2024 Will Be a Remarkable Year for Automation Lead by ISA

Summary

It is quite the personal and professional honor to serve as the ISA President over this upcoming year. With the helpful guidance of the Executive Board, staff and volunteers, I have meticulous plans to continue the strides that ISA has already made and to grow into who and where we want to be.

My passion is to help organizations, CEOs, boards, private equity investors create enterprise, shareholder value through value creation, innovation, technology, automation, digital transformation, energy transition and sustainability. I have 20 years of experience in public (Fortune 100), private-equity-backed companies with a proven record in P&L, operations, marketing, sales, business development and sustainability that I bring to ISA as a volunteer leader.

I have been a member of ISA for many years, served on the ISA executive board for the past six years, authored position papers, and led several important committees. Now, as ISA president I have the privilege of leading us to the next phase of our growth through our volunteer efforts.

I plan to utilize effective strategies from years past, while fine-tuning any non-effective ones, and implement feedback to create the best possible version of the International Society of Automation.

2023 ISA highlights 

We can’t properly move into 2024 without mentioning some of the bright spots of 2023—a tremendous year for ISA’s growth. Highlights include:

• The addition of several new sections—including Denmark, Bahrain and Taiwan— which  elevated ISA to over 100 sections in all corners of the world
• Two major conferences. ISA hosted 220+ attendees at the Automation & Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs, CO, and held the OT Cybersecurity Summit in Aberdeen, Scotland, where we spread the message on standards, training, certification, and membership opportunities
• The success of ISA’s first-class training and certification programs helped lead the organization to another year of growth

2024 ISA Strategic Plan

ISA’s Strategic Plan is developed and managed by the ISA Executive Board, in concert with staff leadership and Society committees, and is validated and modified to reflect progress and new priorities each year. Here are some key highlights of our 2024 strategic plan:

ISA outreach, awareness and advocacy

We want to be recognized as the leading, global, independent source of automation knowledge. ISA has some very specific goals to achieve in 2024.

And achieve them, we will. Regarding ISA standards, technical reports, training, credentials, or conformity assessment programs are recognized by corporations, organizations, colleges/universities, or governmental entities at all levels, ISA plans to:

• Gain written acknowledgment of the use of ISA products and services from more companies, organizations, governments, and other entities, and with permission, use these acknowledgments in our marketing materials

Regarding development and taking to market the ISA corporate engagement program, we plan to​:

• Engage and attract new companies to the breadth of ISA programs, products, and services in 2024

Innovation insights

ISA stresses the importance of proactively identifying and fostering evolving and emerging technology, processes, ​and business practices related to our mission in various ways.

In 2024, we aim to enable enhanced user experiences using AI to increase recognition of ISA content to promote adoption, membership and value.

Another goal is to develop and/or disseminate guidance on industrial AI, OT cloud, and cybersecurity resiliency through the ISA structure to increase ISA's leadership in these emerging technologies. ​We also aim to elevate ISA's voice on how automation and ISA products help stakeholders with key business issues such as resilient supply chain, energy transition, digital deglobalization and ethical sourcing. We’ll achieve these goals by:

• Having more divisions and sections ​hosting a meeting or Connect discussion ​about the guidance presented​
• Working towards an increase in communications and​ events content on these topics

Overall

2023 Leadership deserves a massive shoutout for carrying ISA through a phenomenal year. I sincerely want to thank Marty Bince—the outgoing 2023 ISA President—for handing me the reins in excellent condition. Executive Director Claire Fallon and her entire staff did an incredibly impressive job executing ISA’s goals. And of course, many thanks to the copious volunteers who spend countless hours leading committees, sections, and divisions amongst other projects. ISA would not be where it is today without the helping hands of all these talented people who make the constantly moving parts look effortless.

When I pen my wrap-up post at the end of my term, I know that I’ll be able to say with conviction and pride that ISA not only met but exceeded our goals.

Please feel free to get in contact with me at p[email protected]. Together, let’s continue to make the world a better place through automation.

_{This article was originally published on ISA Interchange.}