Road Ready: Business & Legal Insights for the Ever-Changing Automotive Landscape
Experience AutoConnect, FBT Gibbons’ signature industry event launched in 2013. This complimentary, one-day conference unites top automotive industry leaders, from OEMs and suppliers to investors, lenders, advisors and industry innovators, for a comprehensive discussion of the trends shaping today’s market and the business and legal developments that will drive the industry forward.
At AutoConnect 2026, you’ll engage with FBT Gibbons attorneys and influential automotive voices, tap into the latest industry knowledge, and forge valuable connections with your peers. Registration is open. Please join us for another impactful gathering designed to inform, inspire, and connect automotive industry professionals.
2026 Panels & Topics
This year’s panels and speakers promise to deliver deep insights on these topics and more:
Opening Remarks
Stuart McWhorter, Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, will share insights and give a short overview on the current state of the automotive sector and the opportunities shaping its future.
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Speaker
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Stuart C. McWhorter
Deputy Governor | Tennessee
Stuart C. McWhorter serves as a top advisor to Governor Bill Lee and manages the day-to-day operations of TNECD. He spearheads the department’s efforts in recruiting new businesses to the state, supporting existing companies in their expansions, assisting in creating greater opportunity across rural Tennessee and helping the state’s small business and entrepreneurial ecosystem grow.
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Regulatory Evolution
Navigate the complexities of USMCA 2.0, tariffs, autonomous vehicle policy, and other regulations that are redefining market access and competitiveness.
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Panelist
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Gerardo Interiano
Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at Aurora
Gerardo Interiano is Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at Aurora, the company building self-driving technology to deliver the benefits of the future of transportation safely, quickly, and broadly. Based in Pittsburgh, Gerardo leads Aurora’s efforts to help defi ne self-driving policy and ensure self-driving vehicles are both developed and delivered to our roads safely.
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Panelist
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Bill Frymoyer
Vice President, Public Policy, at Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA)
Bill leads the international trade, tax and supply chain public policy effort for MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association, representing a manufacturing sector with 930,000 U.S. jobs. After starting work at MEMA in 2019 on the range of international trade and investment issues, Bill added tax policies to that portfolio in 2020. In 2021, he was tapped to coordinate semiconductor and broader supply chain issues.
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Panelist
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Eric Baker
Partner, FBT Gibbons
Eric understands the business, regulatory, environmental and economic challenges facing companies today; he spent 20 years serving as general counsel in the transportation industry, during which time he was also president of an international transportation operating division.
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Panelist
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Chassen Haynes
Regional Manager, Government Relations, at Ford Motor Company
Chassen has a with a wealth of experience in driving economic and community development. A collaborative leader dedicated to fostering growth and making a positive impact, Chassen has proven expertise in government and community relations, coupled with a strategic mindset.
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Workforce Transformation
Tackle pressing labor and immigration employment issues, from overcoming workforce shortages to equipping the next generation with essential skills for tomorrow’s mobility landscape.
More topic and panelist information coming soon.
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Panelist
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Jesse Dove
Executive Director, Labor Relations North America at Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Jesse Dove serves as Executive Director, Labor Relations North America at Bridgestone Americas, Inc., based out of Bridgestone’s corporate headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Panelist
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Emma Jay
Deputy General Counsel and Senior Manager of the Legal & Compliance Department at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA)
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Panelist
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David Janklow
Partner, FBT Gibbons, Columbus, OH
Dave is a Partner in FBT Gibbons’ Columbus office and practices immigration law within the firm’s labor and employment practice group. He advises employers in an array of industries on complex immigration issues and assists them in securing temporary work visas and permanent residence for their foreign national employees.
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Moderator
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Heather L. Wilson
Partner, FBT Gibbons, Indianapolis, IN
Heather focuses her practice on providing timely, practical and strategic advice to businesses on all aspects of employment matters to identify and mitigate legal risks. This includes issues relating to hiring, discipline, termination, wage and hour, accommodations, leaves, reductions in force, (WARN issues) and workplace harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
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Technology & Security Frontiers
The Automobiles of the Future Are Here Now, But Don’t Forget the Basics: From AI and autonomous vehicles to privacy compliance and security implications, our “computers on wheels” are doing more and more with more and more data. This panel will discuss legal implications, risk mitigation, and customer trust at the intersection of data and automobiles, including best practices and lessons learned from enforcement.
More topic and panelist information coming soon.
Vision, Velocity & the Road to the Starting Grid: Building the Cadillac Formula 1 Team
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 | Nissan Stadium, West Club | 1 Titans Way, Nashville, TN 37213
Keynote speaker Dan Towriss, CEO of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, will take the AutoConnect 2026 stage for a deep dive into one of modern motorsports’ most ambitious projects: building the Cadillac F1 Team.
In this keynote fireside chat, Dan will sit down with FBT Gibbons partner Kai Bitter to unpack the strategic, operational, and legal heavy lifting to bring a U.S. Formula 1 team to life. Together, they’ll explore:
- The high-stakes business calculus behind entering the world’s most elite racing series.
- Legal and regulatory hurdles unique to launching a new Formula 1 team, from international sporting compliance to complex IP, engineering, and commercial frameworks.
- What it takes to align the Cadillac brand with the global demands of Formula 1.
- How innovation, persistence, and cross-industry partnerships helped propel this groundbreaking effort forward.
This conversation promises a rare, behind-the-scenes look at a transformative moment in U.S. motorsports, told by the leader who is making it happen. Whether you’re in automotive, mobility, finance, or engineering, you won’t want to miss the AutoConnect 2026 keynote. You’ll be inspired by the vision and grit powering this historic launch.
