2024 North American Manufacturing Conference

Patrick Oland Timmons is the Chair of the CME National Board of Directors, as well as the Chief Financial Officer of Moosehead: Canada’s oldest independent brewery located in Saint John, NB. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 30 years of experience working in financial and commercial roles. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University and an MBA from INSEAD.

In addition to his role with CME, Patrick also serves as a director of New Brunswick Power Corporation. Previously, he served as chair of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation and Touchstone Community School, as well as director of the Saint John Development Corporation.

Dennis Darby joined CME as President & CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters in 2017. Dennis’ background includes a 24-year career in senior management at Proctor & Gamble, including leadership roles in the US and Europe. Dennis graduated from McMaster University in 1984 with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Management, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario.

Jay Timmons is president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers and chairman of the board of the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education partner. The NAM is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector, and Jay is a leading advocate for the 13 million men and women who make things in America.

Since Jay took the helm, the NAM has more than doubled in size, dramatically expanded its issue advocacy and enhanced the organization’s influence and mobilization efforts outside of Washington, D.C. He led the NAM to create the NAM Legal Center, acquire the Manufacturing Leadership Council and combine with the Innovation Research Interchange.

Alejandro Malagón Barragán is the President of The Confederation of Industrial Chambers of the United Mexican States, CONCAMIN, established in 1918, is the main organization representing the different industrial sectors and activities of high importance for the economic development of Mexico.

It is an effective business representation organization, recognized by its leadership and full capacity to develop projects and initiatives through its work commissions, that contribute to achieve sustained development for the Mexican industry.

Paul Wells is one of Canada’s leading political journalists. He hosts The Paul Wells Show, a weekly interview podcast featuring leaders in government, journalism, business and the arts. His subscription newsletter is a leading source of Canadian political news and analysis for a fast-growing and influential audience. For 19 years, he was the lead political writer at Maclean’s magazine. He has also written for the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and The National Post. He has worked extensively overseas, including in Europe, the United States and Afghanistan.

Wells is the author of four books and a frequent commentator on French- and English-language television and radio.

Doug Palmer has been a reporter in Washington for more than three decades and has been covering trade for more than 20 years.

He has been senior trade reporter at POLITICO since 2013. He helps produce the Morning Trade newsletter each morning, and has covered trade negotiations and disputes with China, the EU and all regions of the world.

Enrique de la Madrid is an author and former Member of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. He holds a Law degree from UNAM and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School. Recently, he was in the race to become the candidate for the Mexican presidency under the coalition of opposition parties PRI, PAN, and PRD, known as “Frente Amplio por México”.

His extensive public sector experience includes serving as Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Director General of Banco Nacional de Comercio Exterior, Director General of Financiera Rural, and Federal Deputy. In the private sector, he was Executive President of the Mexican Council of the Consumer Products Industry and Director of Institutional Relations and Corporate Communication at HSBC for Mexico and Latin America. In academia, he directed the Center for the Future of Cities at Tecnológico de Monterrey.

He is also a well-known media figure, writing columns for El Universal, participating weekly on RadioFórmula and TeleFórmula with Leonardo Curzio, and hosting the program “Ahora Futuro – México y el Mundo” on ADN 40.

Vassy Kapelos is Host of CTV’s weekly political journal of record, Question Period, and Host of CTV News Channel’s weekday marquee political program, Power Play. She is also the host of the weekday national radio program on the iHeartRadio Canada Talk Network.

Kapelos has extensive experience covering federal and provincial politics in Canada. Prior to joining CTV News, Kapelos was Global News’ Ottawa Bureau Chief and host of The West Block.  Before working in Ottawa, Kapelos covered provincial politics in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Kapelos graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then from Dalhousie University with a Master of Arts.

Pam Heminger is a senior vice president at Caterpillar Inc. with responsibility for the Strategic Procurement & Planning Division. She leads a team responsible for designing, developing, and connecting world-class capabilities to create value across the entire ecosystem – from the supply base through our manufacturing process – to connect with dealers and customers.

Prior to joining Caterpillar in 2020, Pam held a series of roles with increasing responsibilities in procurement and business operations during her 24-year career at Honda of America including vice president of Honda North America Purchasing.

Pam is a board member of the Center for Advanced Procurement Strategies and the National Minority Supplier Development Council and an active member of World50, an organization for leaders of the world’s most respected companies to collaborate and learn from one another.

David Murray is the Executive Vice President, Manufacturing, IT and Bombardier Operational Excellence System. David’s mandate is to accelerate initiatives, further strengthen Bombardier’s organizational and operational capabilities into the future, as well as allow next-generation digital technologies to further enhance Bombardier’s core processes.

David brings 30 years of experience in the fields of supply chain, operations, information technology and innovation. He worked at Bombardier for 10 years before joining Hydro-Québec in 2015, where he was appointed Head of Innovation and Executive Vice-President for Production. During his career at Bombardier, David held various positions of increasing responsibilities, including General Manager of Challenger Programs, Vice President of Global 5000 and Global 6000 Completions, and Vice President and General Manager of Learjet. Prior to joining Bombardier, he honed his skills at various organizations, such as Flextronics, Nortel and Rolls-Royce.

Amy Holman, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor. Ms. Holman has served as the Acting Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs since June 28, 2024. She most recently served as the Bureau’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary. Previously she was a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs handling Central Africa and Africa-China issues.

Other assignments include Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Office Director in the Trade Policy and Programs division of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Amy also served in Kabul, Islamabad, Brussels, Lima, Lagos, and Caracas.

She holds a master’s degree from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, a B.A. from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. from L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques at the Université de Strasbourg, France.

Rob Stewart was appointed deputy minister of international trade effective October 17, 2022. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Stewart served as deputy minister of public safety for 3 years. During this time, he provided leadership on a variety of issues related to national security, community safety and countering crime, Indigenous policing, firearms, border security and emergency management, including requests for federal assistance related to the pandemic and major natural disasters.

Mr. Stewart has spent most of his public service career at the Department of Finance Canada, starting in 1993. He held the role of the Government of Canada’s finance deputy for the G7 and G20 and for the Financial Stability Board from 2016 to 2019. He provided leadership and policy advice to the government on a wide range of financial sector and international trade and finance matters. He was previously the assistant deputy minister of financial sector policy for 2 years, prior to which he held the position of assistant deputy minister, international trade and finance for 4 years. Before joining the Department of Finance Canada, Rob worked at Export Development Canada and in the Canadian sport system.

He holds a BA from Carleton University (1981) and an MBA from the University of Ottawa (1987).

Rob Wildeboer is the Executive Chairman and co-founder of Martinrea International. Mr. Wildeboer has been an entrepreneurial investor, director or officer of a number of private and public companies and the co-chair of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Counsel (CAPC).

He has served as an advisor to the Governments of Canada and Ontario on a variety of economic, trade, investment, industry, innovation, manufacturing and automotive mandates. Mr. Wildeboer is also the past Chair of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Guelph, a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, an MBA from York University, and an LLM from Harvard University.

In 2012, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to Canada.

Neil Chapman, Senior Vice President, ExxonMobil was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Surrey in 1984. Upon graduating, he joined Esso Chemical Company in 1984. Mr. Chapman advanced through engineering, operations, planning and commercial roles in various chemical affiliates prior to the 1999 merger between Exxon and Mobil, and has held several executive positions within the company since.

In 2015, he became ExxonMobil Chemical Company president, a position he held until joining the Exxon Mobil Corporation Management Committee as senior vice president in 2018. Mr. Chapman has served as a member of the board of directors and executive committee of the American Chemistry Council, the board of directors of the International Council of Chemical Associations, and the board of directors and executive committee of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Mauricio Doehner joined CEMEX in 1996 and has held executive roles in Mexico, the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Since May 2014, he has been part of CEMEX’s Executive Committee, overseeing Corporate Affairs, Enterprise Risk Management, and Social Impact. He also serves as CEMEX’s liaison with Sinergia Deportiva – TIGRES Football Club and is on the Board of Directors of Vista Oil & Gas. He currently serves as Vice President for Social Responsibility of COPARMEX, Vice President of CONCAMIN, and member of the Board at CCE. Previously, he was President of CANACEM and Vice President of CAINTRA NL. Mauricio holds degrees from ITESM, IPADE, IESE, and Harvard Kennedy School.

Waldo Fernandez, Senator for Nuevo León, President of TMEC Implementation Committee