Keynote Speakers
Register: https://www.xcdsystem.com/IEOM/attendee/index.cfm?ID=g5Y5HAk
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
9:40 – 9:50, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – Conference Chair Welcome Message:
Dr. Walid Abdul-Kader
Professor
Department of Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
University of Windsor
Windsor, Canada
Walid Abdul-Kader is Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Windsor. He is also the Director of the Systems Optimization Research Laboratory in the Faculty of Engineering. His research works relate to performance evaluation of manufacturing / remanufacturing systems prone to random failure. Dr. Abdul-Kader received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Québec in Trois-Rivières, a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal, and a PhD degree from Université Laval, Québec, Canada. His research works are published in various peer-reviewed journals in his field and cited by a worldwide audience of researchers.
9:50 – 10:00, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – IEOM Society Welcome Message
Professor Don Reimer
Chief Operating Officer
IEOM Society International
Southfield, Michigan, USA
Professor Don Reimer is the Chief Operating Officer of the IEOM Society International. He is a managing member of The Small Business Strategy Group, LLC, and works as an adjunct professor at Lawrence Technological University. Professor Reimer holds a BS in Industrial Management from Lawrence Technological University and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Detroit/Mercy. He has been recognized as a professional management consultant with over 45 years of experience in working with closely held businesses. He has taught courses in entrepreneurship, management, corporate entrepreneurship, and innovation for engineers. Professor Reimer served as a member of the Minority Economic Development Committee of New Detroit. He has served as a KEEN Fellow for The Kern Family Foundation. He is a member of the Lawrence Tech Alumni Board of Directors and has been elected a Fellow of the IEOM Society. He visited 17 countries to organize IEOM conferences. He is coordinating IEOM student chapters around the world.
10:00 – 10:20, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – Host University Welcome Address:
Dr. Bill Van Heyst
Dean
Faculty of Engineering
University of Windsor
10:20 – 11:00, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – Opening Keynote:
TBD
11:00 – 11:40, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – Keynote II:
Vladimir Franjo, P.Eng.
Regional Director – Ontario Cross Regional Team
Advanced Manufacturing Sector Team Director
Bioproducts Sector Team Director
National Research Council Canada – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Title: Scaling Smarter: Productivity and Innovation in Canadian Manufacturing SMEs
Subtitle: Unlocking growth through technology, process improvement, and workforce engagement
11:40 – 12:20, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – Keynote III:
Mr. Ryan Donally
President and CEO
Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Ryan Donally is a self-described “Swiss-army knife” of municipal government roles, having been trusted to lead economic development, government relations, mobility, and land-use planning in his short tenure with Lakeshore. With a diverse personal and professional background across academia, athletics, the arts, municipal government, and economic development, Ryan has a breadth of experience and network that allows him to be a great “connector” of talent across the region.
Ryan holds a Master of Business Administration (Strategy), and a Bachelor of Commerce (minor Political Science) from the University of Windsor, Odette School of Business. Ryan also is a Sessional Professor at the University in the areas of Strategy and Marketing.
12:20 – 1:00, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – Keynote IV:
Dr Vedat Verter
Professor & Stephen J.R. Smith Chair of Management Analytics
Smith School of Business
Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario
Canada K7L 3N6
Title: Improving Mental Healthcare by deploying AI and OR
Vedat Verter joined Smith School of Business in August 2022. Prior to joining Queen’s University, he was the McConnell Endowed Chair and Chairperson of the Supply Chain Management Department at Michigan State University. He also brings more than two decades of experience at Desautels Faculty of Management, where he was a James McGill Professor. Professor Verter specializes on the application of operations research and data analytics for assisting policy makers in the public sector. His primary areas of research are socially responsible supply chains and healthcare analytics. His earlier work focused on service chain design and hazardous materials logistics. Professor Verter’s work in these four areas culminated into eighty research articles in refereed journals and twenty book chapters. His research is well recognized through invited presentations around the globe. He is deeply invested in training scholars of the future, having supervised 18 PhD students and 25 post-doctoral fellows to date.
Professor Verter developed risk assessment models for dangerous goods shipments and policy making for rail and highway transportation of hazardous materials. His papers on designing transport networks for such shipments are considered seminal. In the area of sustainability, he focuses on evidence-based policy design for incentivizing firms’ product recovery initiatives; particularly for remanufacturing and recycling. He has published on the electronics industry extensively. In the area of healthcare, he focuses on preventive, primary, emergency, acute and chronic care processes, as well as their interaction.
In 2010, he founded and served as Director of the NSERC CREATE Program in Healthcare Operations and Information Management, a seven-University PhD/PDF training program across Canada. Professor Verter served as Editor-in-Chief of Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, an international journal focusing on public sector decision making for ten years starting 2011. Currently, he is a Senior Editor for the Sustainable Operations and Healthcare Management Departments in Production and Operations Management journal. Professor Verter was President of INFORMS Health Applications and Public Sector OR Societies in 2013 and 2018, respectively. In POMS, he served as Founding President of College of Healthcare Management, Vice President of College of Sustainable Operations, and an elected Board member in 2016-17.
October 15, 2025
9:40 – 10:20, Wednesday, October 15 – Keynote V
Benjamin Saltsman
Director, Advanced Manufacturing Innovation
Magna International Inc.
Benjamin Saltsman leads Data Analytics, Simulation and IoT department at Magna Corporate R&D. He and his team develop AI-based solutions based for data collected on the shop floor at Magna production divisions to improve quality, productivity and other operational metrics. He works extensively with start-ups and universities across the globe to bring new technologies to automotive reality.
Saltsman has more than 25 years of automotive product and technology development experience. He joined Magna in 2016. Prior to that Saltsman held positions with Ford, Eaton and Dura. Saltsman also holds multiple patents in product design and software algorithms.
Saltsman earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Moscow State Technical University. He additionally holds master’s degrees in Materials Science from Stevens Institute of Technology and System Design & Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He resides in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with his wife, but the house is divided as his two children are attending Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
10:20 – 11:00, Wednesday, October 15 – Keynote VI
Dr. Anjali Awasthi
Professor, CIISE, Concordia University
President, Canadian Operations Research Society
Montreal, Canada
Dr. Anjali Awasthi is Full Professor at Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE), in Concordia University, Montreal. She is currently serving as the President for CORS (Canadian Operations Research Society). In the past, she has served as Concordia University Research Chair (Tier-II) in Connected Sustainable Mobility Systems, CORS in the role of Vice-President, Education Chair, and jury member of student competitions. She is a senior member of ASQ (American Society for Quality), associate of LSRC (Loyola Sustainability Research Center), and regular member of CIRRELT (Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur les Reseaux d’Entreprise, la Logistique et le Transport). She is also the recipient of Eldon Gunn service award (CORS 2018, Halifax) and IEOM Special Recognition Award (4th North American Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Toronto, 2019). Her research paper entitled “A system dynamics simulation model to evaluate regulatory policies for sustainable transportation planning” received the best paper award from Taylor and Francis journal “International Journal of Modeling and Simulation”. She is also a member of CORS Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee and promotor of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). She received her PhD in industrial engineering and automation from INRIA Rocquencourt and University of Metz, France and a Masters in Industrial and Management Engineering from IIT Kanpur, India. Prior to Concordia, Dr. Awasthi worked at University of British Columbia and University of Laval where she was involved in several projects on industrial applications of operations research. In France, she worked on many European research projects aimed at improving urban mobility in cities, city logistics and on cybernetic transportation systems. She has appeared on Radio Canada, CTV, Montreal Gazette, Le Devoir, The suburban, Metro and The Globe and The Mail.
Professor Awasthi’s research interests lie in modeling and simulation, data mining, Information Technology and decision making, sustainable logistics planning, quality assurance in supply chain management and sustainable supply chain management. she is particularly interested in investigating how the new digital technologies are shaping our everyday decision making process. Other key problems include how our cities can be relieved of ongoing traffic congestion, how should the sustainability policies be devised for improved mobility of goods and people, how to perform stakeholder collaboration planning, how to benchmark sustainability performance of organizations, and how autonomous vehicles can be brough mainstream to complement our transportation ecosystem. She is also interested in industrial applications of OR (Operations Research), and has published extensively in the area.
11:00 – 11:40, Wednesday, October 15 – Keynote VII:
Dr. Andrew Jardine
Emeritus Professor, Industrial Engineering
University of Toronto
Canada
Title: Research in Reliability and Maintenance: Benefits of University/Industry collaboration
Some highlights: I will start by speaking in general terms about University/Industry collaboration then focus on three collaborations: UK MOD (frigates), Hong Kong Mass Transit (subway trains) Pearson airport (runway lights).
Professor Emeritus Andrew Jardine is an internationally recognized expert in engineering asset management whose research and teaching have impacted reliability engineering and industry best practices globally. As Chair of the University of Toronto’s Department of Industrial Engineering from 1986-1995, he spearheaded its development into a world leader in academic/industrial collaborations through his creation of the Chair’s Advisory Board. He is also Founding Director of the Centre for Maintenance Optimization and Reliability Engineering (C-MORE), where, with the support of a worldwide network of companies, his group produced journal publications, commercialized software packages, and provided postgraduate training to dozens of research students. In his efforts to make academic research accessible to industry practitioners, he has regularly offered training in physical asset management.
Although officially retired, Dr. Jardine continues to teach, consult with industry professionals, and work with C-MORE. His outstanding work represents the perfect marriage of academic rigor and industrial application. Jardine is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. His numerous awards, including the Plant Engineering and Maintenance Association of Canada’s Sergio Guy Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to the maintenance profession, indicate the tremendous respect accorded him in his field.
11:40 – 12:20, Wednesday, October 15 – Keynote VIII:
Dr. Bruce Minaker
MAME Department Head
University of Windsor
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Title: Prospects and Perspectives on Industrial Engineering Education in Windsor
12:20 – 1:00, Wednesday, October 15 – Keynote IX:
Lisa Lortie
Vice President, Light Duty Truck Program Planning
Stellantis
Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA
Title: Stellantis Mobility Evolution
Lisa Lortie is the Vice President of RAM LD Planning at Stellantis. She is responsible to ensure long range plans are consistent with corporate objectives as well as core model and industrial strategies and leads cross functionally with Engineering, Brand, Finance and extended teams to evolve existing programs and develop new programs. She is tasked with developing plans that achieve targets including market coverage, value creation and corporate profitability while considering all of the constraints and optimizing expenses and synergies. Lortie has held positions of increasing responsibility within the company in areas including Engineering, Program Management, Planning, Lab Testing and Operations Management. She earned both a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Windsor. Lortie was named one of the Top 100 Leading Women in Automotive in North America by Automotive News and is featured in a Chapter of SAE’s book, “The Road Forward,”. She is a member of several organizations supporting women in STEM including the Society of Women Engineers, Ontario Network of Women in Engineering, See It Be It STEM It, and also volunteers in the Engineers of Tomorrow organization, promoting STEM in the classroom as part of the Engineer in Residence program. Lortie is also actively involved with Diversity and Inclusion efforts at Stellantis including holding a Board Member position on the Women of Stellantis Business Resource Group. Additionally, Lortie also serves on the Dean of Engineering’s Advisory Board at the University of Windsor.
October 16, 2025
9:40 – 10:20, Thursday, October 16 – Keynote X:
Lee R. Lambert
A Founder of the PMP, PMI
Powell, Ohio, United States
Lee R. Lambert is considered throughout the world as one of the project management profession’s thought leaders. He has been spreading the PM word for over 50 years and was one of the Founders of the PMP. Lee has been recognized by the Project Management Institute as one of only 85 PMI Fellows and in 2024 he received the Distinguished Leader in Project Management Award from the IEOM Society. He brings a “real world” message to those hoping to excel in their role of managing projects. His unique and humorous style creates an enjoyable and productive learning environment.
Lambert has implemented four enterprise-wide project management information systems and his work in developing High Performance Teams has been judged a miracle. He has prepared and delivered user training to thousands of employees at AT&T, IBM, General Electric, MicroSoft, Roche and countless others. His value-add consulting and training has been instrumental in creating successful PMOs to drive rapid implementation. He has provided “public” training programs for more than 50,000 professionals in 51 countries. Lee loves sharing his experience and knowledge on a variety of project management methodologies.
10:20 – 11:00, Thursday, October 16 – Keynote XI:
Dr. Bruno Agard
Full Professor
Department of Mathematical and Industrial Engineering
Ecole Polytechnique
Montreal, Canada
Bruno Agard is Professor of Industrial Engineering at Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He graduated in manufacturing from the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan (1998). He has a master’s degree (1999) and a PhD (2002) in industrial engineering from the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France. He joined the Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering in 2003. He is interested in design of products, processes and logistics and in applications of data mining in engineering. He is the director of the Laboratoire en Intelligence des Données (LID) and a member of CIRRELT and IVADO.
11:00 – 11:40, Thursday, October 16 – Keynote XII:
Dr. Pengyi Shi
Associate Professor
Mitch Daniels School of Business
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Pengyi Shi is an associate professor of management in the Supply Chain and Operations Management area in the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University. She is a faculty affiliate of the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering and the Integrative Data Science Initiative. Shi’s research focuses on building data-driven, high-fidelity models and developing predictive and prescriptive analytics to support decision making under uncertainty in healthcare and service systems. One of her main research streams is to develop patient flow models to improve hospital operations and patient outcomes.
11:40 – 12:20, Thursday, October 16 – Keynote XIII:
Dr. Osman Alp
Professor
Haskayne School of Business
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Dr. Osman Alp is a Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management and serves as the Program Coordinator for the Digitization for Innovative Supply Chains (DISC) Consortium at the University of Calgary. He has received his Ph.D. Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Industrial Engineering Department of Middle East Technical University in 2000. His main research areas include supply chain and inventory management; integrated problems of inventory management associated with transportation operations and capacity management; transportation of hazardous materials; and operations in energy. His articles appeared in several journals including Operations Research, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Production and Operations Management, Transportation Science, IIE Transactions, Computers & OR, European Journal of Operational Research, and International Journal of Production Research journals. He served as an Editorial Board Member of the Industrial Engineering Journal, a publication of Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, between 2006 and 2012. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Computers & OR journal. He also worked as a principle and assistant researcher in several applied projects sponsored by TUBITAK, Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, TTGV, Oyak Renault, TOFAS-FIAT, Bell Canada, and Inland Cement Canada. He is a member of INFORMS, IIE, and YAD.
12:20 – 1:00, Thursday, October 16 – Keynote XIV:
Dr. Leandro C. Coelho
Full Professor
Chairholder, Canada Research Chair in Integrated Logistics
Department of Operations and Decision Systems
Faculty of Business
Université Laval
Quebec, Canada
Bio
Prof. Leandro C. Coelho holds the Canada Research Chair in Integrated Logistics and is a Full Professor at Université Laval, Canada. He specializes in industrial emissions reduction projects, particularly in the field of urban mobility, and his projects have saved several thousand tons of greenhouse gas emissions. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He is a member of the College of New Scholars of the Royal Society of Canada and co-founder of the MobilOpt group, which specializes in sustainable mobility optimization and works closely with several cities, government ministries, and public transportation companies.
Presentation Title: Moving Forward: The Evolution of Urban Transportation
Research in the areas of mobility and sustainability in urban centers, especially those aimed at tangible measures such as optimization, brings real benefits to society, improving people’s lives, protecting the environment and boosting the sustainable development of cities. We aim to create a more efficient, inclusive, and environmentally responsible urban environment.
We will address three interconnected topics with a focus on developing practical and innovative solutions, aiming to improve urban mobility, promote sustainability, and improve the efficiency of urban centers.
1) Transportation of people: we highlight the importance of providing accessible and inclusive transportation. Optimization approaches for on-demand transportation systems will be presented, with a focus on the use of advanced technologies, such as mobile applications and intelligent algorithms. The lecture will discuss the integration of different modes of transport and the adaptability of routes, ensuring the accessibility and efficiency of public transport for all citizens.
2) Freight transport and its impacts on congestion and greenhouse gas emissions: we will discuss the challenges in transporting goods in urban centers and the environmental impacts arising from greenhouse gas emissions. We will highlight the importance of collaboration between business, public authorities and civil society to promote a joint and effective approach to minimise the environmental impact of freight transport in cities.
3) Optimization of traffic light phases to improve traffic and reduce fuel consumption: data analysis and simulation techniques applied to the optimization of traffic light phases will be explored, considering traffic patterns and real-time information. By reducing traffic jams, it is expected not only that traffic will flow more smoothly, but also that consumption and emissions will be significantly reduced.
Results of actual deployments will be presented to justify the efforts and potential gains of these projects.