2026 ANAB Conformity Assessment Symposium

Sponsorships
Exhibitors
Professional Development Training
Client Workshop
Agenda
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What Is ACAS?

The ANAB Conformity Assessment Symposium (ACAS) brings together the entire conformity assessment community—from industry leaders and government representatives to accreditation bodies, certification organizations, laboratories, and scheme owners.

ACAS will tackle the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing our fields. It's where we explore how AI is transforming our practices, bridge global market approaches, and candidly discuss what effective accreditation looks like today and tomorrow. ACAS isn't just another conference; it's where the conversations happen that shape the future of trust, quality, and safety across global markets.

Meet Our Speakers

Chris Dubay

Vice President and chief Engineer

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Dale Cyr

CEO and Executive Director

Inteleos

Jessica Evans

Director of the Standards Development Team

NSF

Matt Gantley

CEO

UKAS

Rohit Israni

Chair of the US Committee

INCITS/AI

View All Speakers

What Is Conformity Assessment?

Conformity assessment is how we build trust. It is the process of demonstrating that a product, service, system, or person meets defined standards or requirements. From testing and inspection to certification and accreditation, these activities form the backbone of global confidence in quality and competence.

Why Should YOU Attend ACAS?

  1. Connect with Leaders Shaping the Future 
  2. Gain Insight You Can Apply
  3. Be Part of the Community That Builds Trust

ACAS Registration Fees

ACAS 2026 agenda
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What is the ANAB Professional Development Training?

The ANAB Professional Development Training is a two-day, hands-on training program taking place during ACAS 2026 (January 19-20) at the Gaylord Palms Resort. It consists of four focused sessions designed specifically for conformity assessment body personnel who want to strengthen their quality management systems, covering topics like measurement uncertainty, method validation, risk-based thinking, and internal auditing. The training is taught by experienced ANAB practitioners and is limited to 50 participants, with registration also including access to ACAS keynotes, lunches, and an evening networking reception. View the ANAB Professional Development Training agenda here!


ANAB Professional Development Training Registration

Client Workshop

The ANAB Client Workshop will take place from 9am-12pm on the morning of January 21 and is available to ANAB accredited clients who are also registered for ACAS. Join ANAB staff, assessors, and other ANAB accredited organizations to get updates on accreditation requirements and participate in discussions tailored to your sector. This is an essential opportunity to strengthen your organization’s relationship with ANAB. *Must register for ACAS to attend these sessions.


Client Workshop Registration

Exhibitor/Sponsorship Opportunities

Support and spotlight your organization by becoming an ACAS Sponsor and gain visibility across the event through branding and recognition. Exhibitors will have the chance to connect directly with ACAS attendees in a dedicated exhibition space.

Learn more about ACAS Sponsorship Opportunities here.

Sponsorship/Exhibitor registration
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Laurie E. Locascio, PH.D. NAE

President and CEO

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Larry Lynch

Senior Vice President of Health, Safety, and Regulatory Services

National Restaurant Association

Andy Kireta

President

ASTM International

Marcus Long

Chief Executive

IIOA (Independent International Organisation for Assurance)

Kim Lucy

Director GRC Standards

Microsoft

Riccardo Mariani

Vice President of Industry Safety

NVIDIA Italy

Hanane Taidi

Director General

TIC Council

Jeanné Mensingh

Breakout Speakers/Panelists

Bob Yencha

Breakout Speakers/Panelists

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Agenda

MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2026

Registration - 7:30-8:45

Morning Sessions - 8:45-12:00

com-mu-ni-ty: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of common attitudes, interests, and goals. A perspective of the conformity assessment community, which includes industry, government, conformity assessment bodies, Accreditation Bodies and others; what we have in common including a mission of trust and confidence; how all our activities, much like standardization, are linked by needs and demands that arise as goods and services are traded; and why we should periodically gather as a community to share perspectives about current and future issues.
Presenters:
Doug Leonard, Executive Director, ANAB
Keith Mowry, Senior Manager of Accreditation, ANAB

Building Trust in Autonomous Systems: NVIDIA Halos and the Future of AI Safety Conformity Join us for an exploration of how NVIDIA’s AI Inspection Lab, known as NVIDIA Halos, is ensuring that physical AI deployments, such as autonomous vehicles and robotics, have passed rigorous safety, cybersecurity, and AI safety inspections. This keynote address will highlight how a NVIDIA HalosCertification provides safety assurance and a forward-looking perspective on conformity assessment for physical AI safety in today’s most advanced technology and business environments. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the key issues and future directions of our industry, preparing them to address the challenges facing community of practitioners, customers, and demand drivers alike.
Presenters:
Presenter: Riccardo Mariani, VP of Industry Safety, NVIDIA

For nearly 40 years the approach to conformity assessment (including accreditation) in the US and European markets has impacted the growth and diversity of the global conformity assessment community. The interface of the two approaches has affected efforts to create a coherent conformity assessment and accreditation infrastructure to serve increasingly globalized industries. ANAB and its stakeholders and customers operate at the critical intersection of these diverging systems, working daily to bridge gaps between regulatory philosophies, technical standards, and market expectations. This session will examine how we got here, current real-world challenges, and options going forward.
Moderator: Warren Merkel, Vice President, Policy, ANAB
Panelists:
Hanane Taidi, Director General, TIC Council
Matt Gantley, CEO, UKAS
Andrea Melo, IAAC Chair and Head of Division for the Development of Accreditation Programs, CGCRE
Speaker TBA, United States Trade Representative

Lunch - 12:00–1:00

Afternoon Sessions - 1:00–4:00

Technologies have historically transformed how the conformity assessment community performs its activities - consider the impact of telecommunications, computers, smart phones, and the internet. AI represents the next transformative wave. The question is, what, if anything, needs to change in response? ANAB’s approach is to consider the effectiveness of existing requirements before introducing new requirements or limitations specifically for AI. At the same time, AI itself represents something fundamentally new that can be subjected to conformity assessment – creating a dual impact on our field. This session will share perspectives on both dimensions: how AI is changing conformity assessment practices, and how conformity assessment must evolve to evaluate AI-powered systems.
Moderators:
Vijay Krishna, Vice President, Credentialing, ANAB
Reinaldo Figueiredo, Vice President, Conformity Assessment Strategy, ANAB
Panelists:
Dale Cyr, CEO and Executive Director, Inteleos
Kim Lucy, Director of GRC Standards, Microsoft
Rohit Israni, Founder and CEO, Certient AI

Accreditation serves as a unifying activity that brings together wide and often divergent interests across the conformity assessment community. This session will examine the effectiveness of accreditation, both today and in the future, and offer insights into the challenges and opportunities for the broader community. A panel from industry, conformity assessment bodies, and scheme owners will share their distinct perspectives on accreditation’s value and evolution. The panelists will engage with one another and respond to questions and observations from attendees, fostering a candid discussion about where accreditation stands and where it needs to go.
Moderator:
Lori Gillespie, Vice President, Management Systems, Validation/Verification, and Product Certification, ANAB
Panelists:
Marcus Long, Chief Executive, IIOA
Janice O’Brien, Director, Auditing and Accreditation, Verra
Allyn Shultis, Executive Director, GRMA
Holly Chang, Vice President, Technical Services, US Pharmacopeia
Steve Margis, Vice President & Conformity Assessment Board Chair, IEC

Evening Reception with Exhibitors - 5:00–8:00

Heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks provided

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026

Morning Sessions - 9:00-12:00

Standards and conformity assessment have long operated in tandem, providing complementary pillars of quality and safety. This session will focus on how the two communities currently interact and where their relationship is headed in the years ahead.
Presenter: Laurie E. Locascio, President and CEO, Ph.D. NAE, ANSI

Standards development processes engage interested parties as a critical element for achieving broad acceptance and use. The conformity assessment community, including accreditation bodies like ANAB, relies heavily on the deliverables from standards setting organizations. This session will explore conformity assessment as an activity growing organically as part of standard setting activities as a comparison to conformity assessment developing separately after standards are published. Observations about the benefits, challenges, and implications will be shared and discussed.
Moderators:
• Roger Muse, Vice President, Business Development, ANAB
• Jason Stine, Vice President of Laboratories, Inspection and Related Activities, ANAB
Panelists:
• Chris Dubay, Vice President and Chief Engineer, NFPA
• Jessica Evans, Director of Standards Development, NSF
• Andy Kireta, President, ASTM International

Conformity assessment plays a critical, yet often underappreciated, role in both civil and criminal law, impacting how courts, regulators, and the public evaluate competence, credibility, and evidence. In civil cases, the availability of applicable conformity assessment services can significantly impact questions about the applicable duty of care, particularly regarding reasonably foreseeable and preventable harm. In the criminal context, conformity assessment underpins forensic reliability and procedural integrity, supporting fair and transparent justice. In both contexts, conformity assessment facilitates the essential trust that connects science, law, and public protection. This session will bring together leaders from government agencies and private sector organizations to explore how conformity assessments currently intersect with civil and criminal law.
Moderators:
Pam Sale, Vice President, Forensics, ANAB
Panelist:
Jason Bundy, Forensic Services Director, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Larry Lynch, Advisor, National Restaurant Association
Lynn Robitaille Garcia, General Counsel, Texas Forensic Science Commission

Lunch - 12:00–1:00

Afternoon Sessions - 1:00–4:00

In parallel with the workshop, breakout sessions will explore key current topics affecting conformity assessment and accreditation in specific segments of the community.
Laboratory, Inspection & Related Activities (forensics and non-forensics)
- Understanding the Impact of Your Data: Driving Decisions and Managing Risk
o Jason Stine, Vice President, Inspection, Laboratories & Related Activies, ANAB
- Is Your Data Safe? Cybersecurity Basics Every Lab Should Know
o Bob Yencha, ANAB Assessor
- Are You Ready for AI? Digital Readiness in the Laboratory
o Jeanne Mensingh, Co-Owner/President, Labtopia

Management Systems
- Auditing for Impact, Not Just Conformance
o Speakers to be announced soon!

Validation/Verification
- Current Topics in Assurance of Sustainability Information
o Heather Moore, Partner, ERM CVS
o Randy Prati, Vice President, EcoEngineers (LRQA)
o Chrisine Schuh, Federal Clean Fuel Program of Canada
o Janice O’Brien, Director, Auditing and Accreditation, Verra

Product Certification
- Stronger Together; Product Certification Frameworks and Relationships
o Speakers to be announced soon!

Credentialing
- AI For Credentialing Professionals
o Jim Wiggins, CEO, Federal IT Security Institute (FITSI)
- Trends and Future of Credentialing
o John Zarian, General Counsel and COO, Certification
- Making the Invisible Visible: How Demonstrated Competence Drives True Assurance
o Vijay Krishna, Vice President, Credentialing, ANAB
- Revisions to Standards: ANSI/ASTM 2659-24 and ISO/IEC 17024-26
o Caitlin O’Connell, Sr. Manager of Accreditation, Credentialing
o Katherine Krehbiel, Sr. Manager of Accreditation, Credentialing

In parallel with the breakout sessions, ANAB will offer a workshop exploring the common structural and conceptual basis that underlies all ISO/IEC standards for conformity assessment and, by extension, the practices of accreditation bodies that apply those standards. Understanding this shared foundation will provide participants with greater clarity and effectiveness when applying requirements and assessing conformance. Our instructor, Keith Mowry, brings 35 years of education and experience in ISO/IEC guides and standards for conformity assessment, including development of the principles of conformity assessment on which ISO/IEC standards are now based.
Trainer:
Keith Mowry, Senior Manager, Business Development, ANAB

ANAB Leadership will share observations from the symposium, offering insights on key themes and their implications for the conformity assessment landscape. These reflections will serve as a springboard for open discussion with all attendees. Participants will be invited to share their perspectives on the symposium, the state of the conformity assessment community and thoughts on how community events like ACAS can best serve our collective, evolving needs.
Panel:
Doug Leonard, Executive Director, ANAB
Keith Mowry, Senior Manager, Business Development, ANAB
Warren Merkel, Vice President, Policy, ANAB
Reinaldo Figueiredo, Vice President, Conformity Assessment Strategy, ANAB

Close

MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2026

Registration - 7:30-8:45

Morning Sessions - 8:45-12:00

com-mu-ni-ty: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of common attitudes, interests, and goals. A perspective of the conformity assessment community, which includes industry, government, conformity assessment bodies, Accreditation Bodies and others; what we have in common including a mission of trust and confidence; how all our activities, much like standardization, are linked by needs and demands that arise as goods and services are traded; and why we should periodically gather as a community to share perspectives about current and future issues.
Presenters:
Doug Leonard, Executive Director, ANAB
Keith Mowry, Senior Manager of Accreditation, ANAB

Building Trust in Autonomous Systems: NVIDIA Halos and the Future of AI Safety Conformity Join us for an exploration of how NVIDIA’s AI Inspection Lab, known as NVIDIA Halos, is ensuring that physical AI deployments, such as autonomous vehicles and robotics, have passed rigorous safety, cybersecurity, and AI safety inspections. This keynote address will highlight how a NVIDIA HalosCertification provides safety assurance and a forward-looking perspective on conformity assessment for physical AI safety in today’s most advanced technology and business environments. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the key issues and future directions of our industry, preparing them to address the challenges facing community of practitioners, customers, and demand drivers alike.
Presenters:
Presenter: Riccardo Mariani, VP of Industry Safety, NVIDIA

Measurement uncertainty is an important concept to organizations performing measurements but is often misunderstood. This session will provide basic information on measurement uncertainty in a way that is easily understood.
Instructor:
Randy Long, Senior Manager of Accreditation, Inspection, Laboratories, and Related Activities, ANAB

Lunch - 12:00–1:00

Afternoon Sessions - 1:00–4:00

It is important to verify and/or validate the methods that are used by our organization to ensure our outputs meet expectations. In this session we will discuss the value that is added when methods are verified and/or validated.
Instructor:
Deanne Emory, Instructional Designer, ANAB

Evening Reception with Exhibitors - 5:00–8:00

Heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks provided

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026

Morning Sessions - 8:45-12:00

Standards and conformity assessment have long operated in tandem, providing complementary pillars of quality and safety. This session will focus on how the two communities currently interact and where their relationship is headed in the years ahead.
Presenter: Laurie E. Locascio, President and CEO, Ph.D. NAE, ANSI

Risk based thinking can be a chore or it can be incorporated into the culture of your organization. In this session we will explore how to embed risk-based thinking into your organization’s activities
Instructor:
David Feist, Senior Manager of Training, ANAB

Lunch - 12:00–1:00

Afternoon Sessions - 1:00–4:00

Internal auditors need specific skills to be successful in performing internal audits. This session will provide an overview of internal auditing tools to hone your internal auditing skills
Instructor:
Deanne Emory, Instructional Designer, ANAB

ANAB Leadership will share observations from the symposium, offering insights on key themes and their implications for the conformity assessment landscape. These reflections will serve as a springboard for open discussion with all attendees. Participants will be invited to share their perspectives on the symposium, the state of the conformity assessment community and thoughts on how community events like ACAS can best serve our collective, evolving needs.
Panel:
Doug Leonard, Executive Director, ANAB
Keith Mowry, Senior Manager, Business Development, ANAB
Warren Merkel, Vice President, Policy, ANAB
Reinaldo Figueiredo, Vice President, Conformity Assessment Strategy, ANAB

Close

FAQ

Q: How is Professional Development Training different from the full ACAS Symposium? PD Training offers four focused sessions specifically designed for quality managers, technical personnel, and laboratory staff who want practical, hands-on training in core quality management competencies. ACAS is a broader symposium covering strategic industry issues, policy discussions, and diverse perspectives across the entire conformity assessment community. PD Training registration includes access to select ACAS sessions, giving you the best of both worlds.

Q: Can I attend both PD Training and ACAS sessions? Unfortunately, no. PD Training registration includes access to ACAS keynotes and the evening reception, but not other ACAS sessions.

Q: Is this training suitable for someone new to conformity assessment? Absolutely. These sessions cover fundamentals in an accessible way while also providing value to experienced professionals looking to refresh their knowledge or gain new perspectives.

Q: Will I receive any certification?  Participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Q: Can I bring my whole team? Yes! We encourage team attendance and offer group rates. Use discount code GROUPCODE for 10% off your group’s registration.

Q: What's included with my ANAB Professional Development Training registration?  All four PD Training sessions, course materials, access to ACAS keynotes (NVIDIA, ANAB and ANSI), evening networking reception with exhibitors, and lunches.

Q: Can I attend Wednesday’s Client Workshop? If you are an ANAB-accredited customer, yes!

Q: Is this training for me? If you are a quality manager, technical personnel, laboratory staff, or just someone committed to quality excellence in conformity assessment, then yes!