FABTECH Theatre
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept—it’s reshaping the metal forming and fabrication industry today. This panel brings together industry leaders and technology innovators to explore how AI-driven automation is revolutionizing custom metal forming and fabrication in Toronto.
Learn how local small, medium, and large manufacturers are leveraging AI to reduce downtime, improve precision, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving Industry 4.0 landscape.
Ian Johnson is a Canadian-born automotive builder, licensed mechanic, and television host from Smiths Falls, Ontario. He first appeared on television as a guest builder on Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage, which led to his role as co-host of Spike TV’s Extreme 4x4. Alongside fabricator and racer Jessi Combs, Ian helped define the show’s deep “how to” approach, building and testing one-of-a-kind off-road vehicles on extreme terrain. He proudly supports the Jessi Combs Foundation in honor of her legacy.
Beyond hosting, Ian has played key behind-the-scenes roles as a technical producer and writer for Trucks!, Extreme 4x4, and the launch of multiple shows for Motortrend TV including Car Craft TV, and 4x4 Garage. He is the founder of Digital Lug, an automotive digital production company producing multiple Amazon Prime build series. Ian is also the host of Discovery Channel's Build For Off Road, where he continues to share his passion for hands-on automotive storytelling with audiences worldwide.
Helen Papachronis is a business leader with a background in technology commercialization. As Project Development Director at NGen, she helps innovators bring transformative technologies to life across Canada’s manufacturing sector. In her career spanning more than 25 years, Helen has helped launch new technologies in asset-intensive industries: manufacturing, mining, material handling, utility, and cleantech, and has held leadership positions at organizations including 3M, GE, Evercloak, Toyota Industries, and Telus. She is a mentor at NEXT AI and an Advisor for the McGill Innovation Fund.
Greta Cutulenco is CEO and co-founder of Acerta AI, provider of predictive quality software solutions for automotive and discrete manufacturing. Greta co-founded Acerta in 2017 and currently leads the company’s senior leadership and product teams. She works directly with automotive OEMs and Tier-1 manufacturers, helping them make sense of their manufacturing data. Named a Forbes 30-Under-30 for Manufacturing, an Industry All-Star and a Canadian to Watch by Automotive News Canada, Greta has served as Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) board member since 2020.
Sony Pauly is a strategic technical leader with over 20 years of experience driving digital transformation across engineering and manufacturing organizations. As Senior Manager of Presales at Siemens Digital Industries Software, he leads initiatives focused on integrating advanced technologies and digital threads to help enterprises modernize design workflows and accelerate innovation.
Prior to Siemens, Sony held multiple leadership roles at Altair, most recently as Senior Technical Director for the U.S. region. There, he partnered with executive leadership to shape transformation strategies across simulation, engineering AI, data science, and high-performance computing. He led cross-functional teams to operationalize these strategies—translating emerging technologies into scalable go-to-market programs and measurable business outcomes.
Sony is known to bridge the gap between vision and execution—to deliver customer-centric transformation at scale. He brings deep expertise in the product lifecycle ecosystem and a passion for helping organizations unlock value through connected digital ecosystems.