General Session
The General Sessions drive creative thinking while exploring the practical challenges of technology. You’ll catch a glimpse of revolutionary advancements developed in the next release of SolidWorks® software. The General Sessions are both valuable and engaging for customers, educators, senior managers, resellers, partners, analysts, and members of the international press. So join the DS SolidWorks team and manufacturing industry leaders as we discover the potency of 3D to inspire product design and innovation.
Keynote Speakers
James Cameron
Writer, Producer & Director
James Cameron, age 55, is an Academy Award-winning director, explorer, documentarian, inventor and entrepreneur. His feature and documentary credits include the Terminator and Terminator II, Aliens, True Lies, Titanic, Ghosts of the Abyss, and Avatar. Cumulatively, Cameron's directorial efforts have amassed over $3 billion in box office receipts. Cameron is also an entrepreneur in stereoscopic video. He is co-inventor of a portfolio of patented technology for 3D video capture which will revolutionize media. These include fiber-spooling mini-ROVs; FUSION Camera System, the world's leading stereoscopic camera system; and the first 3D motion-imaging camera to operate on another planet. Cameron’s films have also blazed new trails in visual effects and set numerous performance records both domestically and abroad. His latest movie Avatar required over two years of development of new production technology, including image-based facial performance capture, a real-time virtual camera for CG production, and the SIMULCAM system, in order to enable real-time tracking and compositing of CG characters into live-action scenes.
James McLurkin
Roboticist, Inventor, Researcher and Teacher.jpg)
James McLurkin is a leader in the field of robotics. As a child he was constantly building with LEGO bricks, cardboard boxes or any other materials he could access. Today, he continues this tradition using Mother Nature as a model researching and developing algorithms and techniques for constructing and programming large swarms of autonomous robots. The “Swarm” was originally created during McLurkin’s five-year post as Lead Research Scientist at iRobot and was one of the largest swarm at the time. In 2003, McLurkin received the Lemelson/MIT Student Prize. He has also been recognized by Time Magazine as one of the five leading robotics engineers and by Black Enterprise Magazine as a “Best and Brightest Under 40.” As an independent consultant, McLurkin has advised many mechanical and engineering projects for clients such as Walt Disney Imagineering.
Jeff Ray
Cheif Executive Office, Dassault Systèmes SolidWork Corporation
Jeff Ray brings more than 30 years of experience in global technology sales, management, and operations to SolidWorks Corporation. As CEO, Jeff will steer the company toward continued market leadership and profitability, ensuring that SolidWorks delivers software that helps customers around the world design better products. Previously, Jeff served as the chief operating officer for SolidWorks, responsible for expanding the company’s sales, distribution, and marketing infrastructure. Jeff joined SolidWorks in 2003 from business software vendor Progress Software Corporation, where he was responsible for all customer-facing field operations in dozens of countries as vice president of worldwide field operations. He served as vice president of global solutions at Compuware Corporation, where he launched the company’s integrated software/services practices and grew annual sales from zero to $100 million. Jeff began his career at IBM, where he held numerous management positions over a 17-year period. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Texas A&M University.
