KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Chris Stevens
For decades, manufacturing has relied on deterministic automation and incremental improvement. Today, rising global competition, productivity pressure, and a shrinking technical workforce have fundamentally changed that model. Manufacturers can no longer bolt AI onto existing systems and expect transformation. Without context, guardrails, and orchestration, AI adds risk instead of value.
This keynote explores the “Automation Impact”, a shift toward integrating industrial AI with proven automation to build more resilient, adaptive operations. Drawing on real-world examples, it examines how manufacturers can move from being data-rich but insight-poor to creating a connected digital thread that turns insight into action. The session also highlights why workforce enablement is essential to scaling AI responsibly.
Speaker Bio
Chris Stevens is President of U.S. Automation for Siemens Digital Industries, leading the organization’s strategy, growth, and transformation across all automation sectors in the United States. In this role, Chris drives innovation, operational excellence, and customer success, ensuring Siemens remains the trusted partner for manufacturers and industrial clients nationwide.
His leadership is defined by a relentless focus on solving customer challenges, accelerating digital transformation, and fostering a culture of excellence and responsiveness. Chris champions Siemens’ commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that empower customers to thrive in a rapidly evolving industrial landscape.
Chris is a leading national voice on the integration of industrial software and automation, and the unique ability of that combination to create new sources of customer value – faster and more scalably than traditional siloed approaches. His leading-edge perspectives on AI-powered workforce enablement and the untapped transformative power of manufacturing data make him a sought-after speaker at industry gatherings.
He began his career as a sales and program manager in automotive assembly and testing equipment. He later joined Siemens’ industrial software business, where he held positions of increasing responsibility over more than 20 years, ultimately serving as Vice President of strategic verticals. Chris then moved into the US Automation business, where he now serves as its president.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.
Chris and his wife reside in the Detroit metro area with their three children, with whom he enjoys every available moment outside of work.
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