While living in Australia with her family, Tierney worked as an Operations Consultant for GNC Group Consulting in Melbourne. She holds a BA in Marketing from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Georgia State University in Marketing and Decision Science.

Dr. Tim Simpson has more than 25 years of experience teaching students, designers, and engineers about 3D printing and AM. He is Co-Director of Penn State’s Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D). Tim has been at the leading edge of the recent wave of AM innovation and industry adoption. He has extensive experience with powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, and non-destructive inspection technologies. He specializes in design for additive manufacturing, and he has helped train and educate more than 1500 industry practitioners to realize AM’s unique value proposition in aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, defense, energy, medical, oil and gas, and space industries. Tim was on the founding team of America Makes and spearheads multiple workforce, education, and outreach efforts at all levels across the country. For six years, Tim was a monthly contributor to an AM column in Modern Machine Shop and Additive Manufacturing Media. He currently is the Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing at Penn State and a co-host of AM Radio.

Rick is a proven leader and problem solver with over 37 years of experience in the aerospace industry. He spent over 25 years with NASA, culminating in the role of Technical Fellow for Materials. In this Agency role, he served as the senior material’s technical expert for NASA within the Office of the Chief Engineer and the leader of the Agency Materials Technical Discipline Team. He served as an independent resource for NASA and industry, helping to resolve complex issues. One of his most notable accomplishments was creating, assembling, and leading the team that authored NASA-STD-6030 “Additive Manufacturing Requirements for Spaceflight Systems.” Rick’s exposure to AM began over 10 years ago during the early stages of the Commercial Crew Program, where he was the System Manager for both Materials and Processes and Fracture Control. Rick spent nearly 20 years supporting the Space Shuttle program in various roles and was a major contributor to the return to flight efforts following the Columbia disaster. Rick’s other career stops include Naval Aviation, Bell Helicopter, and, most recently, Northrop Grumman. Rick has a B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urban Champaign and a M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida.

Dr. Wayne King is an internationally recognized leader in metal additive manufacturing, having worked in the field since 2011. He has over 30 years of experience ranging from fundamental materials research and applied science to research management. Most recently, Wayne served as project leader of the Accelerated Certification of Additively Manufactured Metals Project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This project focuses on developing physics-based models relating microstructure, properties, and process to the performance of materials and includes predictive models for the laser powder bed fusion process. The project also uses integrated in-process sensing, monitoring, and control technologies to accelerate part qualification. Wayne has developed a deep understanding of the additive manufacturing process through this work. Past work includes radiation effects, high-temperature oxidation, atomic structure of interfaces, and grain boundary engineering. Wayne is the author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has delivered numerous keynote lectures on the topic of metal additive manufacturing both nationally and internationally. Wayne received his B.A. degree from Thiel College in Physics and Mathematics and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Materials Science and Engineering.

Michael spent 34+ years with McDonnell Douglas/Boeing in Structural Design and Additive Manufacturing (AM). For the past two decades, he technically and strategically led the evolution of polymer AM from rapid prototyping into aerospace production through the engineering of material and process developments, requirement definitions, application selections, qualifications, testing, certifications, and technology transitions. Michael understands all aspects of polymer AM technology, from basic science to program production. His AM knowledge and strategic direction helped Boeing become a leader in the implementation of polymer AM, and Michael’s technologies have been utilized across the global Boeing enterprise making him the advisor and consultant he is today. Michael advised and consulted companies, universities, institutes, and governments, assisting them in their polymer AM programs. He was the Boeing team leader in the founding of America Makes on the original governance board and a key founding representative of the Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC) in Paderborn, Germany. Michael holds 15 U.S. patents with two pending. He has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Dan Hartman is an industry leader in the vision, strategy, and implementation of Digital Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 . He brings 38 years of manufacturing experience in aerospace, defense and heavy equipment industries. Most recently, Dan was the Director of Digital Manufacturing for Oshkosh Corporation where he was responsible for defining their global digital manufacturing strategy and vision. He developed the Digital/Smart Factory of the Future Vision, transformation roadmaps, and manufacturing sustainability strategies. Prior to Oshkosh, Dan spent 15 years with Rolls-Royce Corporation where he was the Digital Manufacturing Manager for North America and held several manufacturing engineering leadership positions. Dan was also the Rolls-Royce manufacturing representative on the UI Labs proposal team that won the DMDI Institute (now called MxD). Once the DoD awarded the institute, Rolls-Royce “loaned” Dan to UI Labs to help launch the Institute. For 3 years Dan was their Director of Manufacturing Research & Development and led the design and build of MxD’s Manufacturing Research Center in Chicago. Early in Dan’s career he worked for a DoE Nuclear Weapons facility, provided Manufacturing Engineering and NC Programming consulting services and was the Head of Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Honeywell’s Aircraft Landing Systems division. During his time with Honeywell, he implemented new manufacturing automation technologies, led their “Factory of the Future” transformation, and was a member of the Honeywell Aerospace Lean Champions Council. He is a Six-Sigma Greenbelt, Lean Expert and has a B.S. in Numerical Control Technology from Northern Illinois University.

Matthew has demonstrated his ability to successfully guide the implementation of new metallic materials and processes in production environments through his unique combination of technical expertise, qualification/certification knowledge, and ability to develop new suppliers. This expertise has been cultivated over a 20+ year career in developing new technologies for military, space, and commercial aerospace platforms with multiple companies. His involvement with metallic AM began in 2001 when working in Lockheed Martin Skunk Works on laser powder-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes under the Metals Affordability Initiative. This initial exposure to AM led to a primary career focus on maturing DED technologies for titanium alloys to realize their benefits within the aerospace industry. In Matthew's latest position as an Associate Technical Fellow on the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Product Development team, he led the development of titanium wire-DED processes. In 2017, he led qualification of the first additively manufactured structural titanium parts for commercial aircraft which was recognized by an Aviation Weekly Laureates Award. Beyond metallic AM, Matthew has experience in developing a wide variety of metallic materials and processes including qualification of a Ni-based superalloy composite overwrapped pressure vessel for use on the International Space Station. He also serves as a member of the MMPDS Committee involved in the development of metallic allowables for the aerospace industry. Matthew currently holds 3 U.S. patents with another 2 applications pending. Matthew has a B.S. in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a M.E. in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Ethan is an experienced business and engineering professional in the Aerospace & Defense industry. While at Lockheed Martin, he garnered a broad set of skills and experience from developing, building and managing complex supply chains, leading billion-dollar defense proposals, and implementing advanced manufacturing technologies into production programs. During his tenure, Ethan’s proposal leadership resulted in the capture and execution of over $1B in new business for Lockheed’s Aeronautics business unit. In his most recent experience with nTopology, Ethan's focus was relationship building, driving application adoption of new and novel AM applications and identifying expansion opportunities across strategic accounts. His new role with The Barnes Global Advisors will fuse two of his passions together, supply chain management and advanced manufacturing, to assist the Department of Defense in cultivating a strong, resilient, responsive and healthy United States industrial base that improves readiness for the Warfighter and ensures America’s safety. Outside of work, Ethan is a BBQ pit master and can be found at local Dallas breweries selling out of his delicious, craft smoked meats.

Nikki has 15 years of business and accounting experience, with an emphasis on small business. She has spent a portion of her business career in management and played important roles in process implementation and improvements. Nikki holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy degree from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. Nikki is located within Illinois, in the Great St. Louis region, where she is also self-employed as a Residential Real Estate Appraiser. Outside of work, she and her family enjoy time spent outdoors with family, friends, and animals.

Chris started his career at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, focusing initially on additive manufacturing technology development, characterization, and implementation for composite tooling and flight hardware. While at LM, Chris was responsible for optimizing AM process parameters, developing an initial database of design allowables, and producing the first internal design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) guidelines. He managed additive manufacturing research and development activities at Arconic (formerly Alcoa) Titanium & Engineered Products facility in Austin, Texas. While at Arconic, Chris was involved in all aspects of AM process development, machine operation (EOS, SLM, Renishaw, and Arcam), facility build-out, and production qualification of additively manufactured flight hardware. Chris supports customer projects involving any aspect of the AM design process (DfAM, topology optimization, build file preparation, process simulation, inspection) or AM production implementation for laser/electron beam powder bed fusion (process specifications, powder management, machine, and process management). Chris obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with High Honors from the University of Texas at Austin.