Automotive Parts Suppliers Conference

Michael Alcala
Vice Chairman Board of Directors and CEO, GNS North America - Grand Rapids

Mike Alcala currently serves as Vice Chairman Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer at GNS North America.

Mike is also the President and Owner of FRANSTO LLC and has applied his expertise to operations turnaround, interim management, and a variety of business advisory and project engagements.

Mike has had a progressive and successful career having served as President and CEO multiple times, COO, Executive Vice President, and the senior executive responsible for sales and program management related disciplines multiple times.  He held positions in financial and cost management earlier in his career. 

An accomplished executive with proven executive leadership, operational management, growth performance and business results, he is able to quickly gain expertise in new businesses, analyze and address complex situations, develop and execute creative and comprehensive strategies, and lead by personal  example. He excels at building and sustaining relationships with clients, partners, management, employees, and diverse cultures and is successful at management and leadership, strategic repositioning for growth, business turnaround, comprehensive operational restructuring, program management, consolidation, and post-acquisition integration.

Mike is an active member of the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association. He is a  MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers Board member, a MEMA Board Member, a member of the MEMA OE CEO council and previously was the Chairman of the MEMA OE Small and Medium Suppliers Council.
 
He currently serves on the CEO council for Talent First in Western Michigan, is the Chairman of the Divine Child Executive Advancement Committee in Dearborn, Michigan, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Erika’s Lighthouse, a non-profit organization.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, from Northwood University..

Benjamin Barnett
President, Principal Manufacturing Corporation

Bio coming soon.

Steve Horaney
VP, Sales & Membership, MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers

Steve Horaney, senior vice president, is responsible for MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers member recruitment and retention, as well as leading the MEMA OE Sales Executive Council and the MEMA Mobility Supplier Forum in Silicon Valley. Steve also coordinates the MEMA OEM Town Hall meetings, and leads and coordinates a number of the MEMA topic-driven events.

Prior to joining MEMA in 2014, Steve spent more than 25 years with Tier One automotive suppliers and led sales and engineering teams at Guardian Automotive, Zeledyne LLC, AGC Automotive Americas and Key Manufacturing. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and an MBA from Eastern Michigan University.

Daniel Sharkey
Partner, Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco PLLC

Dan Sharkey concentrates his practice on supply-chain issues: negotiating contracts and litigation. He is co-founder of Brooks Wilkins Sharkey and Turco PLLC and previously was an associate and shareholder with Butzel Long, PC. From 1995-1999, Dan was a Captain, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, 3d Infantry Division (Mech.)- Trial Counsel and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. Dan has a law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law and a business degree from The University of Notre Dame. He has successfully negotiated and litigated hundreds of manufacturing supply-chain disputes, ranging from original equipment manufacturers versus Tier 1 suppliers to raw-material suppliers versus lower tiers.

Steve Wybo
Senior Managing Director and Automotive Practice Group Leader, Riveron

Steve Wybo is a senior restructuring and management consulting professional with more than 20 years of experience in providing turnaround, reorganization, M&A and financial advisory services to distressed and underperforming companies and their constituents. Steve applies his expertise in financial and operational management to clients in several fields, with a special emphasis in the automotive supply industry. He has served as an interim Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Restructuring Officer, interim Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer and Court Appointed Receiver for several middle-market clients. Steve also is a member of the board of directors for two Tier One and Tier Two automotive suppliers.

Prior to joining Riveron, Steve was a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP), and earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Michigan State University and an MBA with high distinction from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association, where he is a past president of the board in the Detroit Chapter. Steve was selected as one of Turnarounds & Workouts’ “People to Watch: Business Professionals Making Their Mark.”