Lou is the founder & CEO of Two Roads Group. From 2003-2014, Lou was a Partner and leader of the Manufacturing & Private Equity Practices at McKinsey & Company. He brings expertise in strategy, finance, operations improvement and innovation – including advanced industrial technology (e.g., industrial internet, IoT, 3D printing). Lou has worked with CEOs and their teams across the globe and across sectors to set bold strategies and build the operational capabilities to realize them. Lou co-led McKinsey’s global research and client advisory efforts on the ‘Future of Manufacturing’ and implications on how countries and companies compete. His work included assessing disruptive trends and their effects on venture capital and private equity opportunities. Lou also led the development of McKinsey’s playbooks and service lines for private equity due diligence and integrated corporate performance improvement. Lou helped set the strategy and design for the Digital Design and Manufacturing Innovation Institute (DMDII) in Chicago, and is an active advisor there - and to many industrial technology companies - on matters related to strategy and digital innovation. He has a MBA and MS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was a LFM Fellow, a MS from Michigan-Dearborn, and BS from Notre Dame. Lou lives in Chicago with his wife, Sarah, and two children.

William P. King, Ph.D. was the Chief Technology Officer at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) at UI LABS in Chicago, IL, where he led a $100M portfolio of technology investments focused on the future of manufacturing. He is Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he holds the Ralph A. Andersen Endowed Chair. Dr. King received a Ph.D. from Stanford University and completed the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School. His technical expertise is in manufacturing, nanotechnology, and advanced materials. Dr. King has been as a founder, adviser, or director at a dozen early stage technology companies. From 2007-2014, he served on the Defense Sciences Research Council where he advised the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Dr. King is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Physical Society.

John is the founder and CEO of Connected Sensor Solutions, a portfolio of companies advancing the next generation of industrial intelligence. This portfolio includes RKNeal Inc., an engineering firm focused on industrial cybersecurity and controls solutions. John was a Senior Partner with McKinsey & Co., the global management consultancy, where he led its Chicago Office and Wireless Practices. He also helped open the firm’s offices in South Africa and Southeast Asia while living overseas for four years. He spent 20 years partnering closely with management teams to help them develop and execute growth strategies. John currently serves on the board of Advanced Micro Instruments, a gas analysis instrumentation company. He also serves on boards of multiple charitable institutions in Chicago including the Museum of Science and Industry and Big Shoulders Fund. He is currently the co-chairman of Chicago’s Green Ribbon Committee driving sustainability efforts in the city.