2025 Speakers

Will Vickers is a member of the 7th Generation of the Vickers family to work in the family enterprise – Mary Randall Vickers & Co Ltd.
As Chief Executive and Board Member within a diverse family office, Will plays a pivotal role in driving investment strategies that prioritize long-term sustainability, diversification, and community impact.

With a hands-on approach to governance, Will excels in fostering collaborative cultures, aligning innovative initiatives with measurable results, and ensuring businesses remain agile in an evolving global landscape.

Following in the footsteps of his father, he has been instrumental in evolvingenvironmental and social responsibility into the core ethos of Vickers, balancing profitability with legacy-focused stewardship. Mary Randall Vickers invests inmanufacturing, real estate, and early-stage ventures, with a focus on scaling operations, digitalization, and cultivating leadership talent.

An IIT-ISM gold medallist in Mechanical Engineering, Anshuman Agrawal leads Minimac Systems with a passion for techno-preneurship and impacting the lubrication industry. He is a certified MLT I from ICML and a trained MLE from Noria Corporation. He is a member of ‘The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers’ (STLE) and ‘The International Council for Machinery Lubrication’ (ICML) , ‘Condition Monitoring Society of India’ (CMSI),‘Tribology Society of India’ (TSI) and CII-certified professional in Resource Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability.

Dinesh Bansal is a Senior R&D Engineer with Chevron Oronite based in Richmond, California. Dinesh has over 15 years of industry experience in heavy duty engines and lubricant additives. Dinesh joined Chevron Oronite in 2019 with prior industry roles at Cummins and Infineum. Dinesh is leading R&D on lubricant additives for various alternative fuels at Chevron Oronite. Dinesh has a Doctoral degree from Georgia Tech and a Master’s degree from Purdue University in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Tribology.

Tyler has a BSME and has numerous lubrication and maintenance leadership certifications. He has worked in industries from forestry, steel, chemicals, food, pulp and paper to heavy manufacturing. His passion is to help sites optimize their lubrication programs and extract maximum value from their assets.

Marco Bellini is the President and CEO of Bellini S.p.A., a leading company in the field of bio-lubricants and industrial lubricants, with an annual turnover of 40 million euros and a production volume of 14,000 tons distributed across Italy and Europe. He graduated in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Milan and began his career as a researcher at Drexel University in the United States before joining Bellini S.p.A. in 2002. Since then, he has played a decisive role in the company’s growth and international expansion, becoming President in 2017.

With a forward-looking vision, he leads Bellini S.p.A. toward a sustainable future through significant investment in the Research and Development of advanced bio-lubricant technologies. A father of three daughters, Marco Bellini balances professional dedication with family life, steering the company toward innovative and environmentally friendly solutions.

Dr. Bryan Bergeron is the Technical Lead and Project Manager for the Industrial Lubricants / MRO Products Division at A.W. Chesterton Company. He has a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry with a focus on solar energy conversion from The Johns Hopkins University. Bryan has eight years of experience as Principal Investigator and Project Manager of numerous government-funded grants in photo-electrochemical devices, energetic materials, and lubricants. He also has twelve years of experience in applied R&D and Operations of lubricant technologies.

Rafe Britton is a Lubrication Engineer with 14 years of oil industry experience, split evenly between drilling operations and maintenance and downstream lubricants engineering. During his 12 years at ExxonMobil, Rafe worked across some of the largest, most complex capex projects in the ExxonMobil portfolio, including PNG-LNG and Gorgon-Jansz. He then transitioned into the finished lubricants business, helping industrial customers across the APAC region improve machine reliability.

In 2020 Rafe started the Lubrication Explained YouTube channel, seeking to accomplish the following objectives:

• Help provide freely available, high-quality information about lubricants technology
• Create a community of learning for the lubricants industry
• Connect a wide array of experts with each other

The channel has since expanded into a podcast (Lubrication Experts), an online training business (Lubrication Explained Pro) and led to multiple speaking engagements at industry events.

Rafe now works as an independent consultant across all parts of the lubricants value chain. This includes working with base oil and additive suppliers, lubricants blenders, marketers & distributors, as well as end-users. With connections throughout the industry, if Rafe doesn’t hold the answer to your specific problem, he likely knows someone who does.

Austin Budke is a seasoned expert in the lubricants industry, with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Kansas State University and an MBA from the Quantic School of Business & Technology. He spent over five years at ExxonMobil Lubricants, where he held key commercial roles across both Automotive and Industrial sectors. Now at Citrine Informatics, Austin helps companies across the lubricants value chain build strategies to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to accelerate product development, drive innovation, and exceed their sustainability initiatives. With his unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen, Austin provides valuable insights on integrating advanced technologies into traditional workflows, making him a sought-after speaker on the future of lubricants and digital transformation.

John Dietrich is the Associate Editor for the Americas base oil regions for Argus Media. He has covered and reported on the US base oil market for three years at Argus. He previously has covered petrochemical and other oil and gas markets for 13 years. John is based in Houston, Texas and is a product of the University of Missouri’s journalism school.

Dr. George Diloyan brings over 20 years of proven experience in successfully implementing and scaling up innovative technologies for global markets and industries. As a leader at Powderful Solutions, he has driven groundbreaking scientific research, spearheaded new product development, and opened new market opportunities.

Dr. Diloyan earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Temple University, with a focus on nanotechnology, electrochemistry, and materials science. He also holds dual Master’s degrees in Computer Science and Thermodynamics, underscoring his multidisciplinary expertise.

Throughout his career, Dr. Diloyan has collaborated with more than 300 industrial and high-tech companies across diverse sectors, including Lubrication, Energy, Automotive, Mining, and Oil & Gas. A regular speaker at scientific forums and industry conventions, he has authored several influential editorials highlighting the benefits and applications of high-performance, anti-friction, and anti-wear materials based on nano and submicron particles such as tungsten disulfide (WS2), hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2).

Dr. Diloyan’s extensive experience with nanomaterials fuels his passion for tackling complex industrial challenges—especially those aimed at reducing downtime, optimizing energy consumption, and minimizing environmental impact.

Dr. Zoe Fard is a Ph.D. chemist with over 14 years of Research & Development experience in academia and industry, resulted in 19 publications in peer-reviewed journals and two US patents.

Dr. Fard joined the Technology department at Petro-Canada Lubricants, an HF Sinclair brand, in 2018 as a Product Specialist with key lead responsibilities for the stationary gas engine oil product line.

Her responsibilities include, but are not limited to, design and development of next generation products to fit the anticipated need in industry, lab and field validation tests, and OEM approval trials.

Dr Gareth Fish is a Technical Fellow at the Lubrizol Corporation, Wickliffe, Ohio. He holds a PhD in tribology And a BSc in chemistry from Imperial College, London. He has more than 36 years lubricant and grease industry experience. He is an internationally recognized award-winning author of more than 90 technical papers presented internationally, including eight best paper awards. He is a member of the NLGI Board of Directors and chair of the NLGI Basic Grease Education Course. He has taught more than 90 public classes on tribology and lubricating greases. He was 2020 recipient of the NLGI Award for Achievement. He is an NLGI Certified Lubricating Grease Specialist (CLGS), a Chartered Scientist and STLE Fellow and Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS). He is active within ASTM sitting or chairing multiple Committees related to grease and tribology. Previously worked at UK Ministry of Defence and GKN Automotive in UK and USA.

Cary Forgeron is the Vice President, FUELS – N. America at Bureau Veritas, overseeing advanced laboratory business focused on fuel testing and analysis. With over 15 years of expertise in base oils and oil condition monitoring, Cary is dedicated to enhancing the performance and reliability of petroleum-based solutions while driving innovations in sustainable fuel technologies.

 At the forefront of laboratory advancements, Cary has integrated cutting-edge methodologies, including AI, to optimize testing processes and deliver precise, data-driven insights. He also explores the application of these technologies in the development of alternative fuel solutions, such as biofuels and hydrogen, aligning with the industry’s shift toward sustainability.

Cary’s extensive experience and forward-thinking approach reinforce his role as a key contributor to advancing the oil and petrochemical sector, ensuring that laboratory services meet the evolving needs of a dynamic fuels landscape.

Blair Fraser, Vice President at UE Systems, is a market leader in ultrasonic solutions. Joining the company in 2020 as Director of IIoT and rising to Vice President by 2022, he has over 25 years of experience in automation engineering and manufacturing. Mr. Fraser has significantly enhanced UE Systems’ offerings, especially in connected ultrasonic tools and IIoT software for predictive maintenance. He holds numerous patents and is a respected speaker in the industry. Prior to UE Systems, he co-founded Quartic.AI and held key roles in the industrial equipment sector. 

Trevor has been consulting and commentating on Lubricants matters since 2016. He consults mainly with chemicals companies, existing component suppliers (additives and base oils) and startups, offering market analysis and identifying opportunities for market entries and expansion in lubricants.

He began writing for Lubes’n’Greases EMEA in 2017 and has written regularly for several industry magazines since. He began podcasting on lubricants business matters in 2020. He is a regular conference speaker and on the advisory board for two conference series.

Trevor spent 18 years with Shell at the Lubricants/supplier interface, responsible for Lubricants component & formulation quality and regulatory HSE (e.g. REACH, the Biocides Directive, TSCA and OEM compliance). He also managed Shell’s Lubricants Quality System, taking it into the world of “big data,” covering thousands of products, formulations, components, QC tests, technical and HSE data. He provided the formulation and quality data packs for two divestments (Shell Metalworking Europe to Quaker Houghton in 2011 and the Cassida brands to Fuchs in 2012).

Over 12 years spanning academic research, working for the British chemicals company ICI & his early years at Shell he utilised big science (synchrotron radiation) to elucidate chemical structures, mainly of petrochemical and electro-catalysts under operating conditions.

His PhD and post-doctoral studies of petrochemical catalysts were highly relevant to the development of Lubricants base fluids (GTL and metallocene PAO) in the 21^st century.

Diane Graham is Chief Executive Officer of STRATCO, Inc. Diane holds a Master’s degree in Media Psychology from Fielding University and a Master’s degree in Social Sciences/Leadership from Azusa Pacific. From 1986-88 she attended the Harvard Business School Owner/President Management Program and graduated with a B. S. degree in Business Administration and Economics in 1976 from Culver-Stockton College in Missouri. Graham was elected President of STRATCO in 1981 and was the first female President of NLGI in 1992. Graham was on the NLGI Board when ELGI was formed. She had two White House Appointments in 1996.

Dieter has a diverse business background having completed his university qualifications in New Zealand in computer science and marketing management. With nearly a decade of experience in the IT industry, Dieter transitioned to the lubricants industry, joining KAJO New Zealand as Division Manager.

This pivotal career shift opened doors to international positions at KAJO, beginning with Regional Sales Manager for the BENELUX region based in the Netherlands and advancing to the Head of Sales position for the KAJO Group based in Germany. In this role, Dieter has taken on multiple responsibilities, currently acting as Managing Director for KAJO North America and KAJO New Zealand, in addition to offering strategic advisory support for KAJO South Africa.

Dieter combines a wealth of international business expertise with a forward-thinking approach, fostering growth and innovation across the lubricant industry’s global markets.

Rabbi Grossman is the CEO and the Kashrus Administrator of Industrial Kosher, a kosher certifying agency that specializes in industrial kosher commodities, including lubricant base oils, Poly-alpha-olefins (PAO), metallocene Poly-alpha-olefins (MPAO), Poly-Isobutylene (PIB), Alkylated Naphthalene (AN), Poly-alkylene Glycol (PAG), technical and NF/USP oils, as well as many other related lubricant and chemical products. He has also served as the Rabbinic Administrator for the Houston Kashrut Association, and currently serves as Director of the Jewish Ethics Institute.

Amanda has 10 years of experience analyzing US energy and petrochemical sectors. She has covered everything along the supply chain from the well-level productivity of US tight oil plays to pipeline infrastructure to the petrochemicals and refined products that make modern life possible.

Amanda leads the ICIS Base Oils Americas team to produce data-driven weekly insight and pricing intelligence.

Before joining ICIS, Amanda worked for an upstream oil and gas consultancy and various Louisiana and Kansas newspapers. She has 25 years of journalism leadership experience. Amanda also draws on extensive data-driven storytelling and visualization experience to inform her work at ICIS.

Dr. H. Ernest Henderson received a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Windsor in 1977, subsequently spending 20 years with Imperial Oil and Exxon in Research, Marketing, Logistics and Technical Services domestically and internationally.

In 1997, Dr. Henderson joined Petro-Canada as Manager for their Group III research and technical developments, and later Research Director at Syntroleum Corporation for their Fischer-Tropsch GTL upgrading programs. During his 47-year career, Dr. Henderson has served as Technical Manager for YUBASE Group III base stocks, Fluid Technology Manager for CITGO and Technology Director for Lubrication Technologies.

In 2011, Dr. Henderson re-launched K&E Petroleum Consulting, LLC. His company operates globally, specializing in base stock management, strategic planning, new product development, Supply Chain management, formulation cost control, patent litigation and training.

Dr. Henderson is presently working with several re-refining companies, including LWART Soluçóes Ambientais S.A. in Brazil, Pentas Flora in Malaysia and Metalub in Costa Rica.

With 20+ years in the business of bringing order out of chaos, Paul oversees marketing initiatives for ICML, which has certified and supported thousands of lubrication and oil analysis practitioners worldwide since 2001. In addition to promotion of certification exams and ICML 55® Standards, his ongoing strategy seeks to improve the ICML user experience through greater exposure of satisfied clients, higher engagement for training partners & certified practitioners, and expansion of membership value. Before joining ICML, he was the U.S. product marketing programs manager for the Statistica predictive analytics platform, first with its parent company, StatSoft, and then with Dell and Quest Software, where he handled a broad range of content marketing activities including case study development, trade show presence, and more. In an earlier life he operated as a freelance graphic designer, photographer, and copywriter. Hiller is a graduate of Regis College at Regis University in Denver, CO, USA. 

Michael D. Holloway is President of 5th Order Industry which provides training, failure analysis, and designed experiments. He has 40 years’ experience in industry starting with research and product development for Olin Chemical and WR Grace, Rohm & Haas, GE Plastics, and reliability engineering and analysis for NCH, ALS, and SGS. He is a subject matter expert in failure analysis, reliability engineering, and designed experiments for science and engineering. He holds 16 professional certifications, a patent, a MS Polymer Engineering, BS Chemistry, BA Philosophy, authored 12 books, contributed to several others, cited in over 1000 manuscripts and several hundred master’s theses and doctoral dissertations.

Dr. Robert Janssen is a seasoned expert in regulatory compliance and supply chain communication, bringing over 25 years of industry experience and ensuring adherence to global regulatory standards. As the Managing Director of Advilex Regulatory Compliance LLC, Robert has successfully implemented compliance solutions for companies in the chemical and manufacturing sectors, specializing in chemical management and regulatory software. His current focus includes optimizing regulatory workflows and enhancing communication tools in compliance-related IT systems. Robert is passionate about driving efficiency through innovation, and he will be sharing insights on regulatory challenges and supply chain communication strategies.

Mike Johnson is the President and Principal Consultant at AMMRI and Generation Systems and has 37+ years of practical experience in industrial lubrication and equipment reliability improvement through Precision Lubrication work planning and deployment. He holds MLT2, MLA3, CLS, CMRP and CRL certifications.

He has assisted in developing reliability improvement strategies and implementing reliability-centered machine lubrication programs for many well-known multinational manufacturers, including Cargill, Georgia Pacific, Ford Motors, US Steel, General Mills, Goodyear Tires, and many others.

Mike has an extensive background in theoretical and practical tribology and uses this knowledge to assist organizations that want to improve machine reliability through training, in-plant coaching, failure analysis, and advice and support in developing standards for precision lubrication practices.

A chemist by training with a Canadian Bachelor, a German Diploma and a Swiss PhD, Andreas works for more than 15 years in the chemical industry. Renewable chemicals, industrial biotechnology and catalysts have been the focus in Andreas industrial career with Süd-Chemie and Clariant as major stations. In 2019 Andreas joined Verbio and is now, as Head of Specialty Chemicals and Catalysts, responsible for the commercialization of the Ethenolysis technology and products, as well as, as Managing Director in XiMo Hungary kft, for building up sales for olefin metathesis catalysts.

Matt Kriech is the President of Biosynthetic Technologies. Dr. Kriech also supports Heritage Research Group and The Heritage Group in the evaluation of potential new projects and investments.

Prior to his current role, he led the transition team for The Heritage Group and worked for Asphalt Materials Inc. in developing predictive economic models. He has also served as General Manager of PIZO and Supply Chain Manager, Tolling Manager, and Business Excellence leader for Monument Chemical. Matt received his B.A. from Wabash College in 2000 and his Ph.D. from the University of Utah in 2005, where he studied protein-lipid interactions using non-linear optical spectroscopy. Prior to returning to Indiana, he worked for ATK as a “Rocket Scientist” in Utah, helping to test and develop state-of-the-art rocket propellants.

After working as a qualified motor vehicle technician for a number of years, Peter attended the University of Leeds, UK where he obtained a Bachelor’s in Automotive Engineering followed by a Doctorate in Engine Tribology. Peter was subsequently awarded a 5-year Royal Academy of Engineering Research Followship to continue his Engine Tribology research where he collaborated with many oil and additive companies and OEMs.

Towards the end of this 5 years, he was approached by Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas to establish tribology research labs at the Institute. Peter moved from the UK to Texas with his family in 2011 and has since established a world recognized Tribology Research and Evaluations group which solves real world tribological issues for a range of clients from deep sea to deep space and everything in between. Most recently he has established the labs as a leader in EV tribology research.

Greg Livingstone is Chief Innovation Officer for Fluitec. He has three decades of industrial lubrication experience focused on how lubricants degrade and how to mitigate the risks associated with oil failure. He’s developed oil analysis tests, filtration technologies, solubility enhancers and other technologies used to increase the life and performance of industrial lubricants. He has volunteered in multiple industry organizations, such as STLE, ICML, and ASTM. Along his journey, he’s published almost 100 papers on these subjects and has helped hundreds of clients in over 50 countries. He recently published a book called “Turbomachinery Cholesterol: The Story of Varnish”. 

A technical expert in the petrochemical and lubricant field, Mr. Lorence has a wealth of experience in product and process analysis and design, implementation and optimization, and regulatory requirements. As Technical Director at Resolute Oil LLC, he was responsible for new product development, regulatory requirements, and addressing customers’ technical and regulatory concerns. Markets range from C/I such as oil and gas to specialized food and pharmaceutical applications. His prior roles include VP of R&D, process engineer, technical service expert and senior staff chemist. Mr. Lorence has over 35 years in the Petrochemical industry.

Siegfried Lucazeau has a chemical engineering background and has been working for the lubricant industry for over 15 years.
He started his career in the lubricant industry with a technical sales position for a distributor of components for lubrication. He then joined a speciality additive manufacturer, before he became Product Manager for NYCO, speciality ester manufacturer.

He is now Marketing and Project Manager for the Industry & Automotive business unit at NYCO. In his current position, he closely monitors the major trends of our industry and promotes NYCO’s offer on synthetic esters for performance lubrication. He also coordinates development projects with key accounts.

Sanya is the Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd based in Trinidad & Tobago and operates in the capacity of Managing Director and Senior Consultant. She works with global affiliates in the areas of Reliability and Asset Management to bring these specialty niches to her clients. She holds her BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering, MSc in Engineering Asset Management and is an ICML certified MLE (Machinery Lubrication Engineer) – the first female in the Caribbean. Sanya was also the first female in the world to achieve the ICML Varnish badges (VIM & VPR).

She sits on the Editorial board for Precision Lubrication Magazine and is a digital editor for STLE’s TLT Magazine for 2024. Sanya is also a bi-monthly columnist for Equipment Today Magazine.

She is the author and co-author of five books; Lubrication Degradation Mechanisms, A Complete Guide, Lubrication Degradation – Getting into the Root Causes, Machinery Lubrication Technician (MLT) I & II Certification Exam Guide and “Preventing Turbomachinery ‘Cholesterol’ – The Story of Varnish.” She has also been assigned the Series Editor of the book series, “Empowering women in STEM with the first book being launched in Dec 2022, Empowering Women in STEM – Personal Stories and Career Journeys from Around the World. When not writing or managing the business, you can find her supporting projects to advocate for women in STEM.

Mike has over 30 years of experience in the lubricants industry, with a career spanning lubricant development, product line management, business management, and marketing.

After graduating with a degree in Physics from Reading University, he began his career at Castrol. In 1997, he joined Lubrizol, where he led the European passenger car engine oil additive business through the development and launch of the first low SAPS lubricants.

In 2010, Mike relocated to China to lead Lubrizol’s Asia marketing group and in 2016 he became the Senior Director of Global Marketing. In 2021, he moved to Valvoline as the EMEA Marketing Director where he gained in-depth knowledge of the automotive aftermarket.

Since April 2024, Mike has been working as a consultant, advising clients globally on a range of marketing, brand, and product line projects. He holds an MBA from Nottingham University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Mike is a reliability professional with over 40 years of experience as a maintenance technician, supervisor, field service engineer, trainer, reliability engineer, and manager. His career in maintenance and reliability began in the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion program and additional Navy experience with their Performance Monitoring Teams which used predictive maintenance technologies to keep submarines in optimum condition. After retirement he has worked in semiconductor and scientific vacuum, HVAC, solar manufacturing, cargo and medical specialties packaging and protection, electrical apparatus and motor repair, window manufacturing and steel processing. Mike is a Certified Reliability Leader, and Certified Maintenance Manager.

Mike now works as a Freelance trainer and consultant in maintenance and reliability. In his spare time, he is the Base Commander for U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. USS Toledo Base, and likes to hang out with family and his Parrot.

Stuart educates and influences on the importance of Sustainability, both inside and outside of the company. Developing strategies that help meet society’s demand for sustainable products and solutions, with a focus on advancing Life Cycle Assessments in the energy transition. His role covers Crude, LNG products in the upstream to Chemicals, Fuels & Lubricants in the downstream.

Stuart is currently based in Texas and has lived and worked in Asia, Europe, US and the Middle East over his 38 year career. He joined Mobil UK in 1991, as experienced hire from BP (previously an LNG Liquefaction Engineer/Marine Engineer). He has held 18 roles in 33 years with ExxonMobil, ranging across Global Sales & Marketing Management, Sustainable Mobility, to the Chairman of Comma Oil.

Stuart is British, born in Scotland. He graduated as a UK Naval Officer and received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He is currently a member of the inaugural Clemson University Presidents Advisory Board.

Matthew holds a Master of Science (MS) degree from Montana Tech of the University of Montana. With over 16 years of experience, he has been instrumental in the research and development, formulation, quality control, and application of lubricants, greases, and fuel additives at Primrose Oil Company, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. As the Technical Director, Matthew has formulated hundreds of products, significantly contributing to the company’s success. His exceptional work has earned him the company’s most prestigious award—the Diamond Derrick Ring. Matthew is also a Certified Lubricating Grease Specialist (CLGS) from the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) and a Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS) from the Society of Tribologists and Lubricating Engineers (STLE), highlighting his expertise and dedication to the field. In addition, Matthew is a 2025 Technical Editor with STLE, further showcasing his commitment to advancing the industry.

George is an Industry Manager within Kline’s Energy Practice and is based in the United States. With over 26 years of experience in management consulting and syndicated market research, his focus is on the global supply and demand of finished automotive and industrial lubricants and related specialties.
His client base includes the world’s leading energy companies. Prior to joining Kline, George sold branded automotive and industrial lubricants for a leading U.S. lubricants manufacturer in both direct and indirect channels for 10 years.
He has spoken at major global lubricants industry conferences and contributed articles for the leading industry publications during his tenure with Kline.

Troy received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Wayne State University. He has over 17 years in the automotive industry and has held various roles in Materials Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Analytical Chemistry, Quality, and Laboratory Management. Troy’s technical expertise is focused on lubricants, surface treatments, and coatings with most of his career being centered around research, development, testing, troubleshooting, and product launches of organic materials used in driveline applications. He currently serves as the Chairmen and ASTM D7452 (L-42) reviewer for the Lubricant Review Institute (LRI) for all SAE J2360 gear oil approvals, and an active member of ASTM, SAE, API, and STLE organizations.

Gakuo Ndonga is a Senior Engineer with WD Bearings America supporting numerous industry applications incorporating bearing technology. Gakuo previously excelled in his role as an Applications Engineer Expert at SKF Group where he gained expertise in rolling element bearing applications in the fluid machinery industry. As a Senior Engineer he now reviews industrial machinery designs for clients; provides recommendations and reviews for bearing designs and arrangements; travels on-site for bearing application support and training; conducts analysis for damaged or failed bearings from the field; and provides technical support for sales teams. Outside of engineering Gakuo is a passionate soccer fan, values supporting local charities, and visiting parts of the world that are foreign to his own experience.

Anthony J. Odak has been the Chief Operating Officer at John W. Stone Oil Distributor LLC., in Gretna, LA since 2008. He has been and continues to develop both the long- and short-term business strategy as well as the corporate ES&G and decarbonization strategy for the company.

Mr. Odak obtained his BS degree in Marine Systems Engineering and USCG Unlimited HP Engineering License, from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1996 and received his MBA in Finance from Tulane University in 2006. Mr. Odak oversee the operations of Stone Oil’s inland fleet (17 boats, 49 barges), offshore fleet (3 units), and 15 docks and terminals located throughout the lower Mississippi river, Intracoastal Waterway, and Gulf of Mexico. He also serves as the company’s Director of Business Development. Over the years his professional background has included marine surveyor for the American Bureau of Shipping, Owner of Holly Marine Towing, and Territory Manager for ExxonMobil with specialization in Marine Lubricants and Marine Fuels.

Mr. Odak has written and presented widely on various aspects of Marine Fuel and Lubricants and is an expert witness in various legal cases related to the subjects. He is a participating member of the USCG CTAC and TSAC committees and has co-chaired multiple IMO and USCG Subcommittees related to LNG as a Marine Fuel, and LNG Bunkering, as well as Traditional Marine Bunkering, Midstreaming and SIMOPS, and Decarbonization. Most recently he has accepted a position with the Board of Advisors at the US Department of Energy Marine Decarbonization Team.

Joshua Park is the CEO and President of Chemical Engineering Partners (“CEP”) a company dedicated to bringing the best re-refining technology to countries around the world. Joshua has been recognized at various events in countries around the world as one of the foremost experts on re-refining technology. With over 17 years of experience in designing, building and troubleshooting re-refineries, Joshua has maintained a reputation of industry excellence and knowledge. He has been contacted by re-refining companies both using CEP technology and those using other technologies for high level technical know-how and problem solving. His expertise also includes process training, operation troubleshooting, process optimization and debottlenecking.

Since joining CEP in 2007, Joshua has been involved if not directly managed all CEP projects, including the LWART re-refinery in Brazil, the largest group II producing re-refinery in South America. In 2015 Joshua was named as President and CEO of Chemical Engineering Partners.

With over 35 years of experience in the STEM industry, and laboratory services, I’ve built a diverse career specializing in lubricants, reliability maintenance, and chemistry. Starting in technical roles, I eventually transitioned to management, leading teams and handling complex operations. My journey has allowed me to collaborate with industry luminaries and work with advanced technologies, such as the first U.S. commercial Scanning Electron Microscope. Along the way, I earned both a bachelor’s in marketing and a master’s in business administration, reinforcing my belief in the power of continuous education. Today, I run my own consulting business, EmphaReli, where I help businesses optimize their operations with a results-driven approach. My passion for problem-solving and supporting clients, combined with my personal commitment to lifelong learning, drives my work. I’m also dedicated to promoting STEM education, aiming to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Sebastian carries a degree in industrial engineering and business management. At the early start of his career Sebastian was working for Draeger, a leading medical and safety company from Luebeck Germany. During his 12 years at Draeger Sebastian was working in different locations including Stuttgart and Lübeck in Germany and the Houston, Texas in the US. Throughout his entire career he has always had a close connection to the Chemical and Petrochemical industry. Leveraging this expertise Sebastian is now CEO and managing partner of the Lübeck, Germany machine building company Greif-Velox. Greif-Velox is a market leading company in the filed of dry solid material handling and liquid filling.

Bryan Pryor is the Global Technical Specialist for Engine and Transmission Lubrication Systems at General Motors. With over 20 years of experience in the lubrication field and more than 10 years as a Technical Specialist, Bryan has made significant contributions to the industry.

Throughout his career, Bryan has focused on optimizing variable displacement oil pumps to enhance the overall efficiency of lubrication systems. He also has worked extensively on oil thermal management and dry sump systems. His innovative work has earned him 18 patents, and he has published many additional internal and external peer reviewed papers.
One of Bryan’s notable achievements includes leading the team that developed and published USCAR 46 – Engine Oil Pump Performance and Durability Test Procedures.

Bryan holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science & Technology) and a M.E. in Global Automotive & Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Jun Qu currently is a Corporate Fellow and the Group Leader of Surface Engineering & Tribology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research interests include: advanced lubrication, surface engineering, materials tribology, nanostructured materials, and manufacturing. He has developed 2 ASTM standards, published 3 book chapters and 140+ journal papers, and received 11 U.S. patents. Dr. Qu has received multiple national awards including DOE Vehicle Technologies Office R&D Award and R&D 100 Award. He is a Fellow of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers and serves on the Board of Directors for Wear of Materials.

Tom Rogers, President and CEO of Vibrac LLC, has over 22 years of experience in the bearing industry and is known for his innovative approach to precision torque test systems. After studying mechanical engineering and economics at the University of Maine, Tom established the US operations for CC Jensen of Denmark, focusing on the impact of fine filtration on lubrication oil in bearing performance. After a 3-year tenure with KAMAN Corp., Tom found his next venture: leading and innovating rolling element bearing science with Vibrac LLC. Under his leadership, the company has seen substantial growth, continuously introducing new and unique solutions that have made Vibrac a trusted name in low-speed high-resolution bearing performance testing for the space, aerospace, defense and automotive industries. Tom also holds leadership positions as the Vice-Chair of the ASTM International Rolling Element Bearing Committee, and is an Advisory Board Member for The Bearing Show.

Scott has over 35 years of experience as a technical leader for global anti-friction bearing solutions. He has deep experience in Medical, Energy, Machinery, Heavy Equipment, Semiconductor Manufacturing and Military applications. Also a strong focus with Space, Low Earth Orbit and Aerospace applications. A history of working with companies and engineers from the collegiate level, start-up, and Fortune 500.

After studying mechanical engineering,  Benedikt worked as a research associate and team leader at the FZG – Gear research center – at the Technical University of Munich and started 2023 at Klüber Lubrication München GmbH & Co. KG in the department “Application Engineering” in the field of Gear Lubrication.

Anuj Kumar Singh is an industry manager in the Energy Practice at Kline & Company with more than 15 years’ experience. During this time, Anuj has managed and authored numerous research studies in Kline’s Energy portfolio, specializing in finished lubricants, lubricant basestocks, lubricant additives, used oil and re-refined lubricants. His industry experience also spans waxes, petrochemicals, additives and heavy industries.
With his diverse range of experience and insights, including business strategy, strategic planning, market analysis, pricing, market intelligence, and market size and segmentation, Anuj regularly represents Kline at global industry conferences, as both a keynote speaker and panellist.
Anuj is based in Canada and holds an MBA in International Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.

Ms. Snedegar has been with Vertex Energy since 2014 and offers 23 years of business expertise in leadership and executive management, with 20 years of special focus in the petroleum industry, the procurement and sales of off-specification petroleum hydrocarbons, distillate fuels, non-hazardous chemicals, and transformer oils. Prior to joining Vertex Energy, she was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Heartland Petroleum, LLC. Ms. Snedegar has successfully built and owned several businesses over her 23 years — most notably, she was the Co-founder, owner, and Vice President of Heartland Refinery Group, LLC, which was the United States’ third successfully built Used Motor Oil re-refinery producing GR II + base oils.  Currently, Ms. Snedegar oversees Vertex Energy’s base oils, refined intermediate by-products and the branded products divisions.

Tim joined Lubes’n’Greases in 2001. He has worked on a number of the company’s publications and products and now has editorial oversight of publications, responsible for working with our editors and staff writers to maintain the high quality and relevance of these offerings. He is also a member of the company planning team. Before joining Lubes’n’Greases he was a reporter for community newspapers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. For fun he enjoys kayaking and hiking and fishing with his children and grandchildren.

Tom Ukai is Technical Center Chief of Daido Metal USA North American Technical Center based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Tom has 18 years’ experience with Daido Metal. Tom worked as an application engineer in the automotive and non-automotive fields. Daido metal produces the parts for automotive, marine, generator, industrial, energy use and others. Daido Metal products are used in a wide range of moving areas where tribology is required, from cars to buildings. 

Zack’s journey in machinery lubrication reliability began nearly a decade ago as a warehouse worker for an oil marketer in northeast Iowa. Demonstrating an aptitude for product applications during deliveries, he seized the opportunity to expand his knowledge. Since then, Zack has earned STLE CLS and OMA-I certifications and co-founded Firefly Reliability in 2020, specializing in industrial lubrication services. He works closely with plant and maintenance managers to implement remote and condition-based monitoring programs, spearheading varnish mitigation projects, high-velocity oil flushes, and other technical onsite services. Passionate about the industry’s future, Zack aims to share his field experiences to help others succeed!

As Chief Engineer – Drivetrain Systems, Thomas manages electric drive unit (EDU) system topics. Interfacing with specialists from geartrain, electric motors, and power electronics for system optimization, including lubrication and cooling aspects of the EDU system, are essential part of his role.

Further, Thomas is responsible for battery electric vehicle calibration topics, including vehicle thermal management and range optimization. Other responsibilities are coordination of activities in vehicle and component benchmarks at FEV North America.

During Thomas’ more than 24-year career at FEV, he has held several positions in NVH, component engineering, and vehicle integration. He has been instrumental in expanding the company’s technical capabilities and expertise in the areas of NVH, transmissions, e-axle development and vehicle integration.

With over four decades of field experience and a doctorate in Organization Development and Leadership Style, Nathan has a proven record of transforming organizations into revenue-producing powerhouses. He also helps corporate leaders develop their teams into top-caliber professionals, capable of effectively navigating and utilizing the tools available to them. Nathan’s proprietary coaching approach helps organizations achieve peak performance through leadership development, people development, maintenance and reliability, executive coaching, and strategic planning. The trademarked Wright Leadership® Program is a measurable leadership development approach based on real-world experience that increases productivity and reduces turnover and absenteeism.

Evan is a Certified Lubrication Specialist and Senior Technical Advisor at TestOil, with extensive experience training tradesmen and professionals in a variety of fields including: lubrication fundamentals, contamination control, condition monitoring, RCM/FMEA and used oil analysis.

He has been a member of STLE for over 25 years, having served two terms on the Board of Directors, after being Chair of the Alberta Section for 8 years, and continues to be an instructor of the Condition Monitoring course at STLE Annual Meetings.

He was Editor of TLT Magazine for 12 years, and has served as the Editor for The STLE Alberta Section’s Basic Handbook of Lubrication – Third Edition, and contributed as one of the editors for STLE/CRC’s Handbook of Lubrication and Tribology, Volume II: Theory and Design, Second Edition.
He has published several technical papers and is an active member of both API and ASTM.