Practical Reliability

AJ Alexander is the Co-Founder and CRO of SORBA.ai

Dr. Karl Hoffower is an Executive Director delivering Asset Management and Reliability focused solutions using a team approach to improvement and optimization. Reliability is a philosophy, not a department like Maintenance. Focused on helping all facets of a business contribute to a reliability focused philosophy. IOT and PdM solutions architect and program manager with experience in large scale (21 plant) reliability improvement projects. Experienced & certified in most common Predictive Maintenance (PdM) as well as success with an IIOT approach to Condition-based Monitoring (CBM). Over a decade of experience Implementing and managing teams of certified analysts for onsite and remote CBM/PdM programs, PdM tool and system sales. Personally delivered over 70 certification training and a few hundred process improvement projects.

Paul Daoust thinks for a living with over 25 years of international experience in asset management and operational excellence in the energy sector as a team leader and lead practitioner in a corporate center, industrial site and remote work locations.

George is a reliability leader who discovered his passion in this realm when he wanted to discover a better way to improve overall operations as a new production supervisor right out of college. Since then he has spent a large portion of his career working for a few large food and beverage organizations where he has driven fundamental improvement in foundational maintenance and reliability practices through connecting people and processes.  With a strong passion to always excel with cross functional teams, he has strived to challenge the status quo to help the organization address gaps through a strategic and organized fashion. George realized early in his career that genuine leadership allows us all to be successful in the day to day work we do, to not only empower ourselves but others to reach the goals of the organization. From implementing CMMS systems to developing technical training programs for new engineers to working with senior leaders in developing reliability strategy, George loves working with people and leading strategic change. George is currently responsible for leading a new the global asset management programs for Facebook data center operations. Outside of work, George loves traveling around the world with his wife Daysi and is a San Francisco Bay Area sports fanatic. George received his Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering from SF State University and a double Masters in Engineering and Business from San Jose State University.

Thomas Wilk is the award-winning chief editor of Plant Services, a Putman Media publication that focuses on smart solutions for maintenance and reliability. Tom joined the Putman editorial team in 2014, and previously was Content Strategist / Mobile Media Manager at Panduit, breaking new ground for that company in the areas of digital content strategy and mobile app development. Tom holds a BA from the University of Illinois and an MA from Ohio State University, and is an avid hiker and runner. He may be reached at [email protected].

The average age of hundreds of thousands of maintenance people across the globe is over 50 years old.  Many have already started to retire, leaving empty maintenance positions behind. Companies are having a challenge in finding qualified workers to fill vacancies. With no one to fix broken pipes, frayed wires and brittle levies, modern nations are finding themselves in what Joel Leonard has coined, “The Maintenance Crisis.” 

A former vice-president of the Association of Facilities Engineers, he is taking an international lead in identifying, explaining and helping solve the problem. His creative strategies to build awareness have included holding job fairs specific to the maintenance industry, writing articles, addressing major conventions to high school classes, writing songs, developing an on-line TV network and writing books. As a result of his efforts, he has been appointed to the United States Council on Competitiveness, a national think-tank whose purpose is to work with Capitol Hill and the White House to create policy that results in legislation. Internationally, corporate and governmental leaders are seeking his advice. He has been interviewed on National Public Radio and CNBC.

Working with Chicago-based Putman Media, Inc., a publisher of nine trade magazines, Joel has been writing a column for Plant Services Magazine for the past five years. The 80,000 readers have followed Joel’s work onto the Internet, where, in 2007, Joel founded SkillTV.net, the first on-line television network dedicated to helping build awareness of and solve the “Maintenance Crisis.” Programming includes interviews with congressional leaders, Fortune 500 CEOs, educators and governmental leaders. 

In 2008, Joel received the Gold Award for his articles in Plant Services Magazine from the American Society of Business Publications Editors. He has presented and been the keynote speaker of national and international conventions since 1998. In 2008, he was the first American to address the EuroMaintenance Conference in Belgium, a meeting attended by governmental and corporate leaders from 51 nations. His songs, “The Maintenance Crisis” and “Find Me a Maintenance Woman,” have been played on National Public Radio and downloaded more than 40,000 times. They are often played at major conventions. 

For helping set up The Forge, a Greensboro Makerspace that helped set up over 16 new companies, 9 patents applied and over 50 people hired, the City of Greensboro recognized Joel with the Game Changer Award. Also Joel was invited to the Whitehouse to share strategies to grow the makerspaces nation-wide. In 2018 Joel met with over 60 makerspaces and visited over 35 states to grow the Maker Movement. 

He also connected the City of Flint with Unifi Corporation to recycle 24 million water bottles into clothing. .  Joel has trained engineers from manufacturing plants around the world including Goodyear, Goodrich, Michelin and other major manufacturers. Goodyear Fayetteville Plant was able to receive over 3 million in cost saving by implementing suggested predictive maintenance technologies. 

In 2021to address post covid challenges,  Joel launched a mobile makerspace to take education to rural and underserved communities. As a result, the Governor of North Carolina inducted Joel into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine and flew a NC flag over the state capitol. 

Preston Rubottom is the Director of Lubrication Reliability Solutions at Lubrication Engineers, Inc. Experienced maintenance professional with an extensive background in hands on equipment repair, root cause failure analysis and preventive maintenance strategies. Demonstrated history of working in heavy manufacturing of aircraft and aircraft component industry. Skilled in Reliability Centered Maintenance, Engineering, Facilities Maintenance Management, Advanced Hydraulic Technology.

Roy Huff is the VP of The Snell Group. He's an experienced Vice President with a demonstrated history of working in the professional training & consulting industry. Skilled in Aerospace NDT, Power Generation, Petrochemical, CBM, RCM, FMEA. Strong professional with a Bachelor of Science (BS) focused in Electrical Engineering from University of Missouri-Columbia! ASNT Level 3 Certificate #81115 T/IR, CMRP, NAS410 Level 3 TIR.

Suzane Greeman is the President and Principal Asset Management Advisor of Greeman Asset Management Solutions, a firm headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is a senior asset management consultant and instructor in North America with over 23 years of experience, working with clients who manage assets in excess of $75 Billion in value.

She has worked across several asset management disciplines to implement asset management strategies for cement manufacturing, power generation, wastewater treatment, airport, and maritime transportation assets. Suzane has had an eclectic career journey that includes HR Business Partner, Asset Manager, Capital Project and Program Manager, and Maintenance Manager.

A lifelong learner, Suzane holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree as well as an MBA. She also holds the following certifications: Asset Management Diploma (IAM), Certified Manager of Quality & Organizational Excellence (ASQ-CMQ/OE); Certified Asset Management Assessor (CAMA); Certified Asset Management Professional (CAMP); and Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP).

Suzane is a member of ISO/TC 251 Committee for asset management and the Leader for the Manitoba Branch of the Institute of Asset Management (IAM). Suzane maintains an active blog in the Sustainable Asset Management Newsletter and is a well sought-after keynote speaker. She also volunteers as a professional mentor to young professionals and undergraduate and post graduate university students.

Suzane is the author of “Risk-based Asset Criticality Assessment (R-b ACA©) Handbook”.

A deeper discussion in Operational Performance Strategy