Prosperity Amid Uncertainty to be Explored by Top Auto Leaders at the 2011 CAR Management Briefing Seminars August 1 to 4

Early registration rates expire June 30 for the auto industry's most influential management conference in North America

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders from Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen—as well as from Magna, TI Automotive, IAC, McKinsey & Company and the UAW—will headline this year's agenda at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars, August 1-4 slated for the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa near Traverse City, Mich. The broader strategic Automotive sessions will address the theme "Prosperity Amid Uncertainty."

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler and Fiat will lead off the plenary morning session on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The session will also include: Jim Farley, group vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford Motor Co.; Ray Tanguay, senior managing officer, Toyota Motor Corp., senior vice president, Toyota Motor North America  and chairman, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc.; and Bob King, president, UAW.  Additional speakers include Don Walker, CEO, Magna; Bill Kozyra, CEO, TI Automotive; and Hans-Werner Kaas, McKinsey & Company, who will discuss "Rebuilding the New North American Supplier Sector."

The "Prosperity Amid Uncertainty" discussion continues Thursday, Aug. 4 with presentations from: Mark Reuss, vice president and president North America, General Motors; Jonathan Browning, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.; and James K. Kamsickas, co-CEO and president, IAC Group North America and Asia. Additional speakers to be announced.

"Unprecedented profitability may be in the auto industry's future—but uncertainty related to predictable sales volumes, materials availability, cost and delivery of energy and other policy matters—make this one of the most challenging eras for an industry that  has survived tough times," said Jay Baron, chairman and CEO of the Center for Automotive Research, and moderator of several sessions at the event. "This year's strong lineup of speakers, combined with a number of networking sessions should provide attendees with the content, context and contacts that can help their companies prosper in the days ahead."

The 2011 CAR Management Briefing Seminars—the 46th offering of this prestigious industry event—begin Monday, Aug. 1, at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, with a full day focused on world-class manufacturing excellence. Additional sessions, offered throughout the week will focus on purchasing, powertrain developments, strategies for South America, policy, the connected vehicle and designing for technology.

Over the years, a number of the auto industry's most illustrious leaders have participated as speakers and attendees. More than 1,000 attendees from around the world, including some 100 journalists are expected to participate this year. An up-to-date listing of speakers and sessions is available on the event's website: mbs.cargroup.org. For more information regarding MBS, contact the Center for Automotive Research at (734) 662-1287 or visit the website. Journalists may attend at no charge, subject to approval. For all other attendees, the discounted early registration rate expires June 30, 2011.

The Center for Automotive Research is a nonprofit organization based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Its mission is to conduct research on significant issues related to the future direction of the global automotive industry, as well as organize and conduct forums of value to the automotive community. For more information: www.cargroup.org

SOURCE Center for Automotive Research