Sujeet Chand, senior vice president and chief technical officer for Rockwell Automation, has been honored with one of the world’s top awards for manufacturing innovation.
Chand was recognized for pioneering the evolution of “smart manufacturing” with the prestigious 2019 M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal of ASME/SME.
Chand was honored for pioneering the evolution of smart manufacturing and defining a roadmap for its implementation; for promoting global collaboration; and for leadership in starting public-private partnerships such as the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition.
“Much of what is considered conventional wisdom in smart manufacturing today can be traced back to work that Dr. Chand … continues to transform and shape the future of advanced manufacturing,” read a Rockwell Automation blog post Monday.
It’s an honor made even more meaningful, Chand said, because he was nominated by his peers and accomplished thought-leaders in industry. One of the nominations was submitted by a customer, validating how much manufacturers appreciate our work, and how that work is helping them achieve goals.
“Years ago, when I coined the term ‘The Connected Enterprise,’ I did not realize the role this effort would play in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and our ability to find value in the blurred lines between the physical and the digital,” Chand said. “The phrase encapsulated what I was hearing from customers about what they needed – connected devices and controllers that open new windows of visibility into processes; and data and analytics that enable better and faster decision making across the enterprise to create new business value.”
The Connected Enterprise was the evolution of many years of talking to customers, asking questions and listening to sometimes unexpected answers.
“Our conversations continue to get more intriguing and exciting,” Chand said. “As the worlds of operations technology and information technology come together, I find myself working more often with experts in one area who are completely unfamiliar with the other side of the coin. And in this space is where we find our greatest opportunities to make a difference.”
Chand is a longtime member of the board of directors for the Wisconsin Technology Council, serving as co-chairman of the annual Wisconsin Tech Summit with fellow board member Vivek Bhatt of GE Healthcare since its inception.
“We are thrilled that Sujeet Chand was honored for his accomplishments over time, although not surprised, given his leadership in Wisconsin and well beyond,” Tech Council President Tom Still said. Read the full post on Chand’s accomplishments here.
;
