Dr. Thomas P.M. Barnett
Senior Managing Director
Enterra Solutions
Thomas P.M. Barnett is the New York Times bestselling author of The Pentagon’s New Map and Blueprint for Action. He is a nationally known public speaker who’s been profiled on the front-page of the Wall Street Journal. He is in high demand within government circles as a forecaster of global conflict and an expert of military transformation, as well as within corporate circles as a management consultant and conference presenter on issues relating to international security and economic globalization.
Barnett is a strategic planner who has worked in national security affairs since the end of the Cold War. He regularly advises the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD), Special Operations Command, and the Joint Forces Command, and routinely offers briefings to senior members of all four military services, the intelligence community, and Congress. He formerly served as Senior Strategic Researcher at the Naval War College and as Assistant for Strategic Futures in OSD’s Office of Force Transformation.
In December 2002, Esquire named him “The Strategist” for a special edition titled, “The Best and the Brightest”. He has also been described by U.S. News & World Report’s Michael Barone as “one of the most important strategic thinkers of our time.”
He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University and is currently the Senior Managing Director of Enterra Solutions, a visiting scholar at the University of Tennessee’s Howard Baker Center, and Contributing Editor of Esquire.com.
John Beering
Director of Global Marketing
Truck Group, Eaton Corporation
John Beering is director of Global Marketing for Eaton Corporation’s Truck Group, headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. John leads the group’s marketing strategies, initiatives and action plans to help drive growth and shareholder value. John and his team collaborate closely with Eaton’s product divisions and with Eaton’s colleagues at Dana Corporation on business and marketing issues to address competitive and market challenges.
John joined Eaton in 2006 from United Technologies Corporation, where he served as Director of Marketing for UTC’s Pratt & Whitney business unit. He began his career with UTC in their Carrier Corporation subsidiary in various Engineering roles. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Purdue University’s Krannert Graduate School of Management.
Christopher Brady
Principal
Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting (CMVC)
Chris Brady is principal of Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting (CMVC), a market analysis and research firm, focused exclusively on the North American commercial vehicle industry. CMVC provides customers with marketing information and analysis to evaluate, develop and implement marketing strategies as well as develop business and investment plans for the North American commercial vehicle industry.
CMVC client base includes vehicle/trailer manufacturers, OE and aftermarket parts suppliers, tire makers, oil companies, financial institutions, industry trade organizations, trade magazines and fleets. CMVC’s diverse customer base gives the company a unique perspective of the industry, since fleets’ business decisions are not based upon a single factor, but influenced by a wide range of factors.
Chris has over twenty years analyzing the commercial vehicle industry and is a member of the National Association for Business Economics and is a member of its macro and industry forecasting census groups. Chris received a bachelor’s degree from Hobart College and a master’s degree in economics from Fordham University.
Mike Brown
Vice President, Strategic Planning & Marketing Communications
YRC Worldwide
Mike Brown is Vice President-Strategic Planning & Marketing Communications at YRC Worldwide, a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest transportation service providers in the world, with 66,000 employees globally and nearly $10 billion in annual revenue. Its primary transportation and logistics brands include Yellow Transportation, Roadway, USF, New Penn and YRC Logistics.
At YRC Worldwide, Brown is responsible for the teams that direct all customer research, market analysis, strategic market planning and marketing communications, playing a primary role across the corporation's subsidiaries to align marketing activities.
He has been actively involved in sponsorship and event marketing, including award-winning Yellow participation in NASCAR and sponsorship of the Transformation-Business & Logistics Conference. Brown is a frequent keynote speaker for organizations, industry associations and universities on branding, strategic thinking, and innovation.
Walter G. Delevich
VP, Global Communications & Branding
SKF Group
Walter G. Delevich serves as VP, Market Communications and Branding for the SKF Group, which is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Delevich is based in Elgin, Illinois. Delevich is responsible for all marketing communications related activities including advertising, sponsorships, trade fairs, and sales and promotional materials. Branding responsibilities include creating, maintaining and enforcing identity standards for all communications, packaging and signage. He heads an international team of market communications managers that are responsible for the SKF Group’s three operating divisions – Automotive, Industrial and Service, and five main technical platforms – bearings and units, seals, lubrication systems, mechatronics and services.
Delevich has been with SKF since 1981. Delevich earned a Masters of Business Administration in marketing from Rutgers University in 1984. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from the Journalism school of the Pennsylvania State University in 1977.
Deepak “Dee” T. Kapur
President, Truck Group
International Truck and Engine Corp.
Dee Kapur serves as the president of International Truck and Engine Corp.’s Truck Group. International is the principal operating company of Warrenville, Ill.-based Navistar International Corp. (NYSE:NAV), the nation’s largest combined commercial truck, school bus and mid-range diesel engine manufacturer.
Kapur reports directly to Navistar’s chairman, president and chief executive officer and serves on the company’s Executive Council, which is responsible for management’s strategic direction.
Kapur has focused on re-vitalizing the International Truck product line, brand, global presence, and profitability. This “bold goals” strategy has enabled the Truck Group to achieve record levels of profitable performance while establishing a number of strategic initiatives for the future. The team has successfully leveraged its commercial platform into new markets and drawn extensive attention to the boldness of the International brand with its move into the military business with the MXT, MRAP (Mine Resistant Armor Protected), its move into Class 4 and 5 vehicles with the CF series, and acquisition of Workhorse Custom Chassis.
In addition, International has grown its heavy truck market share and invested in the development of a new state of the art, highway tractor, the ProStar, which is receiving rave reviews from early customers and dealers. Kapur also played an instrumental role in establishing a technical collaboration with MAN AG of Germany to develop and manufacture the Maxxforce 11L and 13L International big bore engines starting in late 2007. International also has formed a joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra of India to manufacture and market trucks in India and provide engineering and purchasing services.
Kapur joined International in 2003 from Ford Motor Co., where he worked for more than 25 years in a variety of engineering, product planning, quality and global management positions. He joined Ford in 1977 through the company’s graduate training program. The latter part of his career was spent in the North American Truck Group as executive director, Ford Outfitters, and then as executive director, North American Business Revitalization.
Kapur holds a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, and Stanford University, and a master’s of science in industrial administration from Carnegie Mellon University. He also attended the Stanford University Engineering Executive Program. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Society of Quality. Kapur is a co-holder of three patents relating to switch and seat designs. He lives with his wife and four children in Naperville, Illinois.
Derek Kaufman
President
C3 Network Inc.
Derek Kaufman started his career in 1975 as a manufacturing process engineer with the Chevrolet Division of General Motors.
In 1978, Kaufman joined Euclid Inc., a producer of mining and construction trucks in Cleveland, Ohio. Starting as a sales engineer, he moved through North American and International Sales and Marketing responsibilities as manager and director of marketing and sales engineering. In 1983, he assumed responsibility for the worldwide parts and service organization of Euclid as Vice President of Product Support.
In 1984, Kaufman joined Freightliner Corp. in Portland, Oregon as Vice President of Marketing and Product Planning. During his time at Freightliner, the on-highway truck manufacturer moved from 10 percent to 18 percent market share of the North American Class 8 truck segment.
In November 1988 Kaufman joined the Penske Corp. team as president of Diesel Technology Co., a producer of diesel engine fuel systems. Under Kaufman’s leadership, DTC formed a global partnership with Robert Bosch Corp. to sell fuel systems to the major European truck manufacturers.
In April 1997 Kaufman completed his personal goal of forming his own company. As the founder and president of C3 Network Inc., Kaufman and his team take equity positions in start up companies and manage new product launches. The C3 Network team, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., is currently launching the Meta Lab Fund with targeted investments in transportation related innovation.
For the past two years Kaufman worked as senior vice president of sales, marketing and customer support for Hino Trucks, a Toyota Group company, based in Detroit, Mich. In October 2003 Hino introduced an all-new line of Class 4-7 Medium Duty trucks that combine Hino’s leading edge engine technology with the proven dependability of American drive train components. Kaufman built the Hino team that can now claim to be the fastest growing Medium Duty OEM in the United States with a 74 percent gain in 2005 sales versus 2004.
Kaufman is currently on the boards of Reid Tool Supply, an industrial supply company in Muskegon, Mich.; Vermeer Manufacturing, a producer of industrial and agricultural equipment in Pella, Iowa; Viking Group Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of fire protection equipment in Hastings, Mich.; and Camcraft, a manufacturer of precision machined components in Schaumburg, Ill.. He is also on the Advisory Board of Grand Valley State University’s Seidman School of Business in Grand Rapids, Kaufman speaks nationally on both business and organizational creativity issues.
A native of Weatherly, Pennsylvania, Kaufman resides in Ada, Mich., with his wife Mary Beth. They have five children.
Stephen R. Kratzke
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Steven Kratzke has full responsibility for rule making for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. His 30 years of experience at NHTSA include director, office of crash avoidance standards rulemaking; chief, consumer information and planning division; program analyst, office of motor vehicle safety standards; deputy assistant chief counsel for rulemaking; and rulemaking attorney.
During his tenure Kratzke has expanded the 5-star rating program to include information about likelihood of vehicle rollover, completed a major upgrade of the light truck and car tire standard, implemented the first-in-the-world requirement for electronic stability control on all new light vehicles and introduced the first-ever motorcoach safety plan, which included the first frontal crash test ever conducted by the federal government. Kratzke holds a B.A. degree from Duke University and a J.D. from Georgetown University.
Martin LabbePresident & CEO
Martin Labbe Associates LLC
Martin Labbe, president of Martin Labbe Associates, LLC (MLA), is a market analyst for the trucking industry. MLA conducts analysis of clients of transportation services as well as purchasers of trucking equipment.
Prior to founding MLA, Martin Labbe was director of the transportation and logistics service for data resources Inc. (DRI). Prior to DRI, Martin Labbe was manager of market information and analysis for Freightliner Corp.
Prior to Freightliner, Martin Labbe was on the faculty of Pace University, State University of New York, and Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. Prior to being a college faculty member, Martin Labbe was Assistant Plant Manager for Associated Spring Corp. (Barnes Group) at their Syracuse New York plant.
Labbe graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, with a degree in civil engineering followed by a Masters of Science in management science. He also received his MBA in finance and international business from Columbia University in New York City. He also completed course work for a Ph.D. in Economics at SUNY-Albany.
Wendy Leavitt
Director, Editorial & Market Development
Fleet Owner
Wendy Leavitt joined Fleet Owner in 1998 after serving as editor-in-chief of Trucking Technology magazine for four years. She has won numerous awards for journalism, including ASBPE awards and the Jesse H. Neal award.
Wendy began her career in the trucking industry at Kenworth Truck Company, where she spent 16 years—the first five years as safety and compliance manager in the engineering department and more than a decade as the company’s manager of advertising and public relations.
She has also worked as a book editor, guided authors through the self-publishing process and operated her own marketing and public relations business, but considers the trucking industry to be “home.” Wendy has a Masters Degree in English and Art History from Western Washington University.
Stuart S. MacKay
President
MacKay & Co.
Stuart S. MacKay is president of MacKay & Co., a specialized market research and consulting firm established by him in 1968. MacKay & Co. concentrates the majority of its research and consulting activity in the truck, heavy equipment, agricultural equipment, engine and parts and service distribution businesses.
Prior to establishing MacKay & Co., MacKay served on the staff of the Cummins Engine Co. in a variety of sales and marketing positions at both the corporate and divisional levels from 1963 to 1968. His final position at Cummins was as director of marketing for Fleetguard Inc.
Prior to joining Cummins, MacKay served on the operations staff of Red Star Express Lines from 1956 to 1961. Prior to its acquisition by TNT, Red Star was one of the top 50 for-hire common carriers operating in North America.
MacKay holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Cornell University (1957). He also received a masters degree in business administration from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College (1963).
MacKay is the author of several articles on the truck industry, trucking, distribution and related topics. He has served as an expert witness for more than 20 years for General Motors, VolvoWhite Truck Corp., Hyundai, Sterling Truck Corp. and others.
Joseph J. McAleese
President and CEO
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
A member of the Knorr-Bremse Group
Joe McAleese is president and CEO of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, a member of the Munich, Germany-based Knorr-Bremse Group.
McAleese has enjoyed a 25 year career at Bendix and Honeywell / AlliedSignal (owners of Bendix prior to January 2002). During that time he has spent 20 years with the Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems business, and has held numerous leadership roles including vice president - finance, vice president - OE enterprise, vice president - Six Sigma, vice president - e-business, and vice president – operations.
McAleese has been president of Bendix since May 2001, and added the CEO title in October 2003. Active in HDMA and MEMA affairs for many years, Joe has served on the HDMA board executive committee since 2004 and is 2008 chairman of the board. He was elected to the board of directors of MEMA in 2006 and currently serves on its executive and nominating committees. Joe is a long time member of the Heavy Duty Business Forum, an HDMA executive discussion group and also serves its board of governors.
McAleese holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a Master of Accountancy degree, both from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
Jim Mele
Editor-in-chief
Fleet Owner
Mele holds a masters degree in creative writing from City College of New York and has authored four collections of poetry and a book on the science fiction of Isaac Asimov, as well a numerous essays, reviews and critical studies for national magazines and anthologies.
Barb Murphy
President
Weyforth-Haas Marketing
With a wealth of branding experience gleaned from her years of agency leadership working with industrial manufacturing companies, Barb Murphy knows what it takes to build a highly recognized brand. During her 13 years with Weyforth-Haas Marketing, Murphy has earned praise for the unique insight, creative approach, and forward momentum she brings to Goodyear, Caterpillar, Freightliner LLC, John Deere, and other clients. With her own client-side marketing experience gleaned from her years as manager of market analysis for Yellow Transportation, Murphy’s focus has been on translating insights to brand and marketing strategies that deliver big results.
In her primary role as strategy driver for all aspects of Weyforth-Haas Marketing’s business, Murphy’s ground-breaking tactics have gone beyond advertising to achieve total marketing solutions clients can measure.
Martin A. Regalia, Ph.D.
Vice President and Chief Economist, Economic & Tax Policy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Martin A. Regalia has been the vice president for economic and tax policy, and chief economist of the United States Chamber of Commerce since 1993. He has also served as the director of research for the Savings and Community Bankers of America (SCBA), as a principal analyst in the Fiscal Analysis Division at the Congressional Budget Office, as an economist for the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System in both the Banking and Capital Markets Sections, and as a financial economist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Dr. Regalia appears on national television news and debate programs, testifies before congressional committees, authors on a variety of economic topics, and speaks to a variety of groups across the country.
Dr. Regalia has a B.A. with honors in economics from the University of Santa Clara as well as an M.A. in economics and a Ph.D. in monetary economics from the University of Wisconsin.
Kenneth Vieth III
Partner
A.C.T. Research Co. LLC
After receiving his B.S. from Southern Illinois University, Kenneth Vieth spent six years in city government and education before joining A.C.T. Research in 1991. He became a partner at A.C.T. Research in 2000.
Since its inception in 1986, A.C.T. Research has become the leading source of commercial vehicle market analysis in North America. Vieth oversees commercial vehicle analysis at ACTR and is the company’s principal heavy truck and trailer market analyst.
To avoid conflicts of interest, Vieth does not own shares/hold equity stakes in any of the truck or trailer manufacturers that provide the company with their internal marketing statistics.