Ash serves as the President and CEO of Symboticware – a leading Industrial IoT company serving Mining industry for more than a decade. Symboticware acts as the nerve center of mining intelligence by leveraging patented technology thereby enabling mining companies to perform more effectively, profitably, and safely.

Prior to Symboticware, Ash served Uptake Technologies as Managing Director of mining business and VP of Sales. Previously, Ash co-founded an AI start-up dedicated to the mining industry.

Over the past several years, Ash has advised dozens of Mining and Manufacturing C-execs on the Digital Transformation best practices for their organizations, thanks to his extensive experience in process plant operations, strategy, start-ups, and digital technologies.
Ash holds a master’s degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he mentored several start-ups on business planning, product-market fit, and public speaking. Ash is a guest faculty at Stanford University School of Engineering and at Schulich School of Business at York University, Toronto. Ash can be found talking to C execs of mining and tech companies on his Podcast, Core Insights.

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Eric Robitaille brings nearly two decades of professional software engineering experience, with a focus on empowering and scaling high-performing, agile engineering teams to build industry-leading software solutions.

Throughout his career, Eric has held many highly technical and managerial roles including senior engineer, team lead, architect, co-founder, and VP Engineering. He has been instrumental in introducing transformational change within organizations in terms of adopting engineering best practices, agile development and moving from monolithic application development to micro service-oriented architecture.

He’s passionate about technology, the Internet of Things revolution, big data, real-time data processing, and machine learning. After hours, you can find Eric at a hockey rink in the winter or on the soccer pitch in the summer coaching competitive youth sports.

Eric holds a Bachelor degree in Computer Science from Laurentian University.

Justin Johnsen brings over two decades of leadership experience in heavy equipment maintenance, mine asset health management, and mining technology innovation. His career began as a United States Naval Nuclear Machinist, where he served eight years utilizing maintenance best practices to ensure operational readiness for the US Military. He was honoured to receive multiple awards for outstanding service from the US Navy.  In 2004 he transitioned into the mining industry as an Engineering Technician for Freeport McMoran (Formerly Phelps Dodge Mining Company).  There he held many roles, ultimately as Maintenance & Reliability Superintendent for southern Arizona’s Morenci Operations. Through his experiences, he discovered the mounting significance that highly-customized maintenance technologies can have on mining operations. He continued to advance his career by aiding some of the world’s largest mining operations in improved maintenance processes using real-time telemetrics, condition-based maintenance and predictive maintenance practices.

Justin is passionate about the significance of maintenance innovations to mining operations, and is a frequent presenter at Mining forums and conferences around the US, as well as a published author.

Justin has many years of experience as a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.

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Katrina Wertheim Willey brings nearly two decades of Marketing experience in the high-tech environment, with a focus on marketing strategy, communications and brand management.  Early in her career, she started out as Marketing Manager for two Arizona-based software companies, subsequently joining the mining industry as Marketing Communications Manager for Modular Mining Systems, Inc.  She’s passionate about high-tech marketing, mining innovation, and strong customer service.  As Director of Marketing for Symboticware, Katrina oversees global marketing initiatives.

Katrina has a BA in Integrated Marketing Communication from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and a professional coaching certification from Coach Training Alliance based out of Denver, Colorado. Katrina is passionate about continuing education, and enjoys taking grad-level coaching and marketing mastermind courses. She is currently a member of the International Women in Mining, WIM Canada, AMIGOS and AZWomen In Mining.

Bringing almost four decades of technical mining experience, Peter is Manager, Customer Success for Symboticware. He works with clients to ensure timely and successful delivery of projects, and contributes to the ongoing performance of Symboticware solutions. A graduate of Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Peter spent most of his career at Vale, where from 1981-2013 he worked in technical, engineering, mines research and supervisory roles in the controls and automation fields. As Superintendent of Process Automation in Specialty Engineering at Vale Canada his key duties were leading a group of Sr. Automation Specialists, development of a division-wide automation improvement and standards program, automation R&D and capital projects. He also served as Vale’s representative on ABB’s CAB (Customer Advisory Board) and IREDES board. Peter has two patents in the field of mine automation.

Peter and his wife Michelle have two children, and currently reside in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada where he enjoys cycling, curling, cross country skiing and fishing.