Manas Mehandru
Chief Operating Officer, mHUB
Manufacturing the Next Era: Operating in a High-Risk, High-Opportunity World convenes senior manufacturing leaders for a candid conversation about leading in structural volatility. Regulation is accelerating. AI is transforming operations. Supply chains remain fragile. Expectations from boards and regulators are rising.
This half-day summit explores how today’s most effective leaders are embedding resilience into operations, aligning compliance with innovation, and turning operational complexity into competitive strength. Through a keynote and two focused industry conversations — industrial manufacturing and food manufacturing — executives will gain practical insight into operating forward in an uncertain world.
The Executives’ Club of Chicago partners with members of the media to share stories of leadership and impact. For interviews or event coverage opportunities, please contact our Head of Brand & Communications Katy Broom.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact our Head of Partner Activation Ella McCann.
Manufacturing leaders are operating under constant pressure — intensifying regulatory scrutiny, rapid technological change, fragile global supply chains, and crises that arrive without warning. The old playbook — separating operations, compliance, and innovation — no longer works.
This keynote challenges leaders to rethink how they approach risk and regulation — not as barriers, but as catalysts for smarter strategy and stronger execution. Drawing on real-world manufacturing experience, the conversation explores how leading organizations are embedding compliance into operations, leveraging technology responsibly, navigating cross-border complexity, and building organizations that can adapt faster than their competitors.
At its core, this session is about leadership: how executives make decisions when the stakes are high, the variables are shifting, and the future is uncertain.
Chief Operating Officer, mHUB
Manufacturers are under growing pressure to modernize operations while navigating an expanding web of regulatory, cybersecurity, and technology risk. Decisions about automation, AI, data, and supply chains increasingly sit at the intersection of operations, legal, and technology leadership.
This conversation brings senior leaders together to discuss how manufacturers are aligning compliance with innovation, managing risk without slowing growth, and building operational resilience in the face of constant disruption.
Panelists will share practical perspectives on integrating legal considerations into operational strategy and using technology as a force multiplier — not a liability.
CFO, USG
Vice President of Sales, Central Region, CDW
Food manufacturers face some of the most complex operational and regulatory demands of any industry. They are expected to modernize production, increase transparency, and adopt new technologies — all while operating under strict safety standards and public scrutiny.
This panel explores how food manufacturers are using automation, data, AI, and traceability to strengthen food safety, streamline compliance, and build resilient supply chains.
The conversation focuses on how leaders are innovating with confidence — turning operational complexity and regulatory pressure into a foundation for trust, efficiency, and long-term growth.
President, Rana Meal Solutions
VP & GM, Food & Industrial Ingredients, US & Canada, Ingredion
Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, World Business Chicago
