FACILITATOR

Jade Brasher is the executive editor at FleetOwner, part of Endeavor Business Media’s Commercial Vehicle Group. Since 2018, she has reported on the fleet industry, initially focusing on light-duty commercial and medium- to heavy-duty vocational fleets before expanding her coverage in 2023 to encompass the industry as a whole. A graduate of The University of Alabama with a degree in journalism, Brasher also concentrates on the transition to zero-emission vehicles and emerging industry technologies. Based in Metro Detroit, she is strategically positioned at the center of the automotive world during a transformative time for the industry.

Karen Bailo is the Commercial Lines President at Progressive Insurance, a role she’s held since October 2020. She is responsible for profit and loss, product development and deployment, agency and direct channel marketing, business development, call center operations and IT platform strategy for the $10B+ Commercial Lines business.

She began her career at Progressive in 1990 in customer service as a management trainee. Since then, Bailo has held several leadership positions, including Personal Lines General Manager, Commercial Lines Controller, and Commercial Lines Acquisition & Small Business Insurance General Manager. Additionally, she led the Agency Distribution organization for nine years, positioning Progressive as a preferred supplier in the channel. Her experience includes operations management, pricing, product management, distribution, strategic planning, and new start-up endeavors.

BIO COMING SOON

Susmita Singh is a senior software engineer at Google with nine years of industry experience. She leads the efforts in AI infrastructure for the Google Store, where she specializes in the complex engineering required to take AI from internal prototypes to a production-ready system. With a focus on evaluation frameworks, safety guardrails, and scalable orchestration, she is dedicated to building resilient generative AI experiences that are factually grounded and reliable for millions of users worldwide.

Singh is deeply passionate about mentoring and hopes to use the platform to demystify complex AI systems for the next generation of technical leaders.

Samantha “Sam” Thompson is Vice President of Customer Success and Fleet Telematics for Penske Transportation Solutions, where she leads teams focused on helping customers maximize the value of fleet technology and transportation solutions. She oversees customer adoption of digital tools, telematics strategy, and initiatives that enhance fleet performance and operational efficiency.

Since joining Penske in 2012, Thompson has held several roles of increasing responsibility, including Director of Customer Success, Manager of Fleet Telematics and Customer Success, and Marketing Support Specialist. She also began her career with the company as a Rental Clerk in its reservations call center. Prior to Penske, she worked as a designer, artist, and instructor.

Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in visual effects and motion graphics from the Art Institute of Philadelphia and holds certifications in service management and advanced service leadership. She is an active member of industry organizations and serves as Founder and President of the Reading Arts Initiative.