Automotive News World Congress Scheduled for January 1999
26 November 1998
Automotive News World Congress To Convene Industry Leaders For Millennium Outlook, January 10-13 in Detroit DETROIT, Nov. 24 -- More than 40 of the world's most
innovative and successful automotive executives will take part in the "1999
Automotive News World Congress" co-sponsored by Automotive News and
PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Congress will take place Jan. 10-13, at the
Marriott Renaissance Center in Detroit.
This year's theme is "Opportunities for the New Millennium." Industry
leaders will discuss issues and trends that will affect automotive
manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers well into the next century. Keith
Crain, publisher and editorial director, Automotive News, said, "This is the
most dynamic World Congress we've put together thus far due to the impact of
DaimlerChrysler, and the continuing evolution of the supply chain."
The three-day program will include six panel discussions exploring turn-
of-the-millennium issues in globalization, retailing, powertrains,
engineering, marketing, advertising and media, intelligent transportation
systems and the world following the merger of Daimler and Chrysler.
The Congress will get under way Sunday evening, Jan. 10, when Juergen E.
Schrempp, Chariman, DaimlerChrysler, and Robert J. Eaton, Chairman,
DaimlerChrysler deliver keynote speeches during the opening dinner. Since
announcing the proposed merger in May, both executives have been familiarizing
themselves with each other's operations and seeking synergies that will save
the merged company time and money.
On Monday morning, speakers will include Mark Hogan, Vice President &
General Manager, NAO Small Car Group, General Motors; James Julow, General
Manager, Dodge Division, DaimlerChrysler Corporation; Dr. Henrich Heitmann,
Chairman & CEO, BMW (U.S.) Holding Corp.; and Mong_Gyu Chung, chairman of
Hyundai Motor Company.
On Monday afternoon, the first OEM panel will discuss increasing
globalization in "The Global World: How Big Is Big Enough? What's Nationality
Got To Do With It Anyway?" Panel members will include Dr. David E. Cole,
director, Office of the Study of Automotive Transportation at the University
of Michigan Transportation Research Institute; Rudolf A. Schlais, Jr.,
President, General Motors Asian & Pacific Operations; Peter A. Schweitzer,
President, J. Walter Thompson Company; Ricardo Martinez, M.D., Administrator,
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and Craig Muhlhauser,
President, Visteon Automotive Systems.
At the same time, another OEM panel will discuss "Powertrains of the
Future." Members will be: David W. Hermance, General Manager, Powertrain
Division, Toyota Technical Center, U.S.A., Inc.; Donald L. Runkle, General
Manager, Delphi Energy & Engine Management Systems, General Motors; Robert C.
Stempel, Chairman, Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.; Firoz Rasul, President &
CEO, Ballard Power Systems Inc.; and Gordon Willis, Chief Engineer --
Automatic Transmissions, Powertrain Operations, Ford Motor Co.
On Monday afternoon, the industry's move toward public ownership and how
consolidation efforts are changing the financing of dealer business will be
discussed by the first retail panel comprised of: Ross H. Roberts, President,
Ford Investment Enterprise Corp.; Tony March, CEO, March/Hodge Holding
Company; Michael Maroone, President, Automotive Retail Group, Republic
Industries/AutoNation USA; John MacDonald, Vice President, Sales & Service,
DaimlerChrysler Corp.; B.B. Hollingsworth Jr., Chairman, President & CEO,
Group 1 Automotive Inc.; and Sheldon Sandler, Senior Managing Director & CEO,
Bel Air Partners, LLC.
Monday evening's dinner speakers will be Louis R. Hughes, Executive Vice
President, New Business Strategies, General Motors; and Minoru Nakamura,
President & CEO, Nissan Motor Corp. U.S.A.
On Tuesday morning, three automotive leaders known for their business
savvy will address the Congress. They will be James Padilla, Vice President,
Ford Motor Co., James Press, Senior Vice President & General Manager,
Automotive Operations Group, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.; and Don Walker,
President & CEO, Magna International Inc.
An OEM panel will address styling and environmental concerns when
engineers "Think Globally, Act Locally" on Tuesday afternoon. Panelists will
include Lou Kincaid, Vice President & General Manager, Product Engineering,
Johnson Controls Inc.; Chris Theodore, Vice President, Platform Engineering,
DaimlerChrysler Corp.; Jay Wetzel, Vice President and General Manager, General
Motors Technical Centers; Neil Ressler, Chief Technical Officer, Research &
Vehicle Technology, Ford Automotive Operations; and Charles Allen, Vice
President and General Manager, Honda Research & Development Americas Inc.
At the same time, a second OEM panel will convene to address issues
pertaining to "Intelligent Transportation Systems: Status, Trends and
Opportunities." Members will be Ronald P. Knockeart, Vice President,
Intelligent Transportation Systems_North America, Siemens Automotive; Jean-
Francois Poupinel, Chairman & CEO, ERTICO, Intelligent Transportation Systems;
T. Russell Shields, Chairman, Navigation Technologies; and Nobuo Yumoto,
Senior Managing Director, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.
Concurrently, six top marketing executives will take part in the second
retail panel discussion "Marketing, Advertising and New Media." Members will
include: David Ropes, Director, Corporate Advertising & Integrated Marketing,
Ford Motor Co.; Elisabeth Vanzura, Director, Marketing & Advertising,
Volkswagen of America Inc.; Joe Cronin, Vice Chairman, Saatchi & Saatchi
Worldwide; Philip Guarascio, General Manager, Worldwide Advertising &
Corporate Marketing, General Motors; Arthur (Bud) Liebler, Vice President,
Marketing, DaimlerChrysler Corp.; Mike Jackson, President, Mercedes-Benz of
North America, Inc.
Finally, dinner speakers for Tuesday night's gala dinner will be Jacques
A. Nasser, President & CEO, Ford Motor Co., and Bruno Sacco, Senior Vice
President, Design, DaimlerChrysler AG.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, the world's largest professional service
organization, help both automotive and non-automotive clients build value,
manage risk and improve their performance. Drawing on the talents of more
than 145,000 people in 152 countries, PricewaterhouseCoopers provides a full
range of business advisory services to leading global, national and local
companies and to public institutions. These services include audit, accounting
and tax advice; management, information technology and human resource
consulting; financial advisory services including mergers and acquisitions,
business recovery, project finance and litigation support; business process
outsourcing services; and legal services through a global network of
affiliated law firms.
Founded in 1925, Automotive News is published every Monday by Crain
Communications Inc., a privately held company that publishes over 30 consumer,
business, and trade publications. This news weekly provides in-depth coverage
of the auto industry and is written for original equipment manufacturers,
their franchised dealers and suppliers. Readers are primarily decision-makers
from all segments of the automotive industry, as well as other allied with it.
It is the only 100 percent paid publication in the industry.
For more information on the World Congress or to register, call
800-816-9594, or visit the World Congress website at:
http://www.autoworldcongress.com.
