Auto Industry Icon Bob Lutz to Give Keynote Address at AIAG Supply Chain Summit

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Lutz, the "Ultimate Car Guy," will give the keynote address at the 2012 AIAG Supply Chain Summit on May 8–9, AIAG announced today. Lutz, former vice chairman of General Motors, will speak on the first day of the event, titled "Managing Recovery: Volume Pressure on the Supply Chain," which will bring together key automotive executives and thought leaders to exchange ideas, enable decision-making, and establish an actionable plan for managing the rebound in the automotive industry.

"The consumer demand for new vehicles is great news to company bottom lines, but the increasingly robust take-rate is putting a real strain on the supply chain," said J. Scot Sharland, executive director of AIAG, a not-for-profit, member-supported organization that works with a wide range of manufacturing companies and service providers to help them operate at peak performance.

"Bob Lutz is a true industry icon…who's been there…done that….and has an incredible collection of commemorative T-shirts," Sharland added. "We are thrilled that he will be giving the keynote address at AIAG's Supply Chain Summit, providing his truly unique perspective on the current challenges the automakers and suppliers are facing."

The two-day Supply Chain Summit is being held at the MSU Management Center in Troy, Mich., and is open to both AIAG members and non-members. Registration information is available at www.aiag.org. The summit will address how the "bounce" in the auto industry is pinching several areas of the supply chain, such as supplier capacity, logistics and talent. In addition, it will address several other critical topics facing automotive supply chain management today, including capacity planning, risk management and contingency planning, establishment of a sustainable supply chain, returnable container management and cargo security.

Lutz's keynote address is scheduled from 9:30–10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 8. Lutz retired in May 2010 from a 47-year career in the global automotive industry and has held positions at GM, Chrysler, Ford and BMW. His new book, Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business, is centered around the car industry and is about what happened to America's competitiveness and why. He will be signing copies of his book at the event.

About AIAG
AIAG is a unique not-for-profit organization where, for 30 years, OEMs, suppliers, service providers, government entities and individuals in academia have worked collaboratively to drive down costs and complexity from the supply chain via global standards development and harmonized business practices. AIAG membership has grown to include preeminent OEMs, such as Caterpillar, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Honda of America, Navistar International, Nissan, Toyota, and many of their parts suppliers and service providers. For more information, visit www.AIAG.org.

SOURCE AIAG