John is President of The Barnes Global Advisors and the CEO/Founder of Metal Powder Works. John has a 30+ year career in product development and aerospace with Honeywell, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works™, Australia's CSIRO and Arconic. He's been involved in metal additive manufacturing throughout this career, beginning in the late 1990s when he was part of the Sandia National Labs LENS™ CRADA. Since then, he has been in and around AM, working both technical and business cases for implementation and development efforts in materials, powders, processing and printing to mature the technology for applications. John is recognized internationally for contributions to additive manufacturing, product development and leadership in engineering. His team boasts world firsts in medical, therapeutic and aerospace additive manufacturing. John stood up the AM research group at the CSIRO. John is a Materials Engineer by background but has developed expertise in manufacturing, airframe structures, gas turbines and low observables. He holds 15+ patents and applications and is published and presents internationally. He was Purdue University's Materials Engineer of the Year in 2014.  His team won the Silver Medal in the 2020 US Air Force AM Olympics. He is active in professional service, serving on the SAM AMS-AM Committee and is a member of the ASTM F42. He has served as Chair of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) AM Technical Community, Chair of the America Makes Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)'s Additive Manufacturing Steering Committee for the Process Control Working Group, was awarded an America Makes AM Ambassador in 2019 and is host of the SME Voices AMplified podcast. He is an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and RMIT University. John holds a B.S. and M.S. in Materials Engineering from Purdue University.

As the Head of Technology at GKN Aerospace, Laura developed the strategic skills required to affect technological change in large organizations. This includes translating technical roadmaps into strategic business visions and vice versa, building businesses cases, securing capital and operating funding (~$15M OpEx and ~$7M CapEx over four years), protecting and exploiting intellectual property, and collaborating across the industrial supply chain. Laura’s leadership skills are highlighted through her ability to build and enable diverse teams. She was responsible for building a new team focused on the maturation of laser/wire deposition for titanium aerostructures after negotiating a CRADA between GKN Aerospace and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, valued at $18M over five years.
Laura has a passion for optimizing manufacturing processes. For 15 years, she has focused on improving metallic alloys and processes, specifically for laser/wire deposition, friction stir welding, spin forming, machining, and various wrought processes with application to titanium aerostructures, aluminum wing skins, inlet lip skins, and copper electrical connectors, coinage, and ammunition. She directly supported aerospace production, including Boeing’s 787-9, F/A-18, and F-15. Her enthusiasm for additive manufacturing and promoting diversity in the workplace is contagious. Laura shares her energy via various public forums, ranging from executive aerospace conferences and university lectures to kindergarten classrooms. Laura graduated summa cum laude with her B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Missouri – Rolla (now Missouri S&T).

Tierney has 20 years of experience in various roles in Business Management. The majority of her career was spent at The Coca-Cola Company, where she managed projects in IT systems implementations, database development, and process improvement. Tierney was responsible for marketing procurement initiatives which included forecasting, developing, and executing purchasing strategies and global contract negotiation. While living in Australia with her family, Tierney worked as an Operations Consultant for GNC Group Consulting in Melbourne. She holds a BA in Marketing from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Georgia State University in Marketing and Decision Science.

Nikki has 15 years of business and accounting experience, with an emphasis on small business. She has spent a portion of her business career in management and played important roles in process implementation and improvements. Nikki holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy degree from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. Nikki is located within Illinois, in the Great St. Louis region, where she is also self-employed as a Residential Real Estate Appraiser. Outside of work, she and her family enjoy time spent outdoors with family, friends, and animals.

Eric Versluys brings a broad range of experience in program management across aerospace, automation, and manufacturing to the TBGA team. He started his career developing custom robotic systems for nuclear decommissioning, and moved into the aerospace and defense sector at Lockheed Martin, working as a manufacturing engineer with cross functional and international teams to bring the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to low-rate production. Eric then transitioned to Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs, Signature Management Directorate, where he led R&D programs and integration and test efforts across the entire aircraft lifecycle, from concept and proposals to manufacturing, and sustainment. In 2018, Eric led the team of designers and fabricators that built the X-72 Darkstar for Paramount’s Top Gun Maverick, completing the entire full-sized model in less than 3 months.

Eric served as the ADP Platform Integration Lead, responsible for design and integration of antenna systems on various Lockheed Martin aircraft systems, and was selected as an Associate Technical Fellow in Additive Manufacturing of RF structures. He pioneered the use of additive manufacturing for antenna systems and has taken AM parts through the qualification journey completing successful flight tests and subsequent program integration on multiple manned and unmanned programs.

Following his tenure at the Skunkworks, Eric served as the Director of Defense Programs at 3DFortify, a composite DLP AM company that has pioneered composite additive manufacturing for the RF/antenna markets, as well as industrial and ceramic applications. During his time at Fortify, Eric grew the defense sales pipeline to over $10m and led as the Principal Investigator for an SBIR developing directional lens-based antennas that demonstrated >90% efficiency improvements with >90% cost savings compared to conventional beam-steered systems.

Eric graduated with a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University, and lives in Southern California with his wife and 7 children.

Dr. Kevin Slattery was the Chief Scientist for Additive Manufacturing at Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T). He was responsible for developing and integrating the technical roadmaps and development plans for metallics AM for the entire company, along with building and leading a multi-skilled team to execute and deliver the technology throughout the enterprise. Prior to that, he was the Chief Scientist for Metals, Ceramics, and Mechanical Systems at BR&T, responsible for portfolio development and coordination while executing the additive manufacturing portion. He served as the Division Chief Engineer for USN & USAF fighters and U.S. Army rotorcraft in Boeing’s Military Sustainment organization, including international operators. From 1997 to 2012, he was on the BR&T Metals Team as a researcher and senior manager, where he primarily developed advanced low-cost titanium processing technologies supporting all Boeing products. He was the technical and programmatic lead in implementing the first in aerospace metal additive manufactured structural aircraft components for both spares and production, along with five other first in the industry technology implementations. Kevin currently holds 34 U.S. patents, with another 15 applications pending. Kevin has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) and a DSc in Material Science and Engineering from Washington University.

For the last ten years, Dr. Kirk Rogers has used additive technologies to solve manufacturing, repair, and supply chain problems. He recently was the technical leader on the startup of a $40M Additive Manufacturing R&D center, culminating a nearly 20-year career at GE. Most of Kirk’s career has been in the medical device manufacturing realm, where he built manufacturing lines for and qualified numerous products. Kirk has 25 years of experience in materials processing and business strategy, including metal powder production, novel joining methods, metal additive manufacturing, novel refractory alloys, sustainable manufacturing, carbon composite materials, powder metallurgy, technology portfolio management, identification, and application of new process methodologies. Additionally, he is experienced in the development of patent and technology strategy. A technical innovator, and adept thinker, Kirk has obtained 3 U.S. patents and has filed more than 20 trade secrets and patent applications. Kirk obtained his B.S. Materials Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Purdue University. He completed postdoctoral work at The Ohio State University and is a certified Six Sigma Blackbelt.

Cynthia is one of the leading experts in Communications and Digital Engagement for the Additive Manufacturing industry, making connections and producing relevant and impactful content for various AM organizations for several years. She has been instrumental in building the online profile for several small to medium-sized AM companies, engaging a receptive audience, and analyzing the pulse of the industry through a variety of platforms and interactions. With her background in advertising and video production, Cynthia has been highly successful in telling the story of the industry, producing hundreds of informative videos for several AM clients. A native of Canada, Cynthia was a top ad agency producer with international agencies, winning the prestigious Gold Bessie for Top Commercial of the Year and produced high profile campaigns for clients such as Air Canada, Molson Breweries, and McDonald’s. Cynthia has a Bachelor of Arts in Radio and Television Communications from Ryerson University (now known as Toronto Metropolitan University). She is a regional ambassador for Women in 3D Printing and was named an America Makes Ambassador in 2023, recognizing her contributions to the additive manufacturing industry over the last 10 years.

Arun brings a 15+ year career in strategy and technical program management of advanced aerospace structures spanning new product development, advanced manufacturing, sustainability, digital product lifecycle, translating global market trends to product strategy and technology roadmaps, and implementing business process transformations using advanced data analytics. As the Additive Manufacturing (AM) Leader for the Advanced Structures business at Collins Aerospace, Arun spearheaded the business and IP strategy, technology and manufacturing readiness, life cycle assessments, and customer and regulatory acceptance of several business-critical metal and polymer AM technologies. Outside AM, Arun was deeply involved in the business financial planning, and helped craft sustainability, and digital product life cycle business strategies. He held the roles of Chief Engineer and Technical Product Manager for engineered equipment and nacelle thrust reverser system components on commercial airplane programs and helped establish engineering centers of excellence in India and Mexico. Arun holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of California, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and a Professional Certificate in Life Cycle Assessment from MIT.

Lexie brings a wealth of experience to her role, demonstrating a proven track record in event management and market research. She excels in managing every aspect of the event lifecycle, from initial brainstorming sessions to post-event evaluations. Prior to her current position, Lexie served as the Global Events Coordinator at Nikon SLM Solutions, where she successfully managed and executed an extensive calendar of 50+ global events annually. Her journey into the world of advanced manufacturing began during her college years, where she supported projects highlighting America Makes and Neighborhood 91 initiatives. Lexie developed organization and leadership skills while a student at Youngstown State University, serving in several leadership roles at different capacities. She graduated from Youngstown State with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.

With an extensive career in logistics and people management, Howie Marotto is known for his ability to provide structure to complexity. As Principal ADDvisor® of Strategy and Integration, Howie will support TBGA’s mission by expanding strategic engagements and using his skills to provide insight into advanced manufacturing trends, applications, and employment in a variety of scenarios. Prior to joining TBGA, he was Additive Manufacturing Business Director at EWI, providing leadership and strategic direction to EWI’s AM engineering team in deploying their vast equipment portfolio focused on delivering cutting-edge solutions to government and industry. Howie has worked for the Defense Logistics Agency in the F-35 Joint Program Office as the Autonomic Logistics Information Systems lead for Foreign Military Sales and as a Maintenance and Construction Supervisor and Power Distribution Manager in the power industry. Before joining EWI, he worked as the AM Strategic Business Development Manager for the Phillips Corporation.

Howie is also a Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve with over 31 years of service and is currently assigned to the Office of Naval Research. He was recently activated as the Deputy Director, Reserve Affairs, overseeing personnel policy and career management for over 33,000 Reserve Marines. Prior to Reserve Affairs, Col. Marotto was the Deputy Commander for the 4th Marine Logistics Group (MLG), second-in-command of 8,500 Marines and Sailors in over 30 states and territories. He was also the Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing Lead for the Marine Corps before 4thMLG. Col. Marotto has deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Kosovo Conflict to support our country.

Marshall first encountered additive manufacturing as an aerospace engineering student at The University of Texas at Austin, where he gained hands-on experience working with companies such as Arconic, SLM Solutions, EOS, and Authentise. After graduation, he started his career as a technical account manager at Origin, an additive manufacturing OEM startup, where he played a key role in developing, launching, and scaling the production of dental and medical devices. Following Origin's $100M acquisition by Stratasys, Marshall built and led teams in process engineering, materials development, and emerging technologies, with operations in San Francisco and Tel Aviv. His teams delivered solutions for the production of industrial tooling, electrical connectors, and end-use medical devices and implants. Marshall is passionate about integrating advanced manufacturing technologies at scale to drive the future of American manufacturing.

Jackie Fontana is a seasoned program manager with 18 years of experience in the aerospace industry, specializing in engineering, manufacturing, and technology. She has gained expertise managing large portfolios ($1B+) across multiple programs, disciplines and applications, developing a unique fluency and deep knowledge of the full lifecycle of aerospace design, analysis, manufacturing, qualification, certification, and fleet support. While at Boeing, her passion for the development of advanced manufacturing technologies, including metal and polymer additively manufactured parts, was ignited when she was the Operations Leader for the Manufacturing & Materials Technology organization. With her experience on the V-22 Osprey and 787 Programs, she was able to bring a unique perspective to the research and development teams, enabling a more focused and integrated approach to technology and manufacturing readiness levels. Jackie’s passion lies in fostering a collaborative environment that enables efficient and effective decision making, and creating space for innovation, learning and teaching. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Joseph's University and has completed all coursework for a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Jackie lives in Charleston, SC with her husband, Anthony, and two children, Jack (9) and Sofie (6).

Mark has a proclivity for all things mechanical and is skilled at turning concepts into reality within the defense, commercial, and automotive sectors. He has an extensive manufacturing background spanning over 42 years, with critical roles in engineering, operations, facilities, supply chain, and quality. Over the last decade, Mark has focused on large-scale additive manufacturing, specializing in titanium laser wire directed energy deposition (DED) for aerospace. His most recent role as Chief Technologist for GKN Aerospace focused on the industrialization of DED technologies, including application selection, Design for DED, cost-modeling, upstream and downstream process maturation, facility and infrastructure readiness, and AM equipment and process development. Mark helped establish an $18M CRADA and spent 5 years working with the Oak Ridge National Labs team to develop equipment and process controls for robotic laser wire DED. As an active member of SAE AMS-AM committee, Mark authored draft AMS 7009 and 7010 DED material and process specifications. Mark obtained a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Washington University of St. Louis and makes his home in the St. Louis region.

Dr. Sean Dobson has focused his career at the intersection of research and practical application in additive manufacturing metals, with one often shaping his approach to the other. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville, a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Cincinnati, and completed a postdoctoral position in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Throughout his academic journey, Sean collaborated extensively with government agencies and industry partners. He also brings valuable industry experience, most notably as a contractor at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where he worked on the qualification of additive manufacturing materials and processes. Over the past seven years, his work has focused on understanding the process-structure-property relationships of materials fabricated using laser powder bed fusion, with a particular emphasis on applications in space exploration. Now at TBGA, Sean leverages his expertise to advance additive manufacturing qualification efforts and guide research strategies to address key challenges in the field.

Chelsea began her engineering career at Honeywell Aerospace, gaining experience in various roles, including additive manufacturing. Her AM experience focused on developing metal parts built on powder bed machines for aerospace applications. Her experience qualifying production parts for AM with the FAA at Honeywell led her to a role in new product engineering at Arconic (formerly Alcoa) where she successfully qualified additively manufactured parts for aerospace production for a major aircraft manufacturer. Her work with various manufacturers for flight and space has honed her AM design skills for diverse applications. Lean certified by her alma mater, Arizona State University, and Honeywell, she cultivates streamlined AM designs, production, and applications.

Matthew has demonstrated his ability to successfully guide the implementation of new metallic materials and processes in production environments through his unique combination of technical expertise, qualification/certification knowledge, and ability to develop new suppliers. This expertise has been cultivated over a 20+ year career in developing new technologies for military, space, and commercial aerospace platforms with multiple companies. His involvement with metallic AM began in 2001 when working in Lockheed Martin Skunk Works on laser powder-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes under the Metals Affordability Initiative. This initial exposure to AM led to a primary career focus on maturing DED technologies for titanium alloys to realize their benefits within the aerospace industry. In Matthew's latest position as an Associate Technical Fellow on the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Product Development team, he led the development of titanium wire-DED processes. In 2017, he led qualification of the first additively manufactured structural titanium parts for commercial aircraft which was recognized by an Aviation Weekly Laureates Award. Beyond metallic AM, Matthew has experience in developing a wide variety of metallic materials and processes including qualification of a Ni-based superalloy composite overwrapped pressure vessel for use on the International Space Station. He also serves as a member of the MMPDS Committee involved in the development of metallic allowables for the aerospace industry. Matthew currently holds 3 U.S. patents with another 2 applications pending. Matthew has a B.S. in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a M.E. in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Ethan is an experienced business and engineering professional in the Aerospace & Defense industry. While at Lockheed Martin, he garnered a broad set of skills and experience from developing, building and managing complex supply chains, leading billion-dollar defense proposals, and implementing advanced manufacturing technologies into production programs. During his tenure, Ethan’s proposal leadership resulted in the capture and execution of over $1B in new business for Lockheed’s Aeronautics business unit. In his most recent experience with nTopology, Ethan's focus was relationship building, driving application adoption of new and novel AM applications and identifying expansion opportunities across strategic accounts. His new role with The Barnes Global Advisors will fuse two of his passions together, supply chain management and advanced manufacturing, to assist the Department of Defense in cultivating a strong, resilient, responsive and healthy United States industrial base that improves readiness for the Warfighter and ensures America’s safety. Outside of work, Ethan is a BBQ pit master and can be found at local Dallas breweries selling out of his delicious, craft smoked meats.