Rich Freeland joined Cummins in 1979, one day after graduating from Purdue University, as a foreman at the Cummins Parts Distribution Center in Columbus, IN, where he managed second-shift operations. He assumed the role of Industrial Engineer in 1981 at the same location and General Foreman in 1984. Throughout his career, Freeland has held a number of positions, including Plant Manager, Vice President of Purchasing, and President of three of the company’s business segments.  Since 2014, Freeland has served as Cummins' President and Chief Operations Officer, bringing a unique perspective to the position after having led three of the five Cummins business segments. Throughout his nearly 40 years at Cummins, he has seen the company expand globally, growing from $1.7 billion in sales in 1979 to more than $20 billion in 2017. Freeland also serves on Cummins’ Board of Directors, as well as the boards of Valvoline and the National Association of Manufacturers.

 

Carla Bailo is a leader in engineering and vehicle program management, with 35 years of experience in the automotive industry. As the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) President and CEO, she leads the overall mission, manages day-to-day business, and is the face for the automotive industry in several venues. In her role prior to CAR, she was Ohio State University’s Assistant Vice President for Mobility Research and Business Development. In this role, she accelerated the university’s sustainable mobility and transportation innovation, while integrating related research and education across Ohio State’s academic units. She also led Ohio State’s involvement as the primary research partner for Smart Columbus, a $140 million program to transform central Ohio into the nation’s premier transportation innovation region. Bailo was the 2016-2018 Vice President of Automotive for SAE International. She has 35 years of experience in the automotive industry, including 25 years at Nissan. In her most recent role at Nissan, she served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development for Nissan North America Inc.