Dr. Sven F. Crone is an expert in forecasting, with over 15 years of expertise in both its theory and practice. As an Assistant Professor and the director of the Lancaster Centre for Forecasting - with 15 members the largest think tank dedicated to business forecasting - he has over 40 scientific publications with international awards for developing novel forecasting algorithms, trained over 500 demand planners, and consulted with industry leaders on improving forecasting methods, systems and processes. Sven is a regular speaker at IBF conferences, sharing insights from hands-on consultancy projects on SAP APO DP and the latest research in forecasting for FMCG/CPG, Call Centres and Energy Markets.

Eric is a predictive analytics and business planning innovator, author, and speaker. He is the Director of Thought Leadership at the IBF. Prior to this he worked as the Director of Demand Planning at Escalade Sports, Director of Demand Planning at Berry Plastics, and Director of Demand Planning & S&OP at Tempur Sealy International. In 2016, he received the Excellence in Business Forecasting & Planning award from the IBF. He is an IBF Certified Professional Forecaster (CPF) with over 20 years of experience. Eric is a visionary in his field, a frequent speaker and panelist for many executive forums and professional conferences, and has written numerous articles in publications such as The Journal of Business Forecasting and APICS Magazine. He is also the author of the book Cultural Cycles.

Chris works with a range of clients worldwide, across industry sectors, on strategy development, innovation and joined-up decision-making. A highly respected facilitator, Chris has a unique ability to understand and simplify complex business issues and opportunities and translate these into action. He has worked with leadership teams around the world, helping them to articulate, share and realize their strategies through aligning the organization, integrating decision-making and capability building.

Jonathon’s professional career has consisted of leadership roles in transportation, finance and health products, beginning in supply chain and demand planning roles and culminating in a vice president position in strategic planning and corporate development. Currently, he functions as the Chief Strategy Officer at the Factors Group of Nutritional Companies. He is a recognized thought leader in demand planning and is co-founding partner of the S&OP consultancy NorthFind Partners. Jonathon has been a long-term contributor to the IBF’s body of knowledge, with a specific focus on forecasting metrics and diagnostics and forecast value-add. He studied economics at the University of Western Ontario before moving to Vancouver to study law at the University of British Columbia. Jonathon went on to study operations and value chain management at the MIT Sloan School of Management.