Dan O’Reilly has been in the composite industry for 18+ years and has worked in a myriad of market sectors including automotive, aerospace, defense, motorsports and entertainment. He began his journey in composite by attending Winona State University and received a BS in Composite Materials Engineering, and immediately upon graduation began working at Roush Industries as their first Composite Engineer. With Dan’s engineering background, new engineering skills were quickly developed internally including Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) or Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for composites specifically. The additional capability allowed Roush to develop lighter and stronger composites than prior with high levels of predictability, this pushed aggressive customer projects into the realm of structural composites which previously had been avoided. The first example of this was the integration of carbon fiber structural components into a modular monocoque that became the Harry Potter Forbidden Journey Ride at Universal Studios. While not the first carbon fiber used in the industry, it was the first to rely predominantly on composites structurally. Dan’s other successful integrations include the development of the NASCAR Gen 6 carbon fiber roof flap system. This composite flap system is a safety critical system that counteracts lift and keeps cars safely on the tarmac, with the development being very similar to aerospace flaps but inversed. Continued successful programs allowed Dan to climb into leadership roles at Roush where he is currently General Manager and oversees every composite within Roush. The current marketplace is filled with new opportunities, Roush is actively working in engineering, development, testing and manufacturing roles with customers in the blossoming drone and VTOL sector. Now and in the future, composites are the solution to the world’s toughest challenges, and Roush’s Ingenuity on Demand is the driving spear to integrated solutions.