SPEAKER
BIOGRAPHIES
Patricia Fripp
President
The National Speakers Association
Patricia Fripp is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, a three-time Cicero Speechwriting Award winner, executive speech coach, and sales presentation and online learning expert. The National Speakers Association elected heras its first woman president. In her career, Fripp has delivered over 3,500 presentations as well as hundreds of virtual presentations. Companies hire her to help them drive more business by polishing their sales conversations and presentations, and to help leaders inspire action and build commitment through their words. Clients of her speech coaching include corporate leaders, technical and sales professionals, and seasoned professional speakers. Her online learning program FrippVT Powerful, Persuasive Presentations is embraced as a “must-have” by speakers and companies worldwide. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance wrote, “Learning presentation skills from Patricia Fripp is one of the best ways to invest in you.” Her latest book is Deliver Unforgettable Presentations. Her brother, legendary guitarist Robert Fripp of King Crimson, says, “I am not surprised my sister gets paid to tell people what to do. She was a very bossy little girl.”
Val Grubb
Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach and Leadership Strategist
Val Grubb & Associates
Val Grubb is a keynote speaker, executive coach and leadership strategist with deep, firsthand experience leading organizations through change. Before founding Val Grubb & Associates, she held senior leadership roles at NBC Universal and Rolls-Royce and helped launch Oxygen Media for Oprah Winfrey and IAC for Barry Diller. She has led teams through periods of growth, restructuring, cultural change and evolving business models — not as an outside observer, but as a business leader accountable for results. Today, she partners with associations and organizations (both non-profit and for-profit) to help leaders and employees outlead disruption, navigating change with clarity, resilience and accountability. Her work focuses on translating strategy into behavior; ensuring people don’t just understand change but know how to respond to it productively. Known for her candid, engaging, no-fluff style, Grubb delivers practical insights grounded in real-world leadership experience, not theory. Her sessions consistently help organizations move from uncertainty to ownership; equipping people at every level to adapt, contribute and drive performance. She holds an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University and is the author of Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality.
Jen Kalin
Regional Director of Facilities
Osborn Engineering Inc.
Jen Kalin is a director at Osborn Engineering with extensive experience in facilities design for industrial applications. With more than 20 years in the industry, she has focused on client relationship development, successful project delivery and consistently high‑quality design solutions. Her experience spans projects of varying scale, from small facility improvements to large capital investments.
Michelle Klein
Director of Project Controls
Stevens Engineers & Constructors
Michelle Klein is the director of project controls at Stevens Engineers & Constructors and oversees the cost control and payroll departments across all three of their operations in Canonsburg, Pa.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Hobart, Ind., USA. She has been with Stevens for almost 20 years, starting out in the field as a timekeeper for union employees and working her way up to her current role as a director. She is active in various AIST groups, such as Women in Steel Committee and the Project & Construction Management Technology Committee. She is also active in the Mechanical Contractors Association of America and serves on both the Cleveland and Western Pennsylvania Women in the Mechanical Industry Committees.
Mara Kronauer
Principal
Boston Consulting Group
Mara Kronauer is a principal in Boston Consulting Group’s Frankfurt office and a core member of the Industrial Goods and Climate & Sustainability practices. She specializes in transformation for metals and steel clients, supporting them across the full value chain, from sourcing and supply chain restructuring to commercialization.
Rachel Schmidt
Technical Sales Manager — EAF Mill Services
Berry Metal Co.
Rachel Schmidt is a technical sales manager for Berry Metal Co.’s EAF Mill Services group. She joined the Berry Metal team in 2023. Her professional journey within the steel industry started with a manufacturer of water hydraulics valves, where she initially served in inside sales. Progressing through roles such as applications engineering, sales and quality manager, she expanded her expertise to address industrial hydraulics challenges across diverse sectors, including steel. Her current responsibilities have broadened to encompass additional areas and systems, notably in the realm of meltshop solutions, aimed at encouraging more sustainable and efficient systems. Schmidt has been an active participant in various AIST groups, such as Women in Steel, Young Professionals, and the Midwest and Southeast Member Chapters, as well as the Electric Steelmaking Technology Committee. Currently, she serves on the Midwest Member Chapter board, Women in Steel Planning Committee, and as the EAF Roundup co-chair. She also previously was the chair of the Maintenance & Reliability Technology Committee. In recognition of her contributions to the Maintenance & Reliability Technology Committee, she was honored with an AIST Presidential Citation in 2023. Schmidt has been a speaker at women in fluid power events, technical conferences and young professional gatherings. She also has been featured in both the Women in Steel and Young Professional perspective columns in Iron & Steel Technology magazine. Beyond her professional endeavors, she passionately advocates for women’s personal protective equipment and mentors the next generation of female leaders in the industry.
