Mike Mikula

Chief Engineer for Advanced Manufacturing
Ford Motor Company

Mike grew up in the Detroit area with his five siblings. He attended college at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago where completed both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering. Mike joined Ford Motor Company in 1994 as a process engineer and was selected to participate in its prestigious four-year Manufacturing Leadership Program in 1997. He then held a series of management positions at Ford, including overseeing the $1.6 billion overhaul of manufacturing processes at four different plants to introduce Ford’s award winning EcoBoost engine in 2006. Following that, he then led Ford’s Van Dyke manufacturing plant increase in production from 800,000 units to 1.8 million units per year from 2009 to 2012. Mike was appointed Assistant Plant Manager at Van Dyke in 2014 and Plant Manager of Rawsonville Components Plant in 2016.

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Mike.

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Day One – Emerging from Pilot Purgatory to Realize Full Scale Implementation

Monday, August 31st, 2020

8:50 AM Keynote: Ford Motor Company’s Journey to a Scaled Digital Ecosystem

Ford Motor Company, with annual sales of $156 billion, is leveraging more than 115 years of continuous improvement practices, built on a foundation of standardized work, to transform into a globally scaled digital operations ecosystem. In this powerhouse session, Mike, with the company for 27 years, will share how Ford:

•Is pursuing new ways to use advanced technology to maintain Ford’s position as an industry leader in lean manufacturing.

•Accelerate business momentum with legacy systems while adopting more potent technology solutions.

•Plans to stay ahead of disruptive 3D printing/additive manufacturing, and explores what role blockchain technology might play in the manufacturing domain.

* In 2017, Mike was appointed Powertrain Global Chief Engineer for manufacturing system and infrastructure where he oversaw processes for engines, transmissions, axles, batteries, and e-motors across the globe, playing a critical part in the introduction of Ford’s next-generation electrical and hybrid technologies. In 2018, he was named to his current position responsible for introducing technology in practical ways to address existing challenges, while pursuing manufacturing methods that combine technologies to maintain Ford’s position as an industry leader.