President and CEO of Plug Power Inc. to Give Talk on 'Building a Sustainable Future'

Roger B. Saillant, president and chief executive officer of Plug Power Inc., an established leader in the deployment of clean, reliable, on-site energy products, will give a talk titled “Building a Sustainable Future” on Nov. 8 at 7 pm. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom at the College of the Holy Cross. The talk is part of the second annual William J. O’Brien Distinguished Lecture Series.

Saillant, who has been in his current position since December 2000, plans and directs all aspects of the organization’s policies, objectives, and initiatives, and is responsible for the short- and long-term profitability and growth of the company.

Previously, Saillant served for more than 30 years with Ford Motor Company and Visteon Corporation, a spin-off of Ford, where his most recent position was vice president and general manager of the company’s Energy Transformation Systems Group. While at Ford Motor Company and Visteon Corporation, he held numerous management positions in the areas of component engineering, catalysis, quality, electronics and manufacturing.

Saillant serves on academic advisory boards at Union College and the State University of New York at Cobleskill, and serves as a director on the Alumni Fund Committee for Bowdoin College. He is also a member of the board of directors of the New York State Audubon Society, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education. Saillant holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Bowdoin College, a Ph.D. in chemistry from Indiana University and a post-doctorate degree in organometallic chemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles.

The lecture series is named in memory of O’Brien, former chief executive officer at Hanover Insurance Co., who was the founding committee chairman of the diocesan Adopt a Student program which provides scholarships for deserving, needy students in the Catholic school system. As a graduate of Fordham University, O’Brien credited his Jesuit education as a key ingredient to his business thinking and practices.

Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline, the Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, will introduce Saillant and guide audience questions.

The lecture is open to the public but registration is required. Those interested may register online at www.williamjobrien.org or by calling 508-595-9200.