Martin Rostan
Executive Director, EtherCAT Technology Group

Martin Rostan studied aerospace engineering in Germany and in the United Kingdom and received his diploma degree in 1992. Subsequently he managed the international research project that developed the initial CANopen technology. From 1996 until 1998 he was marketing manager and authorized officer at Selectron. Since 1998 he is with Beckhoff, first as senior product manager for Ethernet and fieldbus systems and since 2006 as head of technology marketing. Martin serves the fieldbus community in various committees: he is the executive director of the EtherCAT Technology Group, chairs the CANopen groups inside CAN in Automation and represents Beckhoff in ODVA and in several conference program committees. He also is technical expert in ISO and IEC standardization committees for industrial communication. With publications in magazines, text books, conferences and symposia he contributes to the dissemination of fieldbus and Ethernet technologies.

David Chia
Managing Director, Beckhoff Automation

David Chia is Managing Director of Beckhoff Automation Pte Ltd. He is responsible for the region of Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines. Trained as an electrical and electronics engineer, and he holds an MBA from NUS. David spent more than 20 years of his working career in industrial automation with companies like Siemens, Rockwell Automation and most recently in the last 13 years with Beckhoff. He plays an active role in the local automation and manufacturing eco-system and serves on the councils of Singapore Manufacturing Federation and Singapore Industrial Automation Association. He also champions the growth and development of local small and medium sized enterprises (SME) and serves as board chairman of SME Centre @ SMF, a funded initiative by the Singapore government. He is currently pursuing a professional Doctorate in Business Administration, with keen interest in International Business, and cross-cultural teams.

Alvin Rolda
Managing Director, Controtek Solutions

Alvin Rolda is the Managing Director of Controtek Solutions, Inc., a system integrator, automation, engineering and software developer company based in the Philippines. He leads and manages the company’s overall operations and business development while concurrently heading the Marketing and Sales Department in promoting products and solutions that includes leading international brands such as Beckhoff Automation, Endress+Hauser, HMS Networks, Rockwell Automation, and Inductive Automation, among others. Alvin has more than 16 years of work experience in the Industrial and Process Automation field. He was previously a Lead Consultant on Instrumentation & Controls for INP Deutschland GmbH and ABB Ltd. lending his vast expertise on engineering, project management, and project commissioning. Prior to this, he also served as Lead Instrumentation and Control Engineer at Alstom Power’s worldwide power plant systems specializing in the Oil and Gas Industry. He also worked as a Senior System Engineer at Emerson and Rockwell Automation at the early onset of his career. Alvin holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and Instrumentation and Control.