The Power of Connection
  • Dr. Christopher J. Scolese

    Dr. Christopher J. Scolese

    Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

    Speaking Topic: Architecting the Future: The Role of SE and DE at the NRO

    Biography & Abstract

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  • Carla Bailo

    Carla Bailo

    President & CEO, Center for Automotive Research (CAR)

    Speaking Topic: Mobility and System Engineering Integration

    Biography & Abstract

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  • Laura Doughty

    Laura Doughty

    Director Peakfield Consultancy Ltd and currently Head of Culture and Engagement, Project Delivery Directorate, Sellafield Ltd

    Speaking Topic: The Power of connection: The power of influencing and how to do it

    Biography & Abstract

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  • Christopher Davey

    Christopher Davey

    Global R&A Senior Global Manager for Systems Engineering, System Safety, Modelling & Simulation and Senior Technical Leader in Software & Control Systems Engineering, Ford Motor Company

    Speaking Topic: Ford’s Connected-Agile, Model Based Systems Engineering and Simulation Journey….so far.

    Biography & Abstract

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Laura has over 25 years' experience in designing, building and leading multi-agency teams to achieve results from strategy, inception and planning through to delivery and operations. Her delivery track record reflects her approach which is centred on stakeholder engagement and the ability to foster robust relationships with multiple parties.
Laura is currently supporting Sellafield Ltd, Europe’s largest nuclear site, to foster the culture and stakeholder environment needed to support a 20-year industry partnership that will deliver £7 billion (GBP) of major projects. Previously she assisted High Speed 2 Ltd with the unprecedented stakeholder programme associated with a £40+ billion (GBP) new railway. She led the business change strategy and architecture for the Digital Railway, an industry-wide initiative to transform and modernise Great Britain’s railway. As part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Laura led multi-agency teams that saw operators, government, security and organisers come together and work in new ways to perform as ‘one team transport’. She also established and led a pan-Government office for a $107 billion (AUD) sustainable urban growth infrastructure programme for Queensland, including advising Cabinet Ministers and Construction CEOs.
Laura is also an Executive Coach and Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She has undertaken reviews and provided advice, facilitation and stakeholder engagement support to a wide range of organisations, including HM Treasury on the £375 billion (GBP) 2013 UK National Infrastructure Plan.

Carla Bailo is the President and CEO of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and is a leader in engineering and vehicle program management with 42 years of experience in the automotive industry. Under her leadership, CAR continues to be a preeminent resource of objective and unbiased research, analysis, and information regarding the North American automotive industry.
In addition to her role at CAR, Ms. Bailo is currently an Independent Director on the corporate boards for SM Energy (SM) and Advance Auto Parts (AAP).
Prior to joining CAR, she was most recently the assistant vice president for mobility research and business development at The Ohio State University. She also has 25 years of experience at Nissan North America, Inc., where she served as senior vice president of research and development. Ms. Bailo also spent 10 years at General Motors. She has a MS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University.

Dr. Christopher J. Scolese was sworn-in as Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on 5 August 2019. He is the 19th Director, and the first to be Presidentially Appointed and Senate Confirmed.
Dr. Scolese provides direction, guidance, and supervision on matters pertaining to the NRO and executes other authorities specifically delegated by the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence.
Dr. Scolese began his government career as a United States Naval Officer in 1978, supporting a variety of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programs for the U.S. Navy and the Department of Energy.
In 1987, following a brief period of service working in government and industry, Dr. Scolese joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where he was assigned to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. During this period, he served in a variety of senior management positions including: Earth Observing System (EOS) Systems Manager, EOS Terra Project Manager, EOS Program Manager, and Deputy Director of Flight Programs and Projects for Earth Science.
In 2001, Dr. Scolese was assigned to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where he served as the Deputy Associate Administrator in the Office of Space Science. In this position, he was responsible for the management, direction, and oversight of NASA’s Space Science Flight Program, mission studies, technology development, and overall contract management of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
In 2004, he went on to become Deputy Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, where he assisted the Director in overseeing all activities, before returning to Washington, D.C. to become NASA’s Chief Engineer in 2005. As Chief Engineer, he was responsible for ensuring all development and mission operations were planned and conducted on a sound engineering basis. In 2007, he was appointed the Associate Administrator, responsible for the oversight and integration of NASA’s programmatic and technical efforts. From January-July 2009, Dr. Scolese served as NASA’s Acting Administrator, responsible for leading the development, design, and implementation of the nation’s civil space program.
In 2012, Dr. Scolese became the Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, where he led the nation’s largest organization of scientists, engineers, and technologists responsible for building spacecraft, instruments, and new technology to study Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. On 31 July 2019, he retired from NASA to become the Director, NRO.
Dr. Scolese holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from George Washington University, Washington, DC; and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University, Washington, DC. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Dr. Scolese and his wife, Dianne, currently reside in Springfield, Virginia.

Christopher Davey is currently Global R&A Senior Global Manager for Systems Engineering, System Safety, Modelling & Simulation and Senior Technical Leader in Software & Control Systems Engineering. He has a bachelors in Controls Systems Engineering and Masters' degrees in Advanced Systems Engineering and Engineering Management.  Christopher has over 30 years of automotive experience working across global regions in diverse engineering teams such as Research, Electrical Systems, Powertrain Systems and Vehicle Program Launch. Christopher has a passion for applying advanced systems engineering and simulation methods to all aspects of innovation, design, implementation, and validation.  He currently leads the application of SE, Safety and Simulation to advanced ADAS, AV and EV systems using an Integrated AI/ML based SE-Modelling & Simulation Framework. He led the team that successfully applied these agile MBSE capabilities to develop the real-time control systems for the F150 Lightening and Mustang Mach-E Electric prototypes. Previously, Mr. Davey developed and deployed Ford’s Model Based Design (MBD) and Autocode process and Ford's global In-Vehicle Software (IVS) Releasing & Updates solution.  The IVS solution was launched across all global assembly plants and dealerships, delivering in a warranty avoidance of over $2Billion.  He also led the development and deployment of an industry first, Global Vehicle Systems & Software Engineering Management solution (VSEM).  This enterprise wide, systems engineering solution provided a functional architecture driven, fully traceability EE and SW management capability, enabling re-use and impact analysis.  Mr. Davey was also a US expert in the development of the ISO26262 functional safety standard and has led Ford's roll-out of both ISO26262 & Safety of the Intended Function (SoTIF) standards.  Mr. Davey is a member of INCOSE and IET, a regular contributor to NAFEMS  and a Professional-Chartered Engineer with 30+ US Patents.