General Information

MSCI 2020 Virtual Aluminum Forum
Monday, November 2, 2020

Join us for MSCI’s first-ever one-day Virtual Aluminum Forum on Monday, November 2, 2020.

This year’s Aluminum Products Division Conference will pivot to an efficient and effective virtual platform!

Hear all latest on the Aluminum supply chain issues, challenges and opportunities and more in about six hours!

The program will include a premier expert on leading innovation and growth during times of uncertainty, an industry CEO roundtable, an economist who will reveal her research on what caused the historic decline in service center shipments, an update on the aluminum utilization in the auto industry and more.

The events of 2020 have challenged us to find new ways to be together, new ways to connect, and new ways to achieve. Fortunately, we know that our Aluminum members have the agility, creativity and resilience to pivot to this virtual platform successfully!

Register Now

Forum Registration

Registration Pricing

Join us for the affordable registration rate of $295 per person.

(MSCI Members Only)

Schedule

Monday, November 2, 2020

All Times CST


9:00 am CT                            Welcoming Remarks & State of the Institute

Bob Weidner, President & CEO, Metals Service Center Institute


9:30 – 10:30 am CT
              The New Strategy Playbook: Learning to Live with Complexity

Business has always been unpredictable and surprising. Especially in the current environment, complexity has affected everything. How have you learned to live with complexity? Rita McGrath will share innovative ideas on forecasting, mitigating risks, making trade-offs, and ensuring diversity of thought.

Rita McGrath Ph.D., Expert on Business Strategy in Uncertain Environments, Acclaimed Thinkers50 Thought Leader, and Author


10:30 – 11:15 am CT
            Service Center Shipments & Impact of Off-shoring to China

An in-depth analysis of the historical decline of shipments through service centers in the United States.  Elizabeth Rust will outline how, for over a decade, off-shoring to China has materially contributed to a decline in domestic manufacturing, resulting in a subsequent falloff in service center shipments.

Elizabeth Rust, Senior Economist, Keybridge Associates


11:15 – 11:30 am CT            Break


11:30 am – 12:30 pm CT     Navigating Aluminum: A CEO discussion

Experience a wide-ranging discussion among aluminum mill and service center CEOs on the issues facing the industry today. 

Moderator:

Bob Weidner, President & CEO, Metals Service Center Institute

Panelists:

Keith Harvey, President & CEO, Kaiser Aluminum

Ingrid Joerg, President, Aerospace & Transportation, Constellium

Eddie Lehner, President & CEO, Ryerson


12:30 – 1:00 pm CT              Lunch Break


1:00 – 2:00 pm CT                Automotive Aluminum Insights 2020 and Beyond

Aluminum’s use in autos and commercial vehicles is accelerating. Ulnick will take a deep dive into the use of aluminum in the North American automotive industry.

Scott Ulnick, Managing Principal, DuckerFrontier

Abey K. Abraham, Managing Director, DuckerFrontier


2:00 – 2:15 pm CT               Break

 

2:15 – 3:15 pm CT              Leading Through Uncertainty

According to Nadja West, the most essential quality in a great leader is empathy – where “leading is all about the team of people you lead.” This is especially true in times of crisis and uncertainty. In this presentation, Nadja draws on her over 20 years of experience in executive leadership, crisis management, and disaster response – including leading more than 130,000 Army healthcare professionals and crafting the DOD medical response to the Ebola crisis – to provide effective leadership tactics during difficult times. Throughout these challenges, she thought strategically, developed confidence, and stayed connected to her sense of purpose. Sharing her career lessons-learned, West demonstrates that good leadership and a loyal team come from strong communication, truly understanding your people, treating them with respect, and leading with empathy, particularly through hard times.

Nadja West, First African American Army Surgeon General and Former Commanding General, US Army Medical Command          


3:15 – 3:30 pm CT                Break


3:30 – 4:00 pm CT               Bonus Content! It’s All In The Nose by Master Sommelier Alpana Singh

It’s All In The Nose. Alpana Singh’s expertise stems from a highly attuned palette, but she assures audiences that everyone can develop one if they learn to stop fearing wine and just figure out what tastes right. Being a unique member of her industry’s elite group of specialists, she also uses anecdotes and personal stories about becoming the first Indian woman to vault to the status of Master Sommelier. Master Sommelier Alpana Singh will present a lively, informative and tastefully fun experience as we learn about wine.

Alpana Singh, Restaurateur & Master Sommelier & Host of Emmy Award- winning TV show, Check, Please!

 

 

Sponsorships

Don’t miss the opportunity to generate new leads and raise positive awareness of your company. Be a 2020 Virtual Aluminum Forum sponsor and build on your relationships within the metals supply chain.

There are a number of outstanding sponsorship opportunities. For more information and to secure your sponsorship, contact Ann D’Orazio (847) 485-3019 adorazio@msci.org or Kathy Spellman (847) 485-3018 kspellman@msci.org

Speakers

Abey K. Abraham Managing Director, Ducker North America

As Managing Director at Ducker, Abey Abraham works closely with executives globally to help businesses develop and achieve strategic growth objectives. With a core focus on light vehicle and materials, he is involved in client initiatives including vehicle light-weighting and material substitution strategies, electrification and ADAS technology assessment, global supplier assessments, and market entry.

Mr. Abraham has been featured in Automotive News, Ward’s Auto, Repairer Driven News, Trucks dot Com, the Wall Street Journal and more. He is also on the Board for the Society of Automotive Analysts and an on the Editorial Advisory Board for Lightweighting World Magazine.

Keith Harvey, President & Chief Executive Officer, Kaiser Aluminum

Keith Harvey is President and Chief Executive Officer of Kaiser Aluminum. Mr. Harvey served as President and Chief Operating Officer from December 2015 until he was appointed to his to current position in July 2020. Mr. Harvey also served as Executive Vice President, Fabricated Products from June 2014 to December 2015. Mr. Harvey joined Kaiser in 1981 as an industrial engineer at the company’s rolling mill in West Virginia. He subsequently held increasingly responsible positions in engineering and sales at several Kaiser locations and was named a Vice President in 1994. Harvey is currently a Director of MSCI’s Board of Directors.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from West Virginia University.

Ingrid Joerg, President, Aerospace and Transportation, Constellium

Ingrid Joerg was appointed by Constellium as the President of its Aerospace and Transportation business in June 2015.

Ms. Joerg, who previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Aleris Rolled Products Europe.  Prior to joining Aleris, Ingrid Joerg held leadership positions with Alcoa where she was president of its European and Latin American Mill Products business unit, and commercial positions with AMAG Austria.

Ingrid Joerg received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Linz, Austria.

Rita McGrath Ph.D., Expert on Business Strategy in Uncertain Environments; Acclaimed Thinkers 50 Thought Leader and Author

Rita McGrath Ph.D. is a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker, and a longtime professor at Columbia Business School. She is widely recognized as a premier expert on leading innovation and growth during times of uncertainty. Rita has received the #1 achievement award for strategy from the prestigious Thinkers50 and has been consistently named one of the world’s Top 10 management thinkers in its bi-annual ranking. As a consultant to CEOs, her work has had a lasting impact on the strategy and growth programs of Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Rita is the author of the best-selling The End of Competitive Advantage (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013). Her new book is Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019). She has written three other books, including Discovery Driven Growth, cited by Clayton Christensen as creating one of the most important management ideas ever developed.

Rita is the founder of Valize, an innovation platform whose mission is to help organizations build lasting innovation capability as the basis for long term shared prosperity.

She received her Ph.D. from the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and has degrees with honors from Barnard College and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs.

Elizabeth Rust, Senior Economist, Keybridge LLC

Elizabeth Rust is a Senior Economist at Keybridge, where she advises private sector firms, industry associations, and government clients on macroeconomic trends, economic policy, and organization strategy. She leads research in areas including macroeconomic analysis and forecasting; economic policy; energy, financial, and commodities markets; and geopolitical risk. Ms. Rust speaks regularly to business and professional audiences on the global economic outlook, industry-level outlooks, and emerging economic trends. Prior to joining Keybridge, she worked at The Conference Board’s Europe office and the Bologna Institute for Policy Research as a researcher in international and European political economy, as well as the Club de Madrid, a development NGO.

She holds a Master’s degree in International Economics and European Studies from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and a Bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Cornell University.

Alpana Singh, Restaurateur & Master Sommelier

One of just 269 master sommeliers worldwide, and one of just 28 women to be given the distinction, Alpana Singh became the youngest woman ever to pass the final level of the master sommelier exam at age 26. Born and raised in Monterey, California, Ms. Singh began her path in the business with a job as a wine sales clerk at Nielsen Bros. Market in Carmel, California. By 23, she had landed the sommelier position at the world-renowned Everest Restaurant in Chicago. Just three years later, Singh earned the title Master Sommelier.

For ten seasons, she served as the host of the Emmy Award-winning restaurant review television show, Check, Please!, on Chicago’s PBS station and returned in 2018 after a 5-year absence. In 2006, Singh released Alpana Pours, a unique lifestyles book that shares her social observations of wine, contemporary women and relationships. She has also opened three restaurants in the Chicago area.

Singh is a member of the Advisory Council for the Illinois Restaurant Association and Choose Chicago where she serves as Treasurer on their Executive Committee. She played a significant role in bringing the James Beard Foundation Awards to the city of Chicago in 2015 and is an avid supporter of Deborah’s Place, an organization that assists and empowers women facing homelessness.

Scott Ulnick, Chairman & Managing Principal, Ducker Worldwide

Scott Ulnick is Chairman and Managing Principal of Ducker Worldwide. He routinely consults leading industry and investment concerns on growth strategy, operations, product development and marketing initiatives. In this role, he participates in up to 100 projects annually, ranging from OEM to supplier to material issues.  Mr. Ulnick also leads the transaction advisory practice and actively participates as an advisor throughout the transaction and due diligence process.

Alongside Mr. Ulnick’s advisory insight, additional qualifications include expertise in automotive, on-off highway vehicles, powersports, aerospace, consumer durables, electrical/electronics, infotainment and metals/materials.

Mr. Ulnick joined the firm in 1990 following a career with Unisys Corporation.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Michigan State University and an MBA in Industrial Management from Michigan State University’s Executive Program.

Nadja West, First African American Army Surgeon General and Former Commanding General, US Army Medical Command

A trailblazer in female leadership, Lieutenant General (ret.) Nadja West is the 44th Army Surgeon General and the former Commanding General of US Army Medical Command. She is the first African American woman 3-star General in the Army’s history, and currently the highest-ranking woman to ever graduate from West Point.

With more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership, crisis management, and disaster response — including her instrumental role in crafting the DOD medical response to the Ebola crisis – Gen. West speaks expertly on leadership tactics to effectively lead teams through times of uncertainty and crisis.

As Commanding General of MEDCOM, Gen. West managed an $11 billion budget and led an organization of more than 130,000 healthcare professionals. Known for her decisive leadership, Gen. West led the Army Medical Department through the most comprehensive transformation that military medicine has seen in more than three decades.

A graduate of George Washington School of Medicine, she completed residencies in Family Medicine and Dermatology, and has held various clinical, operational, and leadership positions throughout her 30+ year career as a soldier.

Among many Army firsts, she was the first woman selected to be the Division Surgeon for 1st Armored Division and the first woman selected as the Joint Staff Surgeon – advising the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on all things medical. Gen. West was also the first African American – man or woman – confirmed by the Senate to be the Army’s Surgeon General.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Aluminum Products Division 2020 Conference being delivered virtually?

The health and safety of our friends, members, speakers and our staff are among MSCI’s highest priorities. Due to concerns regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have shifted the Aluminum Products Division 2020 conference program to a one-day 100% virtual event under the title “Virtual Aluminum Forum”.

Can I share my virtual conference login information?

No. Our system will provide each registrant with their individual login information. One registration per person is required.

How will I access the virtual conference?

We will be using WebCourseWorks to deliver our virtual event. All registrants will receive a purchase receipt immediately from MSCI. Then, as we get closer to the event, you will receive an email from msci@conferencenow.io which will contain the technical requirements as well as login instructions.

I can't see the video feed?

Occasionally, an issue occurs where your laptop or device has a firewall in place that restricts your access to the conference live video feed. Please contact your company’s IT department to have them allow permissions for Vimeo to stream the video feed to your laptop or device.

Additionally, this troubleshooting article provided by Vimeo will help to determine what error you are receiving and the possible solutions for them:   Vimeo Video Error Troubleshooting

Is the time of the Virtual Aluminum Forum adjustable for my time zone?

The virtual conference will be delivered in Central Standard Time and will not be adjustable.

Will the presentations be available after the conference?

Yes, the recordings and slide decks in which MSCI has received approval from the speaker to distribute will be available 30 days following the event.

What if I register for the Virtual Aluminum Forum and miss it?

We’re sorry you missed the Virtual Aluminum Forum 2020! Yes, the recordings and slide decks in which MSCI has received approval from the speaker to distribute will be available 30 days following the event.

Do I need to be an MSCI member to register?

Yes. The Virtual Aluminum Forum is open to MSCI members only.

Additional Information and Policies

Questions or Assistance

For questions or assistance, contact:

Julie Thane
Vice President, Aluminum & Specialty Metals Divisions
847-485-3014 – jthane@msci.org

Rose Manfredini
Vice President, Membership & Events
(847) 485-3008–rmanfredini@msci.org

Tyler Carlson
Member Services Representative
(847) 485-3026–tcarlson@msci.org

MSCI Conference APP for iPhones & Androids

If you have an iPhone, MSCI has a convenient Conference App which will provide you with all the details of the conference, speakers, current attendance list, session room locations, property maps and other helpful information.  Go to the App Store and search for MSCI.  If you have an Android phone, go to Google Play to download our app.

MSCI Antitrust Policy

MSCI conferences strictly comply with all U.S. antitrust laws.  As a conference attendee and/or presenter, we ask that you review and adhere to the MSCI Antitrust Policy.

Content Policy

The content  (including, but not limited to, slides, charts, video-clips, etc. ) presented at MSCI conferences is proprietary and presented solely for the benefit of conference attendees. The conference content should not be disseminated or re-transmitted in any way (e.g. electronically, via audio tape, etc.) to the public or third parties.

Press and Sponsorship Policies

This event is closed to the press. Only event sponsors may distribute products or promotional materials at MSCI venues.  Please contact Ann D’Orazio at (847) 485-3019 or Kathy Spellman at (847) 485-3018 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor.

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