November 19, 2020 – MxD announced today that cybersecurity expert Jon Powvens has been named director of MxD Cyber: The National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing. Powvens will serve as director of cybersecurity for the full range of MxD’s projects and engineering activities.
“We are excited to welcome Powvens to the team to lead MxD Cyber,” said Chandra Brown, Chief Executive Officer of MxD. “If we want American manufacturing to push through this global pandemic and thrive beyond it, we need to invest in substantial cybersecurity practices across the industry. MxD’s efforts in educating small manufacturers about the threats, preparing companies to comply with forthcoming government standards, and shoring up the cybersecurity workforce reflect the emphasis we are placing on this mission.”
Before joining MxD, Powvens was the manager of manufacturing cybersecurity architecture for Abbott Laboratories where he led the plan, build, and run of the cybersecurity manufacturing maturity assessment program. Prior to joining Abbott, Powvens held roles including senior cybersecurity engineer for manufacturing at AbbVie, lead consultant for cybersecurity for Power System Engineering, superintendent of communications for Corn Belt Power Cooperative, and manager of network operations for Airadigm Communications.
“I am honored to take on this role at a pivotal moment in U.S. manufacturing,” said Powvens. “MxD is poised to continue to support and leverage the expertise of our members, defense collaborations, and projects to make significant strides in cybersecurity for manufacturing.”
MxD was designated the National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2018 and recently established a Cybersecurity Steering Committee composed of experts across industry, government, and academia to help guide its efforts in this arena. MxD also recently released The Hiring Guide: Cybersecurity in Manufacturing, which identifies 247 cybersecurity-related job roles in manufacturing and details the skill sets, career paths, and education and training needed to prepare American workers for these jobs.
MxD will continue to prioritize cybersecurity efforts in response to the vulnerabilities that have been exposed during the COVID-19 crisis. A public version of MxD’s annual Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), outlining 2021-2023 roadmaps for cybersecurity as well as workforce and R&D projects, will be available in early 2021. If you are interested in learning more about the SIP or MxD membership, please email membership@mxdusa.org.
About MxD
MxD, the nation’s digital manufacturing institute, is where innovative manufacturers go to forge their futures. In partnership with the Department of Defense, MxD equips U.S. factories with the digital tools, cybersecurity, and workforce expertise they need to begin building every part better than the last. As a result, our approximately 300 partners increase their productivity and win more business.