Biography

Adam Allard is a seasoned engineering and manufacturing leader with over 30 years of experience building and scaling high-performing, multidisciplinary teams that bridge digital and physical innovation.

As Senior Manager of the Autodesk Technology Centers, he directs world-class innovation facilities across North America. Collaborating with industry, academia, and government, he drives applied research to accelerate adoption of AI-enhanced manufacturing, agentic design, automation, robotics, and digital-physical workflows. This work focuses on transforming product, facility, and operational design through generative design, machine learning, data acquisition, root-cause inference under uncertainty, rapid hypothesis testing, and human-in-the-loop systems deployed on the shop floor.

Earlier, Adam co-founded and served as Vice President of a fluid power engineering and manufacturing company, growing it into a trusted supplier for aerospace, municipal, maritime, construction, and industrial clients. Across organizations, he’s led complex operations, facility expansions and relocations, multi-product portfolios from concept to production, and the development of exceptional engineering, technical, and operations teams.

As a trusted global advisor to organizations, governments, startups, and academia, Adam provides strategic guidance on innovation space design, equipment specification, and talent development, supported by decades of senior-level relationships across sectors.

Grounded in deep technical expertise and continuous learning, his leadership philosophy emphasizes ethical innovation and talent cultivation. Adam is passionate about intentionally integrating AI into advanced manufacturing to accelerate progress while responsibly shaping its impact on workforce and society.