2025 Foundations: From Standards User to Standards Leader

Registration Fees

SES Member Registration Fee: $550
Non-Member Registration Fee: $650

Target Audience

Early career professionals (1- 5 years of experience) who use standards in their work, and would like to move beyond applying standards to influencing, managing, and leveraging them strategically. 

Morning Agenda

Welcome and Agenda Review

Session 1: Standards & Conformity Ecosystem - A high-level refresher on standards, SDOs, and conformity assessment systems — designed for professionals who already know the basics. Focus will be on how different organizations interact (regulators, accreditation bodies, SDOs, and NSBs) and how standards underpin global trade and regulation.

Session 2: Standards as a Strategic Tool - Explores the role of standards in business strategy, innovation, and risk management. Through real-world cases, participants see how proactive use of standards creates competitive advantage — or how failure to engage can limit market access.

Session 3: Navigating Complexity: Overlapping & Evolving Standards - A practical session on handling complex requirements: when multiple standards apply to a single product/service and when standards are revised. Review scenarios where a company must adapt to a major revision.

Afternoon Agenda

Session 4: Influence & Participation in Standards Development - An inside look at how standards committees work — consensus-building, negotiation, and politics. Participants learn why organizations invest in participation and how professionals can build influence. A role-play simulates a standards committee debate, with participants representing different stakeholder positions.

Session 5: Conformity Assessment in Practice - Beyond certification — this session covers testing, inspection, supplier audits, and accreditation. Participants walk through a mini case study of auditing a supplier against a standard, identifying strengths and gaps.

Session 6: Emerging Issues & Hot Topics - Focus on trends shaping the future of standards and conformity assessment: sustainability/ESG reporting, AI governance, cybersecurity frameworks, and machine-readable digital standards. In small groups, participants discuss one “hot topic” and report back.

Session 7: Fireside Chat with Presenters - An interactive Q&A session where participants can raise questions, share experiences, and engage directly with presenters.

Wrap Up & Next Steps

Confirmed Speakers include:

Thomas Domitrovich, Director, Codes & Standards, EATON

Casey Granata, Senior Program Manager, Grid, NEMA

Michael D. Hogan, Standards Practitioner, Retired (NBS/NIST)

Katerina Koperna, Manager, Standards Development, ASTM International

Genevieve Lynn, Program Director, Standards & Technical Services, PHTA

Alan Manche, Vice President, External Affairs, Schneider Electric

Amanda Rodriguez, Staff Analyst - Codes & Standards, Kohler Co.

Anna Seiple, Program Director, ASTM Safety Equipment Institute (SEI)

Craig Updyke, Director of Global Policy and International Trade, ASTM International

Additional speakers to be announced.

Special thanks to Aerospace Industries Association for providing the meeting space for this event!

SES Cancellation and Refund Policy

• Cancellations made in writing to admin@ses-standards.org before November 19, 2025, will be refunded, minus a $75 cancellation fee.
• Registrants assume full responsibility for notification to and verification of receipt by SES. Please email the cancellation notice to admin@ses-standards.org. Phone cancellations will not be accepted.
• Substitutions: If you are unable to attend, you may substitute with another person from your company or organization. All substitution requests should be sent to admin@ses-standards.org by December 1, at 12:00 PM ET.