Welcome to Season 5 of The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek

Sam Russem is the Vice President of Business Development at Kanoa. Sam is passionate about the concepts of Smart Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and Digital Transformation: studying, discussing, evaluating, developing, and planning how we can apply innovations in computing, networking, and data to the manufacturing space. Sam believes that Smart Manufacturing technologies can improve our everyday lives by delivering new and innovative products to market safely, efficiently, and at lower cost than ever before. In 16+ years in manufacturing and automation Sam has a lot of hands-on experience with a wide range of technologies from PLC and SCADA-based control systems and to advanced data collection historians, IoT devices, MES, and analytics in industries ranging from food and beverage to pharmaceuticals to renewable energy. Today, Sam leverages that experience along with the latest trends and techniques in the market to bring Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 to manufacturers around the world through professional consulting, product management, and thought leadership. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve the Data Centers, Life Sciences, CPG and Food & Beverage industries.

Welcome to Season 5 of The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek. This season we welcome our new host, Matt Susi. Matt is a Technical Consultant in Grantek’s Consulting & Digital Solutions Group. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from manufacturers, leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve the Data Centers, Life Sciences and Food & Beverage industries.

Leslie Galer is the Owner of Collaborative Quality Improvement LLC, A Quality and Food Safety Consulting company. She also subcontracts for Commercial Quality Assurance and Food Safety Solutions. Leslie is a highly efficient and results-driven professional with Black Belt and Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) certifications. Over 20 years experience in the Food and Dietary Supplements Industries, focusing on: R&D, factory food safety and quality systems, and quality management. Before founding Collaborative Quality Improvement LLC, Leslie worked in Leadership and Management roles at Kraft Heinz and Walgreens. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.

Geoff Nelson is the Vice President of Technical Solutions at SafetyChain. SafetyChain is a digital plant management platform for process manufacturers trusted by more than 2,000 facilities to improve plant-wide performance. It unifies production and quality teams with data and insights, tools, and delivers real-time operational visibility and control by eliminating paper and point solutions. Geoff has been with SafetyChain for over 11 years. Prior to taking on his current role, Geoff held senior leadership roles in engineering, software development and product development. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.  

Neha Sharma is a Product Manager at Grantek, she has 10+ years of experience in defining technology solutions to solve business/IT problems for manufacturers. Over the years, Neha has worked across various positions such as Software Developer, Module Lead, Techno-Functional Consultant and Manufacturing Engineer. Neha has worked for world class clients across the globe. Neha has experience in the automotive industry, packaging industry, agricultural industry, building materials, food & beverage and pharmaceuticals. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.

Nic Stachtchenko is the Sr. Manager of ID Products at Cognex. Cognex designs, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of image-based products. Cognex products include machine vision systems, machine vision sensors, and barcode readers that are used in factories and distribution centers around the world. Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 4 million image-based products, representing over $10 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. Prior to working for Cognex, Nic held management roles with Bain & Company, Proctor & Gamble and Pratt & Whitney. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.

Ian Wilson is the Safety & Logistics Practice Leader at Grantek. Ian is an experienced Project Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the industrial automation industry. Skilled in Process Control, Control Systems Design, SCADA, Engineering, and Process Automation. Ian is a proven and strong program and project management professional with a TUV focus in Machine Safety. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.

William Barnette is a Senior Project Manager focused on Digital Manufacturing at Kraft Heinz. William is an Application Developer, Database Administrator, and Project Manager in a wide variety of business applications. He has created everything from full blown applications to thousands of scripts for end users. William is a Visual Basic, VBA and VB script specialist. William has worked at Kraft Heinz for over 34 years. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.

Derek Kostelnik is Grantek’s Practice Leader of the Solution Support Group. Derek leads a team of Service & Support professionals located across North America. The Solution Support Group provides support to Grantek clients who value uptime and limited disruptions across their manufacturing operations Derek has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering, and he has worked at Grantek for almost 25 years. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions. Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.

Kartik Sundar is the founder of TeamSlide. Launched in 2015, TeamSlide is a slide search solution for PowerPoint users in several fields including marketing, sales, and professional services. They enable customers to share knowledge, ensure consistent messaging, and drive productivity when building presentations. Kartik has a PhD in Bioengineering from Georgia Tech and later worked as a management consultant before launching TeamSlide. The Industry 4.0 Podcast with Grantek delivers a look into the world of manufacturing, with a focus on stories and trends that lead to better solutions.   Our guests will share tips and outcomes that will help improve your productivity. You will hear from leading providers of Industrial Control System hardware and software, Grantek experts and leaders at best-in-class industry associations that serve Life Sciences and Food & Beverage manufactures.