This two-day virtual symposium features presentations and networking opportunities with some of the world’s leading experts in the industry’s steadfast advancement into the new digital age — digital engineering, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), organizational change management for digital transformation, digital supply chain, Feature-based PLE, and more. These esteemed experts come together to explore fundamental relationships among these disciplines that are the key elements to your success.
At the heart of this new paradigm are the precise digital representations of engineering and operations information, integrated end-to-end throughout the enterprise in ways that can be comprehended, communicated, analyzed, and processed by both humans and advanced computer systems. The business justification for transitioning to this new paradigm is for faster, more predictable, and more reliable solutions to the largest societal and enterprise challenges, needs, and audacious aspirations, which have heretofore been beyond our technological and human limits.
A unifying theme for the symposium is the essential role that modern Feature-based PLE now plays in the successful transition to sophisticated digital enterprises. You will come away from this symposium with new insights into the latest Feature-based PLE innovations that are providing unprecedented business and engineering benefits.
The symposium is intended to facilitate important conversations between business and technical leaders who must now collaborate to successfully lead their organizations into the new digital age. Be sure to invite your business or engineering counterparts to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
David is the founder and president of Vitech. For over 25 years, he has focused on helping organizations around the world increase their systems engineering proficiency, particularly in the areas of MBSE and Digital Engineering.
Dr. Bobbi Young is a Systems Engineering Fellow and Certified Architect at Raytheon Technologies supporting multiple sensor and weapons systems programs and strategic initiatives. Currently, she leads an Internal Research and Development Project focusing on adoption of Product Line Engineering (PLE) across the business. She is regarded throughout Raytheon Technologies as an expert in MBSE and PLE and is a member of the Raytheon Corporate Architecture Board.
Dr. Charles Krueger, BigLever founder and CEO, has more than 25 years of experience in software engineering practice and more than 60 articles, columns, book chapters, conference keynotes, and session presentations. Dr. Krueger has proven expertise in helping companies establish some of the industry’s most notable PLE practices.
Eric MacKnight is a systems integration technical leader at GE Aviation, having developed flight test data systems and the next generation of predictive analytics to predetermine engine failure. Eric’s current task is to optimize team speed and efficiency for software development.
Sanford Friedenthal is an industry leader and independent consultant in model-based systems engineering (MBSE). Previously, at Lockheed Martin, he led the effort to enable Model- Based Systems Development (MBSD) and other advanced practices across the company. Mr. Friedenthal has been a leader of the industry standards effort through the Object Management Group (OMG) and INCOSE to develop the Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML ®) that was adopted by the OMG in 2006. He is now co-leading the effort to develop the next generation of SysML (v2).
Rick Flores has three decades of experience in vehicle electrical systems and software with General Motors. He has authored numerous industry publications on model-based system design and product line engineering. His latest focus areas include a leadership role in the advancement of Systems Engineering at GM while setting technical direction for alignment of software architectures, tools and process across functional domains.
Bill Schindel is president of ICTT System Sciences, an INCOSE Fellow, and chairs the INCOSE MBSE Patterns Working Group. His work for commercial and defense clients and technical societies focuses on recurring patterns in engineered and natural systems, and their implications for practice, education, and research.
Rowland Darbin has been with General Dynamics Mission Systems for 17 years and currently leads the Product Line Engineering (PLE) Center of Excellence facilitating the adoption of PLE factory principals across project teams. Prior to his current position, Rowland was the product line manager for the consolidated product line management program coordinating systems engineering efforts across the US Army’s Live Training Transformations (LT2) family of live training systems, balancing the needs training portfolio with the needs of the individual training ranges. Rowland is also the chair of the International Council on Systems Engineering PLE International Working Group as well as a reviewer for the International Organization for Standardization for the 26580 standard on product line engineering.
Dr. William (Willy) Donaldson has over 35 years of experience and has been CEO of 8 companies, and helped start dozens of companies. Willy is the Founder and President of Strategic Venture Planning, a management consulting firm that assists boards, investors, families, and senior management teams to maximize results.
Roger McNicholas is Vice President of the Training, Testing & Efficiency Solutions Business Area within the Ground Systems Line of Business of General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS). Roger has spent 37 years working in the military Simulation and Training community, including for the last 11 years managing the US Army’s live training systems product line, leveraging Product Line Engineering (PLE). He also heads internal initiatives to apply PLE across GDMS.
Dr. Erich Meier is the creator and chief architect of the "Stages" process management system for Method Park. Erich helps major corporations all around the globe to develop new capabilities by improving their engineering and product development processes. As Method Park's CTO he is responsible for the global products business, technology vision and roadmap. Erich is a frequent speaker at conferences and executive events specializing in engineering process and product development transformations.
Michelle Boucher is the Vice President of Research for Engineering Software at the research firm Tech-Clarity. She has spent over 20 years in various roles in engineering, marketing, and management working in the industrial equipment and aerospace industries as well as software vendors. As an industry analyst, she researches the business value of improvements to product development.
Randy Pitz is an Associate Technical Fellow for The Boeing Company where he has supported several defense and commercial programs as a software engineer, team lead, principal investigator, and Chief Architect. He has over 27 years’ experience in systems and software engineering. He currently acts as a PLE champion across Boeing and provides guidance and experience to interested programs.
Dr. Paul Clements has in-depth systems and software architecture and analysis expertise, applied research experience, and proven insight for helping commercial organizations define pragmatic solutions to complex engineering problems. He assists BigLever customers in applying the latest PLE approaches, creating optimized deployment plans, and establishing successful ongoing PLE practices.
Halim Ragab has been more than 15 years of experience working in the automotive and EDA industry in modeling, model transformation and simulation areas, more recently focusing on AUTOSAR standard. His latest focus areas include driving General Motors usage of AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform and driving Variation Management tooling in GM’s latest electrical architecture. He represents GM in AUTOSAR Adaptive Architecture WG.