Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today announced the appointment of Ron Castro, vice president and chief supply chain officer at IBM, as chairman of the MLC Board of Governors, and Will Bonifant, group vice president and chief supply chain officer at Hormel Foods, as vice chairman.

The MLC Board of Governors is a distinguished advisory body composed of senior manufacturing executives who provide strategic guidance to the council on its critical issues agenda, research initiatives and programs designed to help manufacturers advance on their Manufacturing 4.0 journeys.

“Ron and Will bring exceptional leadership experience, deep operational expertise and a strong commitment to advancing digital transformation in manufacturing,” said David R. Brousell, founder, executive director and vice president of the Manufacturing Leadership Council. “Their perspectives will be invaluable as the MLC continues to help manufacturing leaders navigate an increasingly complex and technology-driven environment.”

As chairman, Castro will help guide the strategic direction of the MLC at a time when manufacturers are accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies across operations and supply chains. At IBM, Castro leads global supply chain operations and has been instrumental in driving the development of an end-to-end, AI-enabled supply chain that integrates advanced analytics, automation and cognitive technologies to improve performance, resilience and decision-making.

“It is an honor to serve as chairman of the Manufacturing Leadership Council Board of Governors,” said Castro. “The MLC plays a critical role in bringing manufacturing leaders together to share insights, challenge conventional thinking and accelerate progress toward Manufacturing 4.0. I look forward to working closely with the board and the MLC leadership team to further strengthen the council’s impact across the industry.”

Bonifant, as vice chairman, brings extensive global supply chain and operations leadership experience spanning food and consumer packaged goods manufacturing, engineering, strategy and organizational transformation. In his role at Hormel Foods, Bonifant oversees the company’s global supply chain, including procurement, manufacturing, planning, logistics, engineering and supply chain innovation. Prior to joining Hormel Foods, he held senior supply chain leadership roles at The Hershey Company and earlier served as a management consultant and U.S. Navy officer.

“I’m honored to take on the role of vice chairman of the MLC Board of Governors,” said Bonifant. “The council’s focus on the intersection of technology, leadership and operations is more important than ever, and I look forward to contributing to its mission of helping manufacturers build more agile, resilient and digitally enabled enterprises.”

The Manufacturing Leadership Council is the nation’s foremost executive leadership organization dedicated exclusively to digital transformation in manufacturing. Through research, events, peer networking and thought leadership, the MLC helps manufacturing executives understand and act on the technological, organizational and leadership dimensions of Manufacturing 4.0.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.95 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

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