Malika Amamra is a Strategic Account Manager in EMEA for Rockwell Automation.  She has been with the company for 20 years in a variety of positions.  For the last five years she has been part of the Industry Organization in EMEA, specifically as part of the EMEA Tire Team.

With an innovative approach to the challenges facing the tire industry and in-depth technical knowledge of automated logistics systems, Jyrki Anttonen has had a strong influence on the development of Cimcorp’s Dream Factory solution for tire manufacturing – particularly its software suite, including the intelligent Warehouse Control System (WCS) and Manufacturing Execution System (MES). 

 As well as leading the product development and product management departments at Cimcorp, Anttonen is involved in R&D process development and IP management. Joining the company as a software engineer straight from Tampere University of Technology, where he gained a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, he has worked for Cimcorp in a variety of roles since 1985. His involvement in major projects has included delivery of a robotic picking system to a leading Australian retailer and heading up the engineering study for the automation of a factory for a large tire manufacturer in Asia. Involved in all of Cimcorp’s tire industry projects from the beginning of the century, Anttonen was promoted to Product Manager for the sector in 2008. His comprehensive insight and dedicated approach led to him being appointed as Technology Manager in 2010 and then Technology Director in 2012.

 With their two sons now grown up, Jyrki Anttonen and his wife have more time to spend at the gym, the golf course and travelling the world.

Bruce Davis, special projects editor, has been with Tire Business since its inception in 1983, helping create the business plan, format, design and content with then-editor and publisher Ernie Zielasko. Prior to that he was a reporter and marketing editor of Rubber & Plastics News from August 1980 to December 1982. Davis was managing editor of Tire Business from 1983 to 1985, when he became the European correspondent for Tire Business, Rubber & Plastics News, European Rubber Journal and Urethanes Technology, all published by Crain Communications. He moved to Frankfurt, Germany, where he covered the European tire and rubber industry for all four magazines for the next 12 years, returning to the Akron office in early 1996 as special projects editor for Tire Business and Rubber & Plastics News. In his current role, Davis heads up special projects such as the Global Tire Report and rankings of retailers, commercial dealers, retreaders and wholesalers among other topics. Davis graduated from Ohio University in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Marc Flederus is founder and senior VP of Ferm RFID Solutions, since January 2018 a division of Fineline Technologies USA. Ferm RFID is recognized as the world’s leader in designing, implementing and producing RFID solutions that meet the tire industry’s unique needs. As a result of this effort, Ferm is working closely together with the largest tire producers worldwide. 
At Ferm RFID Solutions Marc attends to innovative and international RFID-projects and partnerships. Marc is also a certified and pro-active GS1-member and guest lecturer at different Dutch universities. 

Daniel Geider is a Technology Field Manager in the “Maxolution Factory Automation” department of SEW-Eurodrive GmbH & Co KG.  In this role, he supports companies to reach the next level in logistics, e.g. by using SEW mobile solutions. SEW offers complete intralogistics solutions (e.g. AGVs) out of one hand, including process consulting, system engineering, commissioning and services.  Geider has an M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering & Mechatronics.  He joined SEW in 2014.

Aranzazu Guisuraga received a Chemical Engineering degree from Oviedo University, Spain before starting her PhD at Abo University, Finland. She joined the Regulatory Affairs group of the Albemarle Corporation, Belgium in 1999 and then moved back to Spain, working at the Quality Department of Repsol at their General Quimica Plant.
Guisuraga started her career with ExxonMobil in 2001, working with the Santoprene TPV brand as a customer support engineer based in Brussels. At the same time, she completed a Masters in Business Administration. She then transitioned to a Market Developer role in 2003 with responsibility for product and applications development in the medical and industrial sectors.
In 2006, she was appointed Market Developer for Vistamaxx™ performance polymers evaluating new business opportunities in the hygiene and compounding sectors.
Three years later she was transferred to the planning department of the Butyl business, with responsibility for the analysis and forecasting of global tire demand. In 2013, she was appointed the Product Manager for the Butyl plants in EMEAF. Guisuraga joined the Market Development group in mid-2016 and is responsible for tire market development in Europe, while also leading the development of the global pharmaceutical market for butyl elastomers. Her primary role is to advance and grow the Butyl business in EMEAF by sharing her considerable knowledge and expertise with the steadily growing ExxonMobil team that is supporting butyl growth throughout the region.  

Stephan Helm is the Managing Director of the Reifen Helm Group, where he started as COO/CFO in 2012.  He became CEO in 2015, and was made a member of the board of the BRV (dealer association) in 2016. 

Prior to joining the company, Helm was with Generali Group, where he progressed from Management Consultant to Head of Internal Revision.  Previously he managed European rental and used equipment service for Still Forklift Trucks at the KION Group.

Helm earned his degree in Business Administration from the University of Hamburg.

Dr. Guido Hüffer is General Manager Retail Operations DACH at Goodyear Dunlop Handelssysteme in Cologne. In his role he is responsible for the development of new retail products, services and IT- & technology solutions for more than 1.000 GDHS franchisees in DACH. Hüffer joined the Goodyear company in 2007 and held several positions in European project management and sales and sales operations at Goodyear before joining the GD Handelssysteme GmbH.

Philippe has joined Michelin in 1984 after a Mechanical Engineering Diploma from INSA Lyon in France. Since 2011, he is manager of a team in charge of the predevelopment of Communication Systems to be integrated into the tyre. He is also one of the experts working in the ISO TC31 WG10 aiming at an industry-wide adoption of a RFID tyre tag standard.

Before this, he has taken different positions within the R&D organization of Michelin, in Europe and North America in relation with the development of Tools and Methods (tyre physics, tyre durability, simulation of tyre performances) and Tyre Design (Heavy Truck, Passenger car, SUV, Winter tyres, for both replacement market & original equipment).

Günter Lanzer, born in 1967, joined Siemens AG Germany in 1990 after gaining his diploma in electrical engineering. During his 27 years of employment, Lanzer has acquired experience and a comprehensive know-how in automation technology.
Through his different job responsibilities like software development engineer, regional sales manager and business developer, Lanzer has gained competence in products and systems, as well as in topics such as Digitalization, Industrie 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things.
Since 2016 Lanzer has been driving the strategic product sales development for Industrial Identification Systems in SIEMENS Headquarters, Germany for the Americas and Europe.
Together with the SIEMENS Competence Center Tire, Lanzer provides the “Best suited products and systems” for the Tire Industry.

In 1990, after finalizing his Ph.D. in Polymer Physics at the University of Darmstadt, joined Löwenhaupt.  He was responsible for basic development of tyre engineering and compound development. In 1996, he became the senior manager of Car Tyre Engineering. In 2000 after signing the Joint Venture with Goodyear, he was nominated as an R&D director, responsible for the European and Japanese Dunlop development for both replacement and OE tyres. In 2015 he moved to Sumitomo Rubber Europe GmbH as managing director to establish the European Development Centre for the Falken brand in Europe and Dunlop brand for other regions.

Dennis Melka is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of MisterTyre Malaysia.  With a background in finance and service-driven industries, Melka has been the keynote speaker at Thammasat University, and the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management.  He has also appeared in Forbes, Straits Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Edge, and other publications.

Melka graduated Magna Cum Laude from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where he specialized in international economics.  In addition to being a founder of MisterTyre Malaysia, he is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Hotel Nida; and works with venture capital investments at East Pacific Capital Private, Ltd.

Mr. Jacob Peled is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Pelmar Group of companies, headquartered in Ramat Hasharon, Israel. For the last 50 years, the Pelmar Group has focused on technology, equipment, engineering, and promotion related to the tire and rubber industry. Mr. Peled's interest has focused on the subjects of sustainability and particularly recycling of both technical rubber products and tires. As a graduate of Tel Aviv University and post-graduate of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Mr. Peled has educated a generation of researchers, scientists and developers dedicated to tire and rubber engineering.

Patrick Raleigh has been editor of European Rubber Journal since 2014, having worked on the title some years previously as on-line/news editor. He has also served as editor of Process Engineering magazine and held various editorial roles for Urethanes Technology and Plastics & Rubber Weekly. His more recent experience includes setting up specialist information services for the chemical and process industries, and he has also previously worked for a global patent information provider. Patrick has an MSc degree in Polymer Science & Engineering from the School of Polymer Technology at the University of North London, and a GradPRI (honours degree equivalent) in Plastics Engineering from Athlone Regional Technical College in the Republic of Ireland.

Mr. Stephan Rau is Technical Director of Wirtschaftsverband der deutschen Kautschukindustrie e.V. (WDK).  Prior to joining WDK, he was with Michelin Reifenwerke Karlsruhe, where he was Test Manager – Michelin Challenge Bibendum and then had technical responsibility for German Truck OE customers.

Guido Savi is graduated in economics and has held senior management positions with major automotive and tyre companies in Europe and overseas. Currently, he is Head of Automotive Consultancy at HBC Group. His customers are major car and tyre manufacturers, retail networks, leasing companies and professional organisations. Since February 2016, Guido Savi is also the FEBIAC representative (fédération automobile des constructeurs et importateurs automobile) for Luxemburg. 

Paul graduated with a degree in Economics from Kalamazoo College in 1991 and an MSc in Environmental Economics from Imperial College in 2005. He has worked in commodity and industrial market analysis throughout his career, including analysing metals and mining markets at CRU and delivering industry related consultancy and the International Industry Service at Oxford Economics and sustainability services at URS. He joined LMC's Rubber and Tyre Research Team in 2012, where he focuses on tyre and rubber market research.

David Shaw, who has 30 years' experience within the global tire industry, is the owner and chief executive of Tire Industry Research (TIRes).

The company publishes a weekly newsletter on the tire industry in China as well as monthly reports on the global tire industry. It is also a publisher of market research reports, specialising in areas including the tire industry in China and strategies for sustainability.

David also manages the business-strategy sessions at the TTE conference – the annual international tire industry meeting in Hanover, Germany.

He regularly advises chief executives and corporate strategists on the future development of the global tire industry, and presents at conferences and events in Asia, the Americas and Europe. 

Jose Antonio Silicani recently retired from a major international tire manufacturer, where he was the Knowledge Management Officer, responsible for building up knowledge management, supporting innovation using external partnerships, and education frameworks.  Prior to serving in that capacity, he was the Tire Materials Development Director for fourteen years.  Silicani earned his chemical engineering degree from the Univerisdad Nacional de Ingenieria – Lima – Peru. 

Enzo Sorrentino is Rockwell Automation’s Global Strategic Account Manager, where he helps drive global business across Japan, China, Argentina, the US and Canada.  He has over 28 years in the industry, in roles ranging from technical to sales.

Sorrentino holds an Electronic Engineer degree from Napoli Federico II University.  His engineering background helps him support customers with integrated automation and information solutions.  Based in Karlsruhe, Germany, Sorrentino travels globally on behalf of Rockwell Automation.

Philipp Struck and his team in Hanover, Germany are responsible for the development of the latest Continental brand PLT summer tires for the EMEA region. With a focus on both original equipment and the replacement market they keep an eye on the latest trends, technologies, and regulations. 

Previously Struck has held positions in material research and winter tire development with a focus on the APAC market. 

Despite a PhD in theoretical physics he has not lost his hands-on, tinkerer mentality.

In his freetime, he likes to explore the limits of tires with both two and four wheeled vehicles (his road bike and sports car).

Peter Taylor, OBE has chaired previous Future Tire conferences and, this year, will lead discussions about the outlook for the tire industry in the emerging era of  digitalisation, electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies. A highly respected figure throughout the tire industry, Taylor has extensive experience of the sector both in the UK and in key regions worldwide. In the UK, he is the founder and secretary general of the Tyre Recovery Association and has been a member of the Used Tyre Working Group since its inception. He has also been director of the Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association. In 2009, Taylor was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to the tire industry.

Emilio Tiberio graduated from University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA with a Masters in Science Engineering in 1999. Shortly after, he began his career with Bridgestone where he covered roles in Consumer Tire Development and Tire Research. From 2006 till 2008 he joined the Bridgestone Motorsport team in the GP2 category. After ten years in the technical roles, he became Head of OE Consumer Tire Development where he contributed to the expansion of OE business in Europe with new product lines and OE homologations.

In 2011, Tiberio relocated to Frankfurt to take on a new challenge in the sales team. During this, he was responsible for working with some of the business’s key accounts, including Daimler and BMW, managing the price and supply side of the business which would be invaluable to his later roles within Bridgestone.
Following his time in the sales team, Tiberio returned to the Technical Center as Director of Consumer Tire Development. During his time in this role, he led the product development for the entire Consumer business, overseeing and implementing technologies that would solidify Bridgestone position within the industry, and help the business with innovative technologies such as Ologic, Innovative Light Weight, Run Flat, Low Rolling Resistance.
Since 2014 Tiberio is member of Global Research and Development Committee, contributing to steer the agenda of R&D at Global level within the Corporation.
In 2017, after 18 years with the business, Tiberio took on the role of Vice President of Research and Development for Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, where he is responsible for pushing innovation to be in line with the evolving market. He is leading on digital and technological strategies to ensure the business has a strong strategy for products and solutions, identifying new technologies and assessing the potential for future business growth. 

Van Tuyl has 30 years of experience in tire development, industrialization and engineering.  Since 5 years Van Tuyl is involved in numerous strategic technology initiatives for future mobility and Van Tuyl represents Goodyear in the ETRTO executive committee, the Luxembourg mobility Workgroup and ILEA (the Automotive Industry Suppliers in Luxembourg).

Karol Vanko is Mesnac Vice President, MERTC General Director, Mesnac European Research and Technical Centre s.r.o. he earned a Master of Engineering from the Technical University -Engineering Cybernetic, and has 28 years of experience in the tyre industry.

Vanko began his career with the Slovakian tire company Matador, where he established and managed the specialized engineering division Matador Machinery, later Conti Machinery.  In 2009 Vanko became the General Director of Mesnac European Research and Technical Centre. In 2011 he was awarded the highest Chinese state award for foreign experts to support China’s development - Friendship Award.

Guido Veit is the Business Unit Manager Plastics & Rubber Plants for Zeppelin Systems.  Veit studied process engineering at the University of Stuttgart. He has more than 20 years of international project and plant engineering experience and today is responsible for the global rubber, plastics and mixing business of Zeppelin Systems. His practical experience ranges from bulk material handling and liquid dosing through hot gas filtration to the recycling of rubber and plastics. He maintains excellent contacts with the tire industry and develops concepts for the rubber mixing room at both Greenfield and Braunfields.

Veit has worked for Zeppelin Systems GmbH since 1998. He is responsible for the Rubber & Tire as well as the Plastic Processor markets worldwide. Zeppelin Systems GmbH is today one of the worldwide leading companies for processing of bulk materials as well as mixing and compounding processes. Veit developed Zeppelin as a full service provider for Mixing Room Solutions in the Tire Industry. Furthermore he supports the development of a closed loop recycling system for tires and other technologies such as Liquid Dosing System and fully automation processes according Industry 4.0.

Straight from the University of Windesheim Zwolle, Zweers joined VMI in 2002 as a commissioning engineer. In this role he has travelled around the world and have seen many plants from the inside. With the field experience he was able to grow within VMI. During his time on engineering he was involved with the development of the VMI Maxx, but also with other major R&D project. After some different roles within VMI Zweers started as R&D Manager Passenger Tire Building in 2014. With a group of enthusiast, young and experienced engineers, he continuously works to improve VMI's actual portfolio, but also works on disruptive projects to be ready for the future.