June 7-9, 2022 #FVLNA
Paséa Hotel & Spa, Huntington Beach
SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES, DRIVING TRANSFORMATION
Seizing opportunities, driving transformation
Finished Vehicle Logistics North America is where the region’s automotive outbound logistics experts gather to confront the industry’s challenges, whether managing capacity shortages, extreme weather, or new technology. This year’s event will be especially critical as the sector faces a paradigm shift. OEMs, dealers and customers must adapt to lower vehicle inventory, more advanced pipeline ordering and rising expectations for sustainability. Supply chain and logistics disruptions, worsening driver shortages and rising costs will also require greater collaboration and innovation.
While markets and supply chains remain volatile, now is the time for vehicle logistics decisions makers and companies to seize the chance in this current of change – the opportunity to make a difference has rarely been so profound!
Through in-depth panel discussions, interviews, data and workshops, FVL North America will unpack change across vehicle logistics operations, including distribution network design, lead times, technology investment and logistics partnerships.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the pacific ocean, the luxurious Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach will host the leading finished vehicle logistics event of the year, once again bringing together vehicle logistics leaders, experts and key stakeholders from across OEMs, carriers, logistics service providers, technology and equipment specialists.
Join us in California this June and seize the chance to transform vehicle logistics!
Previous Finished Vehicle Logistics Speakers
Be Informed and Inspired by Leaders and Innovators
Manny Bansi
Vice President of Toyota Logistics Services
Toyota Motor North America
READ BIO
BIO
Manny Bansi is vice-president of Toyota Logistics Services and has responsibility across Toyota’s outbound vehicle logistics network and operations in North America. This includes the carmaker’s transport network across road, rail and ocean; vehicle processing centres at ports and plants; accessory operations and digital systems. He will be speaking about how Toyota is improving visibility, asset tracking and ETAs for dealers and customers.
More bio details coming soon.
Michael Arnold
Operations Supervisor, North America Vehicle Logistics
Ford Motor Company
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BIO
Michael Arnold oversees operations for Ford’s vehicle logistics operations across North America, including for domestically produced vehicles, imports and global exports. He has worked at Ford in material planning and logistics (MP&L) since 2013. Prior to that, he was a transport engineer at GE Aviation, where he managed logistics for aircraft engine material worldwide. He spent four years in the US Navy, where he also managed on-load of stores and re-ordering of parts. Michael Arnold has a degree from Ohio State University in Operations Management, Logistics, Materials and Supply Chain Management, and an MBA from Wayne State University.
Chris Styles
Vice President, Supply Chain Management, North America
Nissan
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BIO
Chris Styles is vice president, supply chain management, North America. He was appointed to this position in March 2021. In this role, Styles is responsible for overseeing supply chain activities for all production parts and finished vehicle distribution in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Previously, Styles was senior director of supply chain logistics, Nissan U.S., where he was responsible for finished vehicle and inbound production parts logistics, supplier packaging engineering and logistics strategy for the U.S, Canada, and Mexico.
Styles has worked as director of logistics for the U.S. and Canada in Nissan's supply chain management organization, director of purchasing for Nissan's Mexico operations, as well as director of purchasing for logistics and aftermarket and accessory parts for the Americas region.
Styles joined Nissan in 2002. Prior to joining Nissan, Styles held logistics management positions in auto parts retail and third party automotive logistics companies in the U.S. and Mexico.
Styles holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Kevin Austin
Vice President Demand and Supply Management
Toyota Motor North America
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BIO
Kevin Austin is currently the vice-president of demand and supply management (DSM) at Toyota Motor North America, responsible for North American regional demand and supply planning, in coordination with Toyota and Lexus brands and the North American manufacturing companies that are directly or indirectly owned by Toyota.
Austin began his career at Toyota in 1999 starting out as an analyst within the Production Control division at Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America. Since then, he has held roles in Human Resources, Sales and Headquarters in various locations across North America, and completed a 2-year international assignment in Japan between 2012-2014. Prior to his current role, Austin was general manager within the Toyota Sales Operations team Plano HQ.
Steve Center
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President
Kia America
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BIO
Steve Center joined Kia America in January 2022 as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, responsible for the strategy and execution of Kia’s sales, service and marketing operations in the United States, reporting to Sean Yoon, President and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America. Having served in various roles at Honda since 1993, Center brings a wealth of experience to his new role at Kia. Most recently, he oversaw Honda’s four automobile regions in the U.S. Additional responsibilities included Honda and Acura market representation, sales and production planning, certified pre-owned sales, dealer communication, product and sales information, as well as export sales and distribution.
Ray Mikiciuk
Senior Vice President of Sales
Volkswagen Group of America
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BIO
Ray Mikiciuk is the head of Sales Operations for Volkswagen Group of America, headquartered Virginia. Ray is responsible for all sales and sales related activities for Volkswagen brand, working through VW’s sales operations team and regional offices throughout the US. Ray joined Volkswagen in October of 2020 after a lengthy career at American Honda where he was head of US sales for the Honda Division. Additional experience includes Director of Manufacturer and Industry relations for Victory Automotive Group, a privately held dealer organization based in Michigan.
Ray is a graduate of Michigan State University. He’s been married to his wife Kathy for 33 years, they have three children, Laura, Michael and Elizabeth and maintain residences in both Virginia and Texas.
Vehicle logistics tracks for success 2022
Navigating the new ‘never normal’
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The supply chain shortages and disruptions characterising the post-Covid automotive landscape are set to endure, requiring vehicle logistics to be more agile and adjust strategies to overcome a new ‘never normal’. FVL North America helps the industry manage these paradigm shifts across the industry, such as lower vehicle inventories at dealerships and more pipeline ordering, increased vehicle retrofitting and accessories, shorter order cycles and challenges in vehicle production forecasts.
Need for speed
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In the digital economy, customers value visibility and velocity. Those expectations, along with vehicle inventory shortage and capacity crunches, are putting vehicle logistics under pressure to keep pace. As carmakers bring new products to market and serve a growing number of customers waiting longer for vehicles they ordered in advance, there’s little room for error, whether from loading delays or quality issues. FVL North America helps the industry pedal to the metal with insights on reducing dwell and loading times, strategic inventory management, fast repair and damage claims and more.
Optimising the network
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As North American vehicle logistics faces capacity issues, driver shortages and rising costs, carmakers must reengineer distribution networks more frequently. The impetus will only increase as new production hubs come online, demand patterns change, EV volumes ramp up, and manufacturers strive to decarbonise operations. Experts at the conference share best practice and IT innovations to support optimisation, including adapting vehicle loading and distribution routes, rethinking yard management and exploring alternative transport modes.
Achieving net zero
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Despite pressure to increase velocity, a greener supply chain is a must for OEMs and stakeholders across the vehicle logistics sector. Manufacturers and logistics providers are aiming for greater transparency, with common standards to measure emissions and identify opportunities to decarbonise. Logistics leaders share strategies for reducing miles and emissions, such as increasing multimodal flows, optimising drop-off points and shared loads, increasing the use of alternative fuels across fleets, and harnessing data to improve network efficiencies.
Digitalising logistics
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OEMs increasingly have access to technology that can integrate the end-to-end supply chain, with visibility and updates from factory to dealers, including for end customers. FVL North America spotlights the tools, tech and trends worth investing in, such as to improve real-time visibility, enhance sales and operations planning, simplify damage reporting and carrier invoicing, and ultimately leverage data to achieve more predictive decision making.
Meeting customers where they are
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Connect with Automotive Leaders
Previous Representatives
> President & Chief Executive Officer
> Chief Strategy Officer
> Chief Operations Officer
> Chief Technology Officer
> Vice President, Aftersales & Vehicle Logistics
> Senior Vice President, Logistics
> Vice President, Supply Chain
> Vice President, Finished Vehicle Logistics
> Director, Production North America
> Director, Purchasing
> Director, Global Customs & Trade Compliance
> Finished Vehicle Operations
> Port Director
> Import Export Manager