Speaker bios
Speaker bios
Learn more about our featured speakers, who will be leading insightful discussions during our exclusive Panasonic tech talks.
Michael Moskowitz
Chairman & CEO
Panasonic Corporation of North America
A veteran technology executive, Michael has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the consumer electronics, communications, and technology industries. He joined Panasonic in 2011 and since then has held several leadership positions including serving simultaneous roles as president of Panasonic Canada, Inc. and Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company USA. In these leadership positions, Michael focused on strategic growth, profitability and diversification including expanding Panasonic’s offerings for business-to-business customers...
Chairman & CEO
Panasonic Corporation of North America
A veteran technology executive, Michael has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the consumer electronics, communications, and technology industries. He joined Panasonic in 2011 and since then has held several leadership positions including serving simultaneous roles as president of Panasonic Canada, Inc. and Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company USA. In these leadership positions, Michael focused on strategic growth, profitability and diversification including expanding Panasonic’s offerings for business-to-business customers.
Before joining Panasonic, Michael served as president and CEO of satellite radio operator XM Canada (XSR.TO) from 2008 until 2011, where he oversaw the successful merger with Sirius Radio. Prior to XM, he was president, Americas International of Palm Inc. where he managed Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Michael was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 2003, an award presented to exceptional leaders in their chosen fields and who are shaping the country's future. Michael is a Member of the Board of Industry Leaders of the Consumer Technology Association and a member of Young Presidents’ Organization, the premier leadership organization of chief executives in the world.
Lauren Sallata
Chief Marketing Officer
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Lauren Sallata is Chief Marketing Officer at Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. She leads the transformation of the corporation’s digital, brand, content, advertising and corporate communications efforts...
Chief Marketing Officer
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Lauren Sallata is Chief Marketing Officer at Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. She leads the transformation of the corporation’s digital, brand, content, advertising and corporate communications efforts.
Lauren previously served as Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Xerox Corporation and ACS, Inc. She has also held senior marketing, strategy, product and operations leadership positions at MCI Telecommunications and Verizon Business.
With more than 15 years of experience in technology marketing, Lauren is responsible for the development and orchestration of comprehensive marketing initiatives and strategic messaging that better engages customers by speaking to their values and needs while nurturing ongoing relationships.
The industry has recognized Lauren, awarding her the Gold IT Solutions Marketing Association (ITSMA) Marketing Excellence Award for driving brand transformation as well as a Stevie Award for B2B Campaign of the Year. Lauren was also a 2018 ANA B2B Awards top finalist.
Lauren serves on the Board of Directors of The Arc, a non-profit organization that provides community support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is also a member of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation Board of Trustees.
Chris Armstrong
Vice president, V2X/CIRRUS by Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Chris Armstrong serves as the Vice President for Panasonic’s connected vehicle (V2X) business and Cirrus by Panasonic product line – a business-to-government transportation data platform and marketplace. He leads the organization and teams responsible for bringing autonomous and V2X technology to our partners in Utah and Colorado. Chris manages business and technical vision for a dynamic team of software developers, UI/UX designers, data scientists, and solution architects deploying V2X technology to improve safety and mobility for our federal, state, and municipal customers. Chris is a recognized innovator in the mobility data industry and has presented nationally and internationally on transportation and data innovation in the government space.
Scott Kirchner
President, Automotive Systems
Scott Kirchner is President of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (PASA), responsible for leading one of the largest companies within Panasonic North America and the #1 supplier of In-vehicle Infotainment Systems in the North American Automotive market.
For Kirchner, building high-performing organizations that inspire a culture of ingenuity, entrepreneurship and collective accountability has been the focus of his career and what he continues to enjoy most...
President, Automotive Systems
Scott Kirchner is President of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (PASA), responsible for leading one of the largest companies within Panasonic North America and the #1 supplier of In-vehicle Infotainment Systems in the North American Automotive market.
For Kirchner, building high-performing organizations that inspire a culture of ingenuity, entrepreneurship and collective accountability has been the focus of his career and what he continues to enjoy most. Throughout his distinguished 30-plus-year engineering career, Kirchner has successfully managed and built teams to drive highly integrated and complex innovations. In 2014, in recognition of his positive and lasting contributions to the engineering field, the Kettering University Alumni Association honored Kirchner with its annual Engineering Achievement Award.
Kirchner joined Panasonic Automotive Systems as Director of Software Engineering in 2008 to get closer to the center of innovation in one of the most exciting areas of the vehicle: In Vehicle Infotainment. In this role, he oversaw engineering functions and support organizations leading PASA to launch its first global Connected Navigation System.
This system earned Panasonic Corporation’s prestigious “President Award” for its innovation, market success and achieving concept-to-market status in less than 12 months, an industry first. This award was the first such award for a Panasonic engineering group outside of Japan.
After four years as Director of Software Engineering, Kirchner was promoted to CTO & Executive Vice President of Engineering, where he led all development for global automotive customers in North America. In 2017, Kirchner was promoted to President.
Prior to joining Panasonic, Kirchner’s extensive automotive industry experience included 23 years at General Motors, culminating as Director of Global Controls and Software Engineering. While at GM, Kirchner worked on nearly every electrical system in the vehicle, including the first truck four-wheel anti-lock braking system and its first ODBII compliant powertrain control system. He was the Chief Engineer of the Software Vehicle Innovation Program that led to the insourcing of vehicle software development at GM and created one of the earliest production Model-to-Code solutions in the industry. He also led the adoption of distributed electrical architectures and spearheaded the design and implementation of in-plant programming for electronic modules.
Kirchner was born and raised in Flint, MI and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute and GMI Engineering and Management Institute). Kirchner has been married to his high-school sweetheart for 26 years and has four awesome children. The Kirchner family currently resides in Peachtree City, Georgia.
Andrew Poliak
VP Product Planning, Strategy and Innovation for Panasonic Automotive Systems America (PASA)
Andrew Poliak is the VP Product Planning, Strategy and Innovation for Panasonic Automotive Systems America (PASA). Andrew is responsible for working with the executive team internally, and at the major North American OEMs, to develop future product, technology, business and intellectual property strategies and execution...
VP Product Planning, Strategy and Innovation for Panasonic Automotive Systems America (PASA)
Andrew Poliak is the VP Product Planning, Strategy and Innovation for Panasonic Automotive Systems America (PASA). Andrew is responsible for working with the executive team internally, and at the major North American OEMs, to develop future product, technology, business and intellectual property strategies and execution.
Andrew came to Panasonic with more than 20 years in embedded and IOT markets. Most recently he worked for QNX Software Systems where he was responsible for planning and business development for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Reconfigurable Clusters, Telematics, Connected Services and Infotainment. Andrew has patents in automotive acoustic, multimedia and navigation technologies and has been part of successful technology launches in nearly 100m vehicles.
Andrew is a father of two and a University of Washington Husky with a degree in Business Administration.
Janet Lin
Director, Energy & Digital
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Janet Lin directs strategy for Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Company of America, a unit company of Panasonic North America, with the mission to bring comprehensive clean energy solutions to leading utilities and enterprises.
Lin is charged with the expansion, M&A and corporate development of Panasonic's expanding energy and environmental solutions platform in the U.S, and manages a strategic planning team dedicated to business, financial and market analysis across solar, storage and efficiency business units to provide executive-level guidance...
Director, Energy & Digital
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Janet Lin directs strategy for Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Company of America, a unit company of Panasonic North America, with the mission to bring comprehensive clean energy solutions to leading utilities and enterprises.
Lin is charged with the expansion, M&A and corporate development of Panasonic's expanding energy and environmental solutions platform in the U.S, and manages a strategic planning team dedicated to business, financial and market analysis across solar, storage and efficiency business units to provide executive-level guidance.
Lin has over a decade of experience in strategy and venture growth within the clean energy sector, including the independent energy and environment analyst firm Verdantix, where she served as chief of research, and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. She holds a BA in History from Brown University and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, where she directed the MIT Clean Energy Prize.
George Karayannis
Executive Director
Panasonic CityNOW Connected and Resilient Communities
George Karayannis has 30 years of emerging technology and complex solution leadership experience at Fortune 100 firms & high-tech startups. Mr. Karayannis currently leads Panasonic’s CityNOW Connected and Resilient Communities team focused on utilities and real estate developers, and also serves on the City of San Jose’s Smart City Advisory Board...
Executive Director
Panasonic CityNOW Connected and Resilient Communities
George Karayannis has 30 years of emerging technology and complex solution leadership experience at Fortune 100 firms & high-tech startups. Mr. Karayannis currently leads Panasonic’s CityNOW Connected and Resilient Communities team focused on utilities and real estate developers, and also serves on the City of San Jose’s Smart City Advisory Board.
Mr. Karayannis previously held leadership positions at AT&T, Lockheed Martin and Schneider Electric. He co-founded a non-profit organization to define policies to achieve US energy independence, was elected a town councilman, and served on a US Air Force ICBM launch crew.
Mr. Karayannis has authored a book on the ISO 37120 standard for Smart City indicators, is restoring a 100-year old opera house, has an MBA from Case Western Reserve University, a BA from the University of Dayton, and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
Alejandra Ceja
Director, Office of Corporate Social Responsibility & Executive Director
Panasonic Foundation Panasonic Corporation of North America
Alejandra Ceja runs corporate social responsibility for Panasonic Corporation of North America and serves as executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, whose mission is to advance equity in PreK-12 education in the U.S. Using her vast experience in public policy and working across multiple initiatives, Alejandra coordinates efforts in corporate citizenship, sustainability and giving...
Director, Office of Corporate Social Responsibility & Executive Director
Panasonic Foundation Panasonic Corporation of North America
Alejandra Ceja runs corporate social responsibility for Panasonic Corporation of North America and serves as executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, whose mission is to advance equity in PreK-12 education in the U.S. Using her vast experience in public policy and working across multiple initiatives, Alejandra coordinates efforts in corporate citizenship, sustainability and giving.
In 2013, Alejandra was appointed by President Barack Obama and the U.S. Secretary of Education to increase the educational attainment and life outcomes of Hispanics across the nation. As executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Alejandra helped cultivate 150 Commitments to Action totaling $335 million to further federal, state and local investments in high quality education for Hispanic students.
Alejandra also served as chief of staff to the Under Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to that she worked as the senior budget and appropriations advisor for the House Congressional Committee on Education and Labor and as a program examiner for the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Alejandra earned her master’s degree in public administration at Baruch College, City University of New York, and her bachelor’s degree in political science at Mount St. Mary’s University in California. She is a graduate of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and a recipient of their Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Tina Slattery
Director, Talent Acquisition
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Tina Slattery is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Panasonic Corporation of North America. In this role, Tina oversees talent recruitment and attraction, from campus programs to executive recruiting, employer branding, and employee experience efforts across North America. She has been instrumental in spearheading the expansion of Panasonic’s workforce throughout its business transformation from consumer electronics to a leading provider of integrated business solutions...
Director, Talent Acquisition
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Tina Slattery is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Panasonic Corporation of North America. In this role, Tina oversees talent recruitment and attraction, from campus programs to executive recruiting, employer branding, and employee experience efforts across North America. She has been instrumental in spearheading the expansion of Panasonic’s workforce throughout its business transformation from consumer electronics to a leading provider of integrated business solutions.
TIn addition to leading talent acquisition, Tina is an integral member of Panasonic’s business impact groups for women, LGBTQ and allies, and millennial employees. Tina’s human resources and leadership experience spans across a range of diverse industries including technology, consumer, travel and tourism. She is a member of the Tri-State Diversity Council and serves on the Consumer Technology Association’s 21st Century Workforce Council, which focuses on addressing the critical skills gap and creating a high-skilled workforce.
She earned a B.S. in Business Administration-Marketing & Management from Montclair State University.
Joseph M Conover
National Manager, Strategic Solution Initiatives
Panasonic System Solutions Company North America
Joe Conover has over 25 years of emerging technology and solutions leadership. He has vast experience at Fortune 500 firms, Entertainment, Museums and Live Event spaces. Mr. Conover currently leads Panasonic’s solution development efforts in North America with a primary focus on large venue visual systems...
National Manager, Strategic Solution Initiatives
Panasonic System Solutions Company North America
Joe Conover has over 25 years of emerging technology and solutions leadership. He has vast experience at Fortune 500 firms, Entertainment, Museums and Live Event spaces. Mr. Conover currently leads Panasonic’s solution development efforts in North America with a primary focus on large venue visual systems.
Mr. Conover previously owned his own company providing technical equipment, service and solutions. After the sale of this company to a global electronics company he held various leadership positions. He also founded other tech companies before his time here at Panasonic North America.
Mr. Conover is also now currently engaged with the upcoming 2028 Olympics efforts in Los Angeles where he resides and provides as a technical advisor for many clients whom wish to deliver immersive guest experiences utilizing innovative and emerging solutions.
Tavis W. Szeto
Director of Mobility & Technology
Panasonic Industrial
With over 20 years of marketing, technology and business development experience across various industries including broadband internet, wireless communications and intelligent electric vehicles, Tavis has been at the forefront of transformative technologies.
Tavis Szeto is currently Director of Mobility & Technology in Panasonic Industrial, a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America. Within Panasonic, Tavis and his team are leading the strategy and execution of new business development opportunities with early-to-mid stage North American corporations innovating on technology, solutions or business models which disrupt traditional transportation...
Director of Mobility & Technology
Panasonic Industrial
With over 20 years of marketing, technology and business development experience across various industries including broadband internet, wireless communications and intelligent electric vehicles, Tavis has been at the forefront of transformative technologies.
Tavis Szeto is currently Director of Mobility & Technology in Panasonic Industrial, a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America. Within Panasonic, Tavis and his team are leading the strategy and execution of new business development opportunities with early-to-mid stage North American corporations innovating on technology, solutions or business models which disrupt traditional transportation.
Prior to Panasonic, Tavis served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Faraday Future, a U.S. startup developing premium connected electric vehicles and Senior Director of the Automotive Group at ChargePoint, one of the world’s leading electric vehicle charging networks. He’s also held senior leadership positions at Pace, 2Wire and KLA-Tencor.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, experiencing good food and keeping up with his San Francisco Bay Area sports teams.
M. Faisal Pandit
President of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America
Panasonic Corporation of North America
M. Faisal Pandit is President of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America (PSSNA), a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America that Offers unified business communications, mobile computing, as well as solutions for security and public safety, retail point-of-sale, industrial automation and professional audio and visual systems...
President of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America
Panasonic Corporation of North America
M. Faisal Pandit is President of Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America (PSSNA), a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America that Offers unified business communications, mobile computing, as well as solutions for security and public safety, retail point-of-sale, industrial automation and professional audio and visual systems.
In his 25 years with Panasonic, Faisal has held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility from engineering to business leadership. Most recently, he served as Chief Digital Officer and Senior Vice President of Panasonic System Solutions Company, and prior to that he served as President of Panasonic’s Factory Solutions Company. In both roles, Faisal succeeded in growing market share and geographies and in transforming various businesses from a product-based to a solutions-based model. He has also built ecosystems of IoT-based B2B hardware, software, and service platforms for diverse business sectors including public safety, manufacturing, food & retail, supply chain, as well as theme parks and entertainment destinations.
Faisal is a board member of Arden Shore Child & Family Services, a non-profit dedicated to rebuilding children's lives in a caring community.