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Flavio Volpe
APMA President
Flavio Volpe is an internationally recognized champion of Canada's automotive industry. He proudly leads the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) - Canada's national
association representing original equipment suppliers to the worldwide automotive industry Working closely with officials in Ottawa, Washington and Mexico City during the 2017-19 NAFTA renegotiations, he led the effort to secure an unexpected and unprecedented increase in Regional Value Content for Canadian automotive suppliers in the new USMCA.
When the global COVID19 pandemic created a dangerous medical equipment shortage in
Canada in early 2020, he launched one of the biggest peace-time mobilizations of the country’s
industrial capacity ever. Dubbed a ‘manufacturing hero’ by the Toronto Star for his leadership,
this effort resulted in the largest build-orders of ventilators, face shields, surgical masks and
gowns in Canada’s history.
A passionate technology leader, his response to the Prime Minister’s call to action for a net-zero
emission economy by 2050 was to launch an all-Canadian, zero-emissions, lightweight, concept
vehicle to debut in 2022. Described by the Globe and Mail as ‘an audacious play to build an allCanadian electric car’, APMA’s Project Arrow was revealed at CES2020 in Las Vegas to international coverage and will serve as a premier showcase of Canada’s automotive
technology cluster.
Flavio speaks regularly on behalf of industry interests and is a sought-after voice by leading
global publications including The Economist, New York Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal,
CNN, BBC, CNBC, Globe and Mail and Washington Post. He was recognized as a top Industry
Leader in the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 editions of Automotive News Canada’s All-Stars.
Flavio holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York
University and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto.
Warren Ali
Senior Vice President of Innovation
Warren Ali is the Senior Vice President of Innovation for the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’
Association (APMA).
As the automotive industry transitions and transforms from a manufacturing-based business model to one that is more technology based, Warren’s primary responsibility is to increase the APMA’s engagement with and connection to the broader technology and innovation ecosystems.
Warren has expanded the APMA’s reach and efforts beyond the automotive and auto tech sectors. Some key examples include him being a member of the Board of Advisors to ventureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative as well as a key member of Canada’s Advanced Air Mobility Consortium.
He is Chair of the APMA’s Digital Manufacturing Committee that is comprised of industry
leaders from Global OEMs and Tier 1s along with SMEs and Global Leading Technology
Startups. Warren’s venture capital and economic development experience in both the private
sector and at the Federal and Provincial levels of government are key contributions to the
APMA’s efforts to lead Canada’s auto sector towards the broader opportunities in Future
Mobility.
He has led Canadian trade missions and spoken at events around the world in leading mobility
jurisdictions such as Germany, Japan, Singapore, the UK as well as across North America
including Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Atlanta and Monterrey.
Warren holds an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Statistics and Actuarial Science from
the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Schulich
School of Business at York University.
Colin S. Dhillon
Chief Technical Officer
Colin Singh Dhillon is the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association (APMA). He provides leadership to the Canadian automotive industry through national initiatives like Project Arrow, Canada’s first zero-emission concept vehicle. His ongoing work in the fields of Connected, Autonomous, Security and Electrification of mobility (CASE) provides Colin with a global platform as a thought leader in the digitisation of the automotive sector.
With over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Colin has provided leadership in automotive Design, Advanced Product Development (R&D), Advanced Materials and
Technologies for ABC Technologies Inc.
Colin represents Canada as the only Canadian judge at the prestigious EyesOn Design judging
panel at the annual North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). In addition to his
automotive experience, Colin has lectured Design & Innovation for over a decade.
Lauren Tedesco
Vice President, Learning and Development, APMA
Lauren Tedesco oversees workforce development programs and policy for the auto supplier sector, building the first industry-wide digital learning program.
Prior to joining APMA, Lauren was a senior advisor at the Law Society of Ontario while instructing communications students at Sheridan College.
Her agency experience at leading public relations agencies set the groundwork for senior roles in the public sector including Director of Communications to the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Education.
At each step, her insight and foresight guided the formulation and launch of major public policy initiatives, underscoring the need for strong strategic planning for disruptive agents of change.