Matthew Littlefield is Co-founder, President, and Research Lead at LNS Research. He leads the organization as it fulfills its mission of driving industrial transformation. and contributes to research across the breadth of topics covered by the firm. 

Matt is a recognized industry expert, an active speaker, and contributing author across many industry publications, associations, and events. His passion, however, is advising manufacturing executives on Industrial Transformation and Operational Excellence. 

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Mehul Shah is the Co-Founder and Senior Associate at LNS Research. He advises industrial executives in their Operational Excellence and Industrial Transformation initiatives. 

Mehul is instrumental in the work LNS Research conducts with clients as they develop and refine the organizational culture, operational architecture, and processes necessary for true and beneficial Industrial Transformation.

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Michael Carroll

Michael Carroll is the Advisor to The COO Council at LNS Research and a former senior executive at Georgia-Pacific, where he led enterprise transformation and innovation.

With a background in engineering and global leadership roles, he brings deep operational leadership insight, strategic clarity, and a forward-looking focus on AI, performance science, and scalable decision-making.

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Dirk Holbach, PhD, is Chief Supply Chain Officer & COO at Henkel, leading the company's global end-to-end supply chain and operations. He has more than 20 years of experience driving transformation across FMCG and specialty chemicals, with expertise in digital manufacturing, AI, sustainability, and operational excellence.

Recognized as a leading supply chain exec, Dirk serves as an advisor, board member, and international speaker, helping organizations accelerate performance through innovation and resilient operations.

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Carles Belmonte is Head of Supply Chain Strategy & Development at Henkel, where he leads global supply chain strategy, transformation, and M&A initiatives. Previously, he held engineering and operations leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, Coty, and Henkel, driving manufacturing innovation and large-scale operational improvements.

With experience spanning global supply chains, digital transformation, and operational excellence, Carles is a frequent speaker on building resilient, high-performing supply chains and transformation at scale.

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Thomas Potgieter, PhD, is Senior Vice President of Cell Therapy Development and Operations at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he leads the development and manufacturing of advanced cell therapies. Previously, he held a series of manufacturing and technical leadership roles at Merck spanning more than a decade.

With more than 25 years of experience in bioprocess engineering, manufacturing, and biotechnology, Thomas brings deep expertise in scaling innovative therapies and advancing operational excellence across the life sciences industry.

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Chad Anderson is Chief Manufacturing and Technology Officer at Indovinya, part of Indorama Ventures, where he leads global operations and technology strategy across the company’s specialty chemical platforms.

With over 25 years of experience in manufacturing leadership, Chad has driven major restructuring efforts, operational turnarounds, and digital transformation initiatives at global chemical companies including Huntsman and Arkema.

Rahul Dharni is Global Chief Information Officer at Pratt & Whitney, where he leads enterprise-wide digital transformation to drive innovation, efficiency, and new business models.

With a strong track record across aerospace, defense, healthcare, and industrial sectors, Rahul’s leadership spans smart factory initiatives, digital thread, AI/ML integration, and cloud strategy, positioning digital as a core competitive asset.

Clay Ellis is CEO of Global Cellulose Fibers at International Paper, where he leads strategy and operations for one of the company’s core global businesses.

With over 25 years of experience in manufacturing and commercial leadership, Clay has held key roles across operations, excellence, and product segments, helping drive performance and innovation at scale.

Peter Gibbons retired in 2025 as Group President of Enterprise Supply Chain at 3M, where he led global operations and supply chain. Previously, he served as CEO and Board Chair of TireHub, helping build the company into a customer-focused, culture-driven distribution leader.

Today, Peter serves as a board member at Solstice Advanced Materials, bringing decades of leadership experience in global manufacturing, supply chain, and business transformation across industrial, consumer, and specialty chemical industries.

Ellis Jones is an accomplished independent director and former Fortune 500 executive with over 25 years of experience leading operations, safety, finance, and sustainability initiatives. Known for turning around underperforming teams and organizations, he previously held senior leadership roles at Goodyear, including Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of Global EHS&S.

Ellis now serves on multiple corporate boards and applies his expertise in operational excellence and cultural transformation to drive performance and long-term value.

Sudeep Kesh is Chief Innovation Officer for S&P Global Ratings, where he leads research and training on emerging digital risks, including cyber, AI, and technology disruption, and their impact on financial markets.

He also leads the Technology Disruption Research Lab across S&P Global, directing enterprise-wide research and thought leadership. Earlier in his career, he led a global credit research and economics team producing award-winning research. 

Peter Kraemer is the retired Chief Supply Officer of AB InBev, where he led global brewing operations, quality, raw materials, and product innovation across more than 150 facilities. A fifth-generation brewmaster and third-generation Anheuser-Busch employee, Peter spent nearly three decades advancing beer quality and operational excellence at scale.

Despite retiring from full-time leadership, he remains active in the industry and now serves as an advisor, drawing on his deep expertise and passion for the craft.

Veena Lakkundi is a global business executive and board director with a strong track record of leading enterprise transformation and building high-performing teams. As President of Large-Scale Optical at Apogee Enterprises, she brings deep experience from senior leadership roles at Rockwell Automation and 3M.

Veena also contributes her strategic expertise on the boards of Trinity Industries and Claroty, helping drive sustainable growth, innovation, and inclusive leadership across industrial sectors.

Thomas Roemer, PhD,  is a Senior Lecturer at MIT and Executive Director of the Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) Program. His research spans product development, manufacturing, and operations strategy, with publications in leading journals. He has held faculty roles at MIT Sloan and UC San Diego’s Rady School, earning multiple teaching awards. Roemer holds engineering and management degrees from Technische Universität Berlin and UCLA.

Kevin Smith is is Vice President of Global Insulation Operations at Owens Corning. He brings nearly three decades of deep Owens Corning expertise across operations, advanced manufacturing, and research and development. 

Kevin's vast industrial experience, his enterprise mindset, and his proven ability to lead teams through key growth and productivity initiatives position gives him critial insights to shaping the future of industry.

Michael Carroll, Strategic Advisor and Fellow at LNS Research, works with The COO Council to advance leadership, innovation, and organizational transformation.

Mike previously served as VP of Innovation at Georgia-Pacific, where he led major initiatives that reshaped operations and culture. Recognized as Innovator of the Year by ASPI and Visionary of the Year by Smart Industry Magazine, Mike is known for driving customer-centric change across global manufacturing.

Ryan Cahalane, Managing Director at LNS Research, plays a key role in guiding our work with The COO Council and advancing our mission to help industrial leaders drive new levels of productivity and performance. 

Ryan brings more than 25 years of experience across manufacturing, industrial technology, consulting, and systems integration. He's been a top leader at companies, including Axiom Manufacturing Systems, Feyen Zylstra, Colfax Fluid Handling, OSIsoft, Rockwell Automation, and GE.