October 25 - 29, 2026
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
Rosemont, Illinois, USA
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
OCTOBER 22, 2025 | 9:15am - 10:00am
ROOM 13 - LEVEL 1 OF THE DES CONVENTION CENTER
DONALD E. STEPHENS CONVENTION CENTER
ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS, USA
GENERAL MANAGER | ARTFUL DISRUPTOR
SPEAKER | BOARD DIRECTOR | PEOPLE BUILDER
​JOANNA C. COOPER
THE COMPETITIVE EDGE
In this keynote, Joanna Cooper, General Manager at Daimler Truck North America, shares firsthand insights into cultivating a sustainable and agile culture of innovation. Drawing from real-world experience, she unpacks the challenges faced and lessons learned while leading transformation in a complex, technology-driven manufacturing environment.
From harnessing AI to stabilizing assembly operations, Joanna demonstrates how digital tools are not only revolutionizing products —
but redefining how decisions are made, how teams are engaged, and how operations are run.
ABOUT JOANNA C. COOPER
Joanna Cooper is Daimler Truck North America's General Manager, Mount Holly. The Women in Manufacturing board member, continues to bridge competence and confidence to transform executive leadership and business culture to drive results.
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Featured keynote speaker in SMTA International, The Assembly Show 2025, The Connected Worker Exchange, WiM South, Shingo Conference 2024, NEASHRM, WiM Summit 2024, Panelist at Conference Board’s ‘Women Lead Festival’ 2024, GDS Manufacturing Summit, Reuters Automotive Retail 2023, keynote and panel moderator at FABx at Fabtech 2023, & featured in Forbes, Chief, Authority Magazine, Adam Mendler’s Leadership blog, SHRM, and other globally recognized leadership publications and podcasts, Cooper reduces the learning curve by sharing how leaders can systemize their results.
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“Leading an amazing team of nearly 2,000 staff to produce Freightliner M2 and SD Plus medium-duty trucks. Workforce development and digital transformation have never been more relevant than now as leaders seek to transition product and service portfolios to more sustainable solutions.”
To learn more about Joanna Cooper's innovative management tips, follow her on Linkedin
LOCATION
Room 13 - Level 1 of the DES Convention Center
