ABOUT

IAAE is a not-for-profit, education and credentialing organization, focused on building workforce capability in Life Sciences digital manufacturing.

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Our mission

IAAE seeks to credential 10,000 learners globally, and to engage 10 of the top 20 companies in each regulated health industry, by the end of 2035.

– Mike Hourigan, Founder and President

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Meet the team

Explore how IAAE can support your organisation and your team

Mike Hourigan
Founder, President,
U.S

“IAAE seeks to credential 10,000 learners globally, and to engage 10 of the top 20 companies in each regulated health industry, by the end of 2035.”

Malcolm Jeffers
Transformation Strategist & Head of Research, Ireland

Malcolm applies research insights to create meaningful impact for both individuals and organizations through IAAE. He values curiosity, collaboration, and finds satisfaction in others’ success.

McCaig Lloyd
Client Program Manager and Academic Liaison, U.S.

With a background in international education, she supports IAAE’s global mission to develop skilled talent. As Client Program Manager, she delivers impactful programs, builds partnerships, and supports workforce development across Life Sciences.

Jenna Pilat
Organizational Strategist
U.S.

With 20+ years of public-private leadership, incl. at MxD and in the U.S. government, Jenna knows the power of collaboration. As IAAE’s Organizational Strategist, she supports ecosystem strategy and partnerships.

Thea Hansen
Website & Brand Manager,
Ireland

With a passion for bringing brands to life, she strongly believes in the transformative power of visual communication. She’s committed to elevating the brand and taking it to new heights.

Advisory Board

Our Life Sciences Advisory Board has met since 2016 and plays a crucial role in guiding IAAE’s work. The board identifies emerging capabilities required to support digital manufacturing objectives and collaborates on several initiatives through subgroups each year.

It was formed to connect like-minded individuals and companies who are passionate to see the industry improve as a whole, share needs and inform the strategy of the organization, and work together to leave a legacy that addresses the challenge of proactive workforce development and capability building, a challenge too large for any one company or partner to solve alone.

We ask for virtual attendance at five meetings in the year with one optional in-person meeting. We also ask for participation between March and September on a optional sub-committee.

Greg Bischoff

Executive Director, Digital Manufacturing, Automation, Analysis, & Integration

Sean Walsh

Director of Capital Projects, Digital MMD, EU & AP in Human Health

Rachelle Howard

Director of Manufacturing Systems Automation and Digital Strategy

Martin Kockx

Principal Manufacturing Systems Engineer

Rob Guenard

AVP CMC
Analytics

Daniel Carraher

Head of Quality Strategy, Excellence & Digital Innovation

Dan Hill

Director of Process Analytics, PD/MSAT Digital Transformation Lead

Michael Farrell

Director of Operations / Business Transformation

Andrew Bird

AVP Business Technology Manufacturing Operations

Peterjohn Millan

Head of Digital Systems, Automation, and Metrology

Karen Mootrey

Senior Director
of Automation

Alan Bateman

Director, Systems Architecture, Digital and Execution (new Sites)

Eoin Kiely

Digital Manufacturing and Automation Lead – Drug Substance Division

Ecosystem Partners

IAAE is proud to engage an ecosystem of mission-aligned organizations to advance automation workforce development and help shape the skills, standards, and training pathways that power the future of American manufacturing. Explore our partners.

NIIMBL is the Manufacturing USA institute for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, accelerating innovation and standards to make biologics production faster and more efficient. IAAE participates in NIIMBL project opportunities and serves on NIIMBL’s Workforce Activities Committee, reflecting the shared focus on building a digitally fluent, automation-ready biomanufacturing workforce. Learn more about our work with NIIMBL.

The ARM Institute is the Manufacturing USA institute for robotics and AI, working to accelerate adoption of these technologies while preparing the workforce to work alongside them. IAAE serves on ARM’s Education and Workforce Advisory Committee (EWAC), and IAAE’s own “Essentials of Automation for Life Sciences Manufacturing” program is ARM-endorsed — helping connect our life sciences expertise with the broader automation and robotics community.

MxD is the Manufacturing USA institute for digital manufacturing and cybersecurity, helping manufacturers adopt digital tools and cybersecure production through DoD-backed programs. Its MxD Learn initiative builds the digital and automation skills manufacturers need — directly relevant to IAAE’s work preparing automation engineers for connected factories. Learn more about our work with MxD.

BioMADE is the Manufacturing USA institute for bioindustrial manufacturing, working to scale domestic biomanufacturing and grow its workforce. As member companies automate bioprocessing operations, BioMADE’s network gives IAAE the opportunity to partner closely with this fast-growing industry, bringing automation training and certification to the workforce powering it.

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