Presentations and Speakers

Speakers:

Dr. Frank Casimir, Platform Director Manual Transmissions, GETRAG
Dr. Frank Casimir is Product Platform Director, Manual Transmissions at GETRAG FORD Transmissions located in Cologne, Germany. He started his career in the powertrain organization of Ford Motor Company as a CAE specialist in 1989 and has held various management positions in transmission and engine product development in Germany and the U.S. In 2006, he joined GETRAG Corporate Group as a product development manager for the first dual clutch transmission product line launched in 2007. Today he is responsible for GFT's manual transmissions portfolio. Frank is a graduated aerospace engineer and holds an engineering doctorate degree of the Technical University Aachen.

Dr. Gareth Brown, Driveline Technology Manager, Lubrizol
Dr. Gareth Brown is currently a Driveline Technology Manager for Lubrizol, based in Hazelwood, U.K. He is responsible for global MTF technology development, which includes developing new platforms, supporting customer developments, and fundamental knowledge generation for global manual transmission applications. Gareth joined Lubrizol as an Applications Chemist in 2002, working on screen test development, thermal analysis, and rheology before moving to his current role in 2006. Prior to joining Lubrizol, he received an M.Chem and D.Phil. in chemistry from the University of Oxford in 1999 and 2002, respectively.

Ram Gokal, Technical Director Transmissions and Driveline, FIAT Powertrain Technologies Industrial
Ram Gokal is Technical Director Transmissions and Driveline, FIAT Powertrain Technologies Industrial (FPT), based in Torino, Italy. He received his bachelor's degree in automotive engineering at Coventry University in 1994 and worked for six years in R&D at GKN's technology center in the U.K., focusing on transmission and driveline development, encompassing such areas as NVH, vehicle dynamics, and latterly efficiency. Joining FIAT (then FIAT-GM Powertrain) at the turn of the century, he held various positions in the transmissions function; he was noted for the new Panda AWD system, which applied a viscous coupling as the center differential, and the Alfa 156 AWD, developing with Torsen the type "C" twin differential in the transmission as the center and front differential. After some years away from FIAT, Ram rejoined the powertrain function at the beginning of 2011 in his current role, overseeing the product engineering function and responsible for transmissions and driveline development; he has led the launch of two new double overdrive six-speed longitudinal transmissions, offering best-in-class shiftability and increased efficiency for the LCV market.p>

Speakers:

Bart Schober, Technology Manager, Lubrizol Corporation
Bart Schober received his BS in chemistry from the State University of New York at Fredonia. He went on to receive his Ph.D. in materials science from The Pennsylvania State University in 1991. Bart has since been working for The Lubrizol Corporation in Wickliffe, OH. He has held positions of chemist, analyst, and technology management in Research and Development. Bart currently is a Technology Manager in the Viscosity Modifiers Group where he directs the development of viscosity modifiers for use in industrial and engine oil applications. He is also involved in customer formulation support and testing, including efficiency studies. For hydraulic applications, this includes both pump and field testing.

Hermann Beck, Executive Vice President Industrial Technology, Head of Off-Highway Systems, ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Hermann Beck has been the Executive Vice President Industrial Technology, Head of Off-Highway Systems, at ZF Friedrichshafen AG since January 2012. Previously, he was Vice President A-Construction Machinery Systems, Head of Central R&D for A-Division, for two years and Senior Manager, Development of Powershift Transmissions for Construction Machineries, focusing on engineering, test, and applications, for seven years. Hermann joined ZF in 1982 as Design Engineer, Powershift Transmissions for Construction Machineries. Other positions he has held during his career at ZF included Manager, Powershift Transmissions Engineering for Construction Machineries, and Senior Manager, Transmission Engineering for Construction Machineries. From 1977 to 1982, Hermann studied mechanical engineering at Ravensburg University for applied science.

Ed Zwilling, Senior Technical Team Leader, Advanced Component and Systems Division, Caterpillar
Ed Zwilling is a Senior Engineering Technical Team Leader in the Advanced Components and Systems Division at Caterpillar in Peoria, IL. He has worked at Caterpillar for 24 years in various roles within product design and development. His current responsibilities include evaluations of drivetrain technologies and configurations for future new product machine introductions as well as providing technical leadership in active drivetrain product development initiatives. Throughout his career at Caterpillar, Ed has held a broad array of positions including assignments in the Backhoe and Motor Grader machine design groups, drivetrain component testing, advanced drivetrain research, and advanced drivetrain design. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Engineering Manager for the development and introduction of the Electric Drivetrain system on the D7E Track Type Tractor. Ed received both bachelor's and master's of science degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois.

Speakers:

Richard Nellums, Director, Vehicle Control Systems Engineering, Dana Holding Corporation
Richard Nellums is Director of Vehicle Control Systems Engineering at Dana Holding Corporation. Over several decades of managing new product innovation, he has focused on demonstrating the feasibility of new technologies and concepts for becoming useful products. Rich worked on automated mechanical transmissions and automated master clutches when controllers were still analog instead of digital, and he was responsible for the engineering development of hybrid electric systems for commercial vehicles while hybrid electric automobiles were being criticized as unrealistic. After graduating from Northwestern University with a BS in mechanical engineering, Rich contributed to a number of commercially successful mechanical, electromechanical, and control system products for engines and drivetrains.

Aaron Peterson, Chief Engineer of Vehicle Performance, Navistar Inc.
Aaron Peterson has served as the Chief Engineer of Vehicle Performance for Navistar since January 2010. In this position, he is responsible for establishing fuel economy requirements for all Navistar products globally and for assisting customers in optimizing their current and future vehicles to best match their operations. From April 2002 to January 2010, Aaron held positions of increasing responsibility with focus on powertrain/engine integration, chassis system design, and program management. Prior to joining Navistar, he was a chassis and drivetrain system engineer for John Deere Agricultural Tractor Division based in Waterloo, IA. Aaron earned a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri- Rolla.

Brian Filippini, Technology Manager, Lubrizol Corporation
Brian Filippini is Technology Manager for automotive gear oils at The Lubrizol Corporation. He has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Kent State University and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Ohio State University. In his 17 years at Lubrizol, Brian has had various roles in Research and Development, developing additives and products for a wide range of application areas including hydraulic fluids, industrial gear oils, personal care, coating additives, and emulsified fuels. He has been in his current role focusing on axle fluids for the past year. Brian is an inventor on 13 granted U.S. patents.

Vera Marsic, Project Manager, Driveline, Lubrizol Corporation
Vera Marsic is a Project Manager in Driveline at The Lubrizol Corporation. She is currently focused on managing projects in support of global OEM activities and product support for the Automotive Gear Oil and Automatic Transmission Fluid areas. Vera has been at Lubrizol over 26 years where she has held various technical and supervisory roles within the Research, Development and Testing Divisions. In 2003 she joined the Driveline business area. Vera has a BS in chemistry and an MBA from Cleveland State University.