Meet the latest speakers announced for Texas tech summit

Peter Olsen

Senior Product Manager of Jobsite Automation at John Deere Construction and Forestry Division

About

As a core member of the Precision Construction technology team, Pete is responsible for the product vision and strategy of Jobsite Automation. His current focus is on the discovery and delivery of disruptive workflow solutions that enable safer and more profitable customer operations. Bringing positive energy and collaborative leadership to Deere’s technology, product and platform teams. Pete has a passion for pursuing better solutions that unlock customer value by connecting construction operations with the digital twin via machine automation, seamless data aggregation and easy to use analytics.

In addition to his successful 30 years of performance at Deere in various globally strategic positions, Pete is also a retired Senior Naval Officer (Aerospace Engineering) having served 32 years with the United States Navy Reserve. Notable recent technology accomplishments include being a recipient of the 2021 C&F President’s Award for SmartGrade as well as a three-year active-duty assignment as the E-6B Mission Systems Leader, Block II Upgrade (a Boeing 707 variant), delivering critical satcom, voice, video, and data capability upgrades to the country’s nuclear fleet.

Pete will sit on the AEM roundtable.

Tre’ Leoni

Principal, CFO at WPM

About

Growing up in the business, Tre’ isn’t content with simply continuing traditional practices. A deep-seated belief in the power of technology fuels his work. Frustrated by the inefficiencies and outdated methods that often plague construction projects, he embarked on a mission to revolutionize the industry, focusing specifically on automating data flow.

Recognising that the manual transfer of data between the job site and the company’s ERP system was a major bottleneck he spearheaded the implementation of various job site technologies.

These include sensors that track equipment usage and material inventory, mobile apps for streamlined reporting, and cloud-based platforms for easy data access. The result is a seamless flow of real-time information straight into the ERP system. This eliminates the need for error-prone manual data entry and empowers project managers.

Tre’ sees a future where construction sites become smart, connected ecosystems. Data will underpin every decision, minimising waste, improving safety, and driving collaboration between teams. He is committed not only to adopting these advancements but to shaping their development, working closely with tech partners to tailor solutions that serve the construction sector’s unique needs.

Dietmar Bernert

Vice President of Business Development at Hexagon Geosystems

About

Dietmar is an advisor in the BIM Industry and a member of a number of European associations active in BIM development.

He implemented BIM technology at one of the biggest construction companies in Germany and has held senior management positions within Europe’s biggest AEC software vendor.

As a consultant, Dietmar has more than 25 years of experience in providing solution delivery to C-level executives and board members – primarily in digital transformation – across a broad range of industry sectors.

Dietmar will sit on the BIM roundtable.

Paul Surin

Head of Digital and IT at NEOM’s Trojena project

About

Paul leads the digital development of the iconic Trojena resort, which aims to blend natural and developed landscapes and offer a unique human-centric experience for residents and visitors.

With over 15 years’ experience in the engineering, construction and consulting sectors, Paul is passionate about innovating and transforming business models challenged by new technologies, new construction methods, regulators, new competitors and market changes such as sustainability/net zero.

He leads Trojena’s digital twin initiative, merging assets, processes and systems for improved decision making.

He is also building a robust data ecosystem, focusing on governance and the use of data for predictive analytics.

Paul has extensive experience in the built environment and manufacturing sectors and understands the complexities and opportunities presented by data and digital twins, as well as the value of technologies such as AI, blockchain, and Industry 4.0.

Paul will speak about the gaming tech putting NEOM’s Trojena project at the heart of the ConTech revolution. 

Tom Valbak

CEO at Xtellio

About

Tom Valbak is the CEO and majority shareholder of Xtellio. He has spent 15 years within IT and the off-highway telematics space, 10 of which with the Telematics company Trackunit. Tom led Trackunit’s North American entry, OEM initiatives and lastly the strategic path of a data consolidating platform through APIs (IRIS).

After a successful exit with Trackunit in 2021 he shifted to the company Xtellio – a highly specialised company focusing on standardized IoT sensor and gateway design, development and solution sales with cloud-based API data forwarding. This company has spent almost 20 years as a leading IoT and wireless technology consultancy/development house but has, through new strategic focus and initiatives, turned past projects into standardised products and launched new devices in the past 12 months.

Tom is considered an industry IoT expert and has been used widely as a speaker at industry events, especially with his in-depth knowledge of digitalization challenges within both the North American and European construction segments.

Tom will sit on the AEM roundtable.