Focus on: Adam Fletcher
Adam Fletcher is a self-made man. This isn't the usual "newspaper boy turns millionaire" story, but instead someone who, through hard work, enthusiasm, and perseverance, combined with business acumen, has become a well-known figure in the electronics industry — not just in the U.K. but further afield. I have had the pleasure of meeting Adam on several occasions. With his industry know-how and his willingness to always lend a hand, Adam makes himself stand out. 
                                                                           —Arthur Visser, Bishop & Associates Inc.

Adam Fletcher, chairman of the Electronic Components Supply Network – United Kingdom, a leading trade association
Previous industry positions: Corporate Officer – Memec Group
Industry affiliations or organizations: Vice president of the International Distribution of Electronics Association (IDEA), an association of leading electronic components trade associations
I’m also a director of several commercial companies, primarily in the electronics market, that effectively fund my contribution to the development of the electronic components industry via leadership of member-managed trade associations.
Accomplishments you’re proud of: Helping raise four sons is probably my enduring accomplishment to society; however, on a purely selfish note, gaining an MBA for a non-academic was great.
First job: Motorcycle mechanic. I quit school early, unqualified, and needed to earn some money quickly, so I took the best paying job I could, based on my existing skill set. Although I was earning three times as much as my peer group, I quickly realized I needed to get educated, and I landed a job with Cossor/Raytheon Electronics, where they kindly allowed me to study at a local technical college one day a week.
Favorite website: www.google.co.uk A wonderful window into the world of information, learning, and discovery.
The last book I read: The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell, I don’t recommend it, a fairly bleak account of life during the Depression of the 1930s. I do, however, highly recommend The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Steven Covey.
Why did you choose this industry for your profession? I didn’t so much choose it as fell into it… In the 1970s, finding a job was easy by today’s standards. Being enthusiastic and willing to try hard gave you a chance to prove your ability. I was fortunate to enter an industry where mainframe computing was becoming the norm, and quickly learned IT skills on the job that helped me progress my career enormously.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Studied at school, taken an IT- or finance-related degree, and made a fortune as a consultant!
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: We had an elderly American gentleman, Mr. Fiddeman, who was a bursar at school. As a bored student, I got to spend quite a lot of time with him and he told me this… “Life is like series of ladders, when you reach the top of one, it’s merely the beginning of the next,” and most importantly, “Be nice to everyone on the way up because you don’t know when you’ll be meeting them on the way down!”
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? A failure by organizations to effectively communicate their material needs in the overall supply network. This leads to a feast or famine mentality and great inefficiency across our industry, as the real demand is so difficult to forecast accurately. I’m trying to encourage increased open and honest communication between trusted supply network partners who I’m convinced will benefit as a result. This has to encompass a genuine understanding of the motivations of all parties, the risks and rewards, and how, through open dialogue, a win-win outcome can be achieved.

Other comments: I can think of few other industries (with perhaps the exception of motor racing) I could wish to work in. The technical complexity and dynamic nature of the electronic components industry and having the privilege of working with great people ensure it continues to be rewarding, exciting, and most importantly, great fun.

Note: In the future, Mr. Fletcher will contribute more information about ecsn and the European marketplace to our readers.

Focus On: Craig Conrad
 After many influential years as an electronics industry visionary, Craig Conrad has retired from TTI—sort of. He continues to advise the company, acts as a spokesperson from time to time, and continues to have a meaningful impact on the industry. His colleagues admire his knowledge and his ability to see the larger picture that informs and influences our industry. He’s been through many industry ups and downs, and even in retirement, he closely follows the connector world, especially at TTI, where he “drops in occasionally, usually unannounced, to make sure we’re still doing things right. But he still does it with a smile on his face,” says Tim Scott, director of marketing, TTI.

Name: Craig Conrad
Current position: Retired, but still advising TTI Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Previous industry positions: I’ve had almost every job in electronic distribution. I came through the ranks at Schweber, Avnet, and TTI. My career was pretty well split between sales, product management, and marketing.
Industry affiliations or organizations: Former chairman of NEDA and former president of EDS. I was on a variety of university boards throughout my career.
Accomplishments you’re proud of: Being married for 35 years despite my many flaws; having two great daughters who make me proud every day; hiring and mentoring many of today’s electronic distribution executives throughout my career; and participating in the sale of TTI to Berkshire Hathaway.
First job: I mowed many lawns.
Favorite website: CNN.com
The last book I read: The Millennium Trilogy: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc., by Stieg Larsson.
Why did you choose this industry for your profession? I answered an ad in the paper for a sales trainee that happened to be at an electronic distributor in Chicago. I was addicted quickly to the industry’s pace.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: I wouldn’t change much. I moved all over our country, from Chicago to Atlanta to Chicago to New York to Los Angeles to Fort Worth, Texas. I should’ve moved internationally earlier in my career.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: Have diversity in your jobs and geographic locations. Be open-minded on all fronts. Show trust in others and they will trust you back. You can be successful and keep your integrity. Work your butt off!
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? After many mistakes, it appears our industry is being much more deliberate about how and when capacity is added. In the past we would chase the up-cycle and extrapolate the good times. This led to excessive capacities being added throughout the supply, on all fronts. Ultimately, the optimistic market share forecasts would be wrong, and just when capacities came on line, the forecast would come down to reality. This would crash lead-times, prices, and ultimately, industry profits.

This cycle, the supply chain is being much wiser with how it’s managing the chaos and it’s not chasing market share to the same extent as it did in the past.  

Other comments: I’m more excited today about the electronics industry than I’ve been in many years. The world is getting smaller and everyone in the world is craving electronic gadgetry. The potential for India and China as users of electronics is our industry’s biggest opportunity ever. Electronics is now embedded in everything that we do, from flying planes to driving cars to protecting our country, and we can talk to anyone in the world on a pocket-sized cell phone while we’re playing golf! The rate of innovation is multiplying at breakneck speed. Just think, a few short years ago we didn’t know what an iPod was, much less an iPhone or iPad.

The supply chain appears to have learned many lessons over the past boom and bust cycles and is being much better managed than in the past. The industry’s financial health has never been better than it is today. Most industry balance sheets are flush with cash and ready to invest.

Despite all of the negativity you read in the papers, I’m confident that the future for electronics has never been brighter. My prediction is that the next 10 years will be dramatically better for electronics than the last 10! Enjoy, but don’t be content.

Roland Timsit
 Roland Timsit was nominated by our readers as an Industry Insider because of his in-depth connector knowledge and desire to help others with their interconnect challenges.

Roland Timsit, president, Timron Scientific Consulting Inc.
Timron Scientific Consulting Inc. is the holding company. The subsidiary, Timron Advanced Connector Technologies, focuses specifically on connector issues, including connector design, connector failure analyses, and connector product development to connector marketing strategies.

Our activities cover all connector products, from small devices used in microchips and microelectronics to large aluminum connectors used in the transmission and distribution industry.
Previous industry positions: Chief Technologist, AMP Inc. (now Tyco Electronics); Director of Technology, AMP Inc. (now Tyco Electronics); Principal Scientist, Alcan International Ltd.
Industry affiliations or organizations: IEEE, APS, MRS, Professional Engineers of Ontario
Accomplishments you’re proud of:
1.  Jointly with my wife, raising terrific children
2. Establishing a highly successful consulting company focused on electronic/electrical connectors and surface modification technologies.
3. Five international awards related to electrical connectors and metal joining, including the IEEE Ragnar Holm Achievement Award in 1998
First job: Research scientist. Conducted R&D on the properties of aluminum and aluminum-based materials in electric connections, and designed aluminum-based electrical-conductor alloys at Alcan International Ltd.
Favorite websites: Engineering and science journals, including Scientific American, and business websites such as Bloomberg. Also, I can’t forget www.timron-inc.com.
The last book I read: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Why did you choose this industry for your profession? The industry involves a unique array of engineering, scientific, and business disciplines that work together synergistically. The engineering and scientific areas cover surface engineering, surface physics, surface chemistry, tribology, selected aspects of mechanical and electrical engineering, materials science, coatings and plating technologies, metal joining, etc. The business aspects involve close working relationships with marketing/sales professionals to develop business strategies relating to selected connector products, identifying product development paths that are compatible with clients’ needs, etc. We have been in business for nearly 12 years and have been fortunate to have worked with clients who are highly educated and highly motivated.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: …done exactly the same thing.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: …in graduate school…don’t chase fame and fortune, let fame and fortune chase you!
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? 1. Increased emphasis on smaller connectors and cost-effective electrical contact materials; cost control must not be achieved at the expense of connector reliability.
2. There is a widening gap in the approach to connector design between the electronics/microelectronics industry, where design engineering is sophisticated, and the transmission and distribution industry, where connector design is highly empirical.  This gap should be closed through appropriate engineering training.

Keith Teichmann, ITT Corporation
 Keith Teichmann projects energy into everything he does, according to his colleagues at ITT Interconnect Solutions. ITT President William “Bill” Taylor said, “Keith is an outstanding marketing executive. His passion for our business and his informed creativity are the main engines for Cannon’s industry leading, customer-focused product information and promotion offerings. It’s a real pleasure to work with Keith.”

Name: Keith Teichmann
Company name and location: ITT Corporation, Interconnect Solutions, Santa Ana, California, U.S.
Current position: Worldwide Director of Marketing and Product Management
Previous industry positions: Senior level management and engineering positions at International Paper and United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, where I served as a senior strategic planner and a senior operability and controls engineer, respectively.
Industry affiliations or organizations: ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) - member for 25 years
Accomplishments you’re proud of: My wonderful family
First job: Stocking, sweeping floors, running the cash register, and planning my next big move while working at Dollar General.
Favorite website: http://dvice.com, which previews the next great thing to hit my Amazon wish list.
The last book I read: Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: A year and a half ago my answer would have been, “gotten a law degree or a finance degree at a top 10 school.” Today… I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m pretty happy with my prior choices.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: Move beyond engineering and explore your entrepreneurial and creative spark. So, I left Pratt & Whitney and went back to business school.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? Similar to my prior experiences at both P&W and IP, materials science continues to be a strong driver of innovation. It would be great to harness the capabilities of a strongly staffed materials science innovation center.

Shinsuke Takahashi, JAE Electronics Inc.
 A global company that focuses heavily on research and design, JAE Electronics is ranked among the top 10 connector manufacturers worldwide. Their global slogan, “Technology to Inspire Innovation,” accurately describes the company’s goals and objectives, and also the personnel behind the company. From the top on down, JAE is a company with a passion for providing cost-effective, timely, state-of-the-art solutions for today’s ever-changing and complex systems. This passion is also what consistently ranks them among the top performing connector companies in customer satisfaction.

Name: Shinsuke (Shin) Takahashi
Current position: President, JAE Electronics Inc.
Previous industry positions: Vice President, NEC America
Industry affiliations or organizations: JEITA (Japan Electronics Industry Trade Association)
Accomplishments you’re proud of: As a company, JAE received the Emmy Award for HDMI development.
First job: At age 8, I had a summer job selling milk at a factory cafeteria in Japan, which my father managed.
Favorite website: Packer Zone (Green Bay Packers Fan Site in Japanese)
The last book I read: A Compass to Fulfillment by Kazuo Inamori
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: been even more appreciative about what my parents have done for me.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: Sincere gratitude leads to success and fulfillment in business and life.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? With globalization and e-commerce, our customers have more choices and options. We need to continue to develop timely, competitive products and enhance our services every day.
Other comments: The connector industry is a very dynamic industry. Our market is changing rapidly and drastically. JAE always seeks good partnerships to better serve our customers. I welcome any proposals and  feedback.

Kaya Erk, Kycon
Kycon has repeatedly received high marks from their customers in the Bishop & Associates’ annual customer survey. Customers have consistently ranked them in the top five among all connector companies for service. In 2009, Kycon took first place in the survey. Clearly, this is a company that focuses on customer service. If you are a connector buyer or a design engineer, you should find out why customers like to work with this company so much. They were ranked #1 in Quality, #1 in Price, and #1 in Delivery.
                                                                —Ron Bishop, President, Bishop & Associates Inc.

Name: Kaya Erk
Current position: CEO, Kycon
Company location: San Jose, California
Previous industry positions: President, K-Lectron Inc.
Industry affiliations or organizations: IEEE, USB, and HDMI
Accomplishments you’re proud of: Bishop & Associates’ Award for Number One Connector Supplier
First job: Design engineer at General Precision Labs, Pleasantville, New York
The last book I read: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Not invested in real estate.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: Treat your employees as family.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? The trend of compromising quality for cost reduction. We try to focus on customers who appreciate value rather than price.

Thomas Peel, Contech Research
The leadership at Contech Research may have changed hands from Max Peel to Tom Peel, but the Contech tradition of excellence and innovation continues. In this article, Tom’s selection of, and comments on, industry trends make it clear that we can continue to expect straightforward commentaries on the connector industry from Attleboro in the future.
                                                         —Dr. Robert S. Mroczkowski, connNtext associates and
                                                             ConnectorSupplier.com’s Dr. Bob

 Name: Thomas Peel
Company: Contech Research, Attleboro,
Massachusetts, U.S.
Current position: President and Director of Test Program Development
Previous industry positions: Process Engineer, Program Manager
Accomplishments you’re proud of: Raising three great kids with my wife.
First job: Bag boy at a local supermarket.
Favorite website: golf.com
The last book I read: Red October (for the third time) by Tom Clancy.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Taken more material science courses in college.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: “From this day forward, you’re a professional. Act like a professional.” I was a college freshman.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? Tough to say, as there are many trends that affect our work. But here are a couple:

  1. The large amount of plating issues that are coming out through testing and reported field failures.

  2. The trend to save money and ignore the technical responsibility we have as engineers (i.e. offshore manufacturing, plating, etc.).

  3. The lack of knowledge relative to testing and its “value added” purpose.

Focus on the industry’s favorite “outsider”: Max Peel
I have had the pleasure of working with Max Peel for nearly 20 years. To say the least, it has been interesting. You can always count on Max to speak his mind. Like Socrates, he delights in being a gadfly—a gadfly worth listening to.

                                                  —Dr. Robert S. Mroczkowski, connNtext associates and
                                                          ConnectorSupplier.com’s Dr. Bob

 Name: Max Peel
Current position: Senior Fellow at Contech Research Inc. in Attleboro, Mass., U.S.
Previous industry positions: Design engineer Burndy Corp.; supervisor for basic design, Burndy; chief design engineer for connector products, Texas Instruments; manager of advanced product development and testing, Texas Instruments; founder and president of Contech Research; and now, senior fellow at Contech Research.
First job: Was as an engineer for the Burndy Corp.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Founded Contech Research 10 years earlier.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: During my service with the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers. It includes:
1) Treat others in a manner that you would want to be treated.
2) Do not be afraid of being controversial or controversy.
3) Make objective, decisive, and timely decisions. If you’re wrong, you will be yelled at; if you’re right, you will be promoted; if you make no decision, you will die.
4) Always listen to other people.
5) Be objective, and stand by your position with objective backup data.
6) Lead by example. Do not become an “I told-you-so-type of person.”
7) Never, ever, talk down to your peers.
8) Ignore being politically correct.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it?
1) As you can guess, the state of the economy has created a slowdown in new product areas, both on the user and supplier areas, although there are some exceptions, such as Apple. 
2) Emphasis on standard product line development has continued to gradually decrease. New general product standard development has been almost non-existent, while application-specific or special interest product standards have increased.
3) I feel that quality levels have not improved at Pacific Rim companies, both with independent companies and U.S. manufacturing operations offshore. This has been observed in a number of serious events over the past year or so, particularly with automotive and computer products. The biggest area of concern is plating integrity, which has not shown any significant improvement. Even when data was supplied depicting the problems associated with field failures, it has resulted in little, if any, corrective action. I would anticipate that this problem will not go away as long as the emphasis is on money, with no regard for quality. There have been problems with European connector products which have used or are using Asian manufacturing agencies, as well. This has resulted in new testing procedures being developed to address the concerns.

I do feel confident that more positive trends will be coming along as the economy recovers, six to 12 months from now.

Focus On: John Shine
Samtec CEO John Shine says, “For a 21st century globally seamless company, ‘traditional management’ matters less and less. It’s mainly about the right culture running on top of the right systems and processes, by the right people.” This is a culture unlike any other in the business—and clearly, it works.

Carrying on in the tradition of the company founder Sam (a real tiger of a guy!), John Shine and the Samtec team have developed a global company that is built, from the ground up, around serving the customer. “The goal is short lead times and quick delivery of a high quality product. Samtec does it all the time, everyday, without missing a beat," says Ron Bishop, Bishop and Associates.

“Every employee is in on the action. There are no gatekeepers. For example, if you call the Samtec receptionist and ask for anyone at the company, you will be put through to them immediately. You will not be asked your name or why you are calling. If the person doesn’t pick up the phone, you’ll then be asked if you would like to have him or her paged—I’m not kidding. Can you think of another large—or small—company that treats its customers with such respect? I can’t.”

Name: John Shine
Company location: New Albany, Indiana (the center of the electronics universe…)
Current position: CEO
Previous industry positions: Everything from sales and marketing to manufacturing to cutting the grass.
Industry affiliations or organizations: I have a wife, two kids, six dogs, some fish, and a “small” connector company—who’s got time for more meetings?
Accomplishments you’re proud of: Samtec company accomplishments: For the last 20 years, we’ve averaged a growth rate twice that of the overall industry, with zero acquisitions; and we’ve received 12 consecutive Bishop Awards for #1 rated company (’97 to ‘09).
Favorite website: Does iTunes count in this context?
The last book I read: You mean actually to the end? Call of the Far Side, by Gary Larson. While it’s tough to sit down and fully read a book, occasionally I’ll try and find something about an individual who pursued a really unique path. We all get enough of the “standard industry paradigms” to deal with every day, so it’s interesting to find ways to step out of that.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Done it sooner.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: “Don’t ever miss another LBO payment!” That had a way of creating amazing clarity, focus, and appreciation for cash flow. That aside, it’s hard to go wrong with “do unto others as you’d have others do unto you.”
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? The need for higher bandwidth and signal integrity. We’ll therefore keep developing and selling more SI interconnects.

Focus On: C. S. Wong
Our readers are interested in learning from industry leaders in every part of the world and across various sectors in our industry. Insight into these diverse markets is critical to our ability to succeed in the global economy. Several readers wrote in to share their respect for FCI’s C.S. Wong, and said they would like to know how to get to that point in their career. One reader specifically asked, “C.S. Wong has been working for more than 20 years in the connector industry. I’d like to know what ideas he has for those who hope to become a perfect salesperson.”

Name: C. S. Wong
Location: Hong Kong
Current position: Sales Director, Greater China and Korea
Industry positions: FCI, Electronics Division
Accomplishments you’re proud of: I am particularly proud I made FCI Greater China one of the fastest-growing connector companies in the area; FCI is the unquestioned leading supplier in the telecom market there. We have built one of the best teams in the industry—as an example, the majority of our growth comes from design wins.

Favorite website: None in particular. I like to Google now and then.
The last book I read: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a classic Chinese novel describing the collapse of the Han Dynasty. It has been a reference for military strategies.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: We all learn from our experiences. I believe I made the right decision at the time I took them. Looking back, at least at the past three years, I stick to the actions I took. I do not think I would do anything differently today.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: Respect every individual, as you may always learn something from their respective qualities and strengths.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? The market is evolving every second, and we have to identify what the next technology and market drivers will be. We must capture the emerging opportunities and put in place the right structures, resources, focus, and preemptive actions to win. Competition gets fiercer and fiercer—it’s a survival game, and only the strongest and fastest can win. Our business model and values have so far put us ahead of our rivals…but for how long?
 What is the secret to becoming a great salesperson? There is no magic recipe you can use to become a perfect salesman—it is all about hard work and maintaining close contact with your customers. You must keep them busy with you and “infiltrate” their R&D in order to qualify your products at an early stage, and make sure you understand your customer’s requirements and needs, present and future. Beyond the product, provide excellent service—customers want solution-oriented suppliers, and that’s what I have always tried to be during my career.

Getting to Know the People That Make Up Our World
Focus On: Philip Harting
HARTING has grown from approximately $275 million in annual sales to approximately $580 million over the past 10 years. The company has grown faster than the overall connector industry, achieving a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 7.8 percent vs. 5.3 percent for the industry. This success has added a 30-percent increase to their share of the world connector market. HARTING has become the 14th largest connector company in the world, and is ranked fourth in Europe, after Tyco Electronics, Amphenol, and Molex. The company is ranked number one in the world in heavy duty connectors, and is second in the industrial market.

 HARTING has achieved this growth while remaining customer-focused. The company consistently ranks in the top 10 among "best performing" companies in Bishop & Associates’ annual customer surveys. This high level of performance and customer satisfaction speaks volumes about how well this company is managed. HARTING has become one of the best companies in our industry.
                                                                 —Ronald E. Bishop, Bishop & Associates Inc.

Name: Philip Harting
Location: Espelkamp, Germany
Current position: HARTING Technology Group, Senior Vice President, Connectivity and Networks
Industry positions: The HARTING Technology Group is skilled in the fields of electrical, electronic, and optical connection, transmission and networking, as well as in manufacturing, mechatronics, and software creation. The Group uses these skills to develop customized solutions and products, such as connectors for energy and data transmission applications. Examples include mechanical engineering, rail technology, wind energy plants, factory automation, and the telecommunications sector. In addition, HARTING also produces electro-magnetic components for the automobile industry and offers solutions in the field of enclosures and shop systems. The HARTING Group currently comprises 32 subsidiary companies and employs approximately 3,000 people.

Industry affiliations and or organizations: The HARTING Technology Group is heavily involved in different organizations at a national and international level. We participate in activities with the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI) and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). Standardization is also very important to us: HARTING is represented in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and in the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC). I am personally involved as a member of the board of exhibitors and the Committee of the German Economy e.V. (AUMA), as well as several technical committees of the Electrical Engineering and Electronic Industry Association (ZVEI).

Accomplishments you’re proud of: I am proud to be able to follow in the footsteps of my parents and grandparents. My family has achieved a lot with the company, and I look forward to continuing with the company alongside my sister, who is responsible for the financial field. As senior vice president of Connectivity and Networks, I am, naturally, particularly proud that we, as a partner of our customers, develop a continuous stream of innovations with which we impress the market. One example is our Fast Track Switching Technology, for which we were nominated for the Hermes Award last year at the Hanover Trade Fair. This year we will also present important innovations at the Hanover Trade Fair.

First job: Industrial electronics technician with Schoppe & Faeser GmbH (ABB Company)

Favorite website: Of course, our company website www.HARTING.com. But I also naturally keep myself informed of innovations that impress the market through the websites of different companies. These can come from many different areas. The industry can also learn from the consumer area.

The last book I read  was the biography of Barack Obama. When a person like him is so much in the public eye and plays such an important role in politics and also the economy, I am interested in his life story and the experiences he has made.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Focused less on the little daily challenges. If you aren’t overwhelmed by knowing every little detail about a situation, you can view it in a less prejudiced way.

Molex CEO Martin Slark
Martin Slark was able to advance from an inside sales position within Molex U.K. to the chief executive officer role because Molex encourages all employees to take initiative, make decisions, and take positive action on behalf of the customer. Molex cross-trains promising employees in various management disciplines, including transfers to international assignments. As a result, many of the company's second- and third-tier managers have international experience, know the connector industry intimately, and have developed leadership skills. Many have been with the company for over a quarter of a century. People like to work at Molex.

It is this kind of environment that allows talented people with outstanding leadership skills, such as those demonstrated by Mr. Slark, to move up through management ranks. Since becoming CEO, Mr. Slark has piloted the company through difficult economic times, while continuing to keep Molex focused on engineering and developing the next-generation products that will fuel its future growth.
                                                                   —Ronald E. Bishop, Bishop & Associates Inc.

Name: Martin Slark
Location: Lisle, Illinois, U.S.
Current position: C.E.O., Molex Incorporated
Industry affiliations or organizations: Center for Corporate Innovation, National Electronic Distributors Association, World Presidents’ Organization
Accomplishments you’re proud of: My family; qualifying to run the Boston Marathon; and working at Molex for 33 years.
First job: Inside sales, Molex U.K.
Favorite website: www.economist.com
The last book I read: Three Feet from Gold, by Sharon L. Lechter and Greg S. Reid. These are inspirational stories about the importance of persistence.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Learned to speak Mandarin.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: It is what you learn after you know it all that counts.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? Globalization. I want to be part of the team that makes Molex a high-performing company on a global basis.

 


Recognizing “Best” Engineers: Eric Bogatin
The person who nominated Eric Bogatin said, “Eric is honest and is eager to share his knowledge with all engineers. He continually keeps himself up-to-date and is a true ‘Renaissance Man,’ even writing science fiction.”
Name: Eric Bogatin
Location: Olathe, Kansas, U.S.
Current position: Signal Integrity Evangelist

Industry positions: Chief technology officer at IDI, Xinix, GigaTest Labs
Industry affiliations or organizations: IEEE, APS (American Physical Society)

Accomplishments you’re proud of: When someone comes back to me and tells me they got an “Ah ha!” moment from something they heard from me, or read in my books or articles. I often have engineers come back and tell me that they struggled to understand some signal integrity concept for years, and read all the other books and heard all the other experts, but when they read my book or heard my talk, it suddenly became clear for them.

I get a thrill reading the reviews on Amazon.com of my first textbook, Signal Integrity Simplified. I feel I had an important impact in helping these engineers advance their careers.

First job: Member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell Labs in Princeton, N.J., U.S.

Favorite website: www.beTheSignal.com

The last book I read: Physics for Future Presidents by Richard Muller

If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Chosen my early jobs based on the mentor I would have had a chance to work with.

The best advice anyone ever gave me was: “It’s usually so easy to find things that are wrong about an idea. Spend the extra effort to first focus on what’s right about an idea.” This advice was given to me by Paul Sherlock, who taught me most of what I know about marketing.

What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? Large system companies used to invest in their engineers, supporting their professional growth, technical training, and exposure to new technologies. Now, fewer and fewer companies are willing to provide this level of support, yet still expect their engineers to stay current in a field that is accelerating.

It is too bad that when a company values its assets, it only looks at the cash equivalent of capital equipment and inventory, instead of looking at their engineers as an even more important asset, worth investing in.

I hope there will be a cultural shift back to valuing core competency in design and technology development. Executive management must recognize that corporate knowledge is often stored in the engineers who have brought their company up the learning curve.

Other comments: While I was writing my first signal integrity textbook, I was also writing a draft of a science fiction novel. The novel draft got terrible reviews from my friends, but I did not feel all my fiction writing was wasted when one of the reviewers of my textbook said it read like a novel.

My hobby is fishing by day and astrophotography by night, which gives me an excuse to be outside and enjoy wonderful scenery

 

Recognizing “Best” Engineers: Bill Garrett
Scott Manahl, western regional manager for Amphenol Commercial Products, said, “I would like to nominate William (Bill) Garrett, component engineer at Western Digital in Lake Forest, Calif. With more than 20 years of sales and sales management experience at Deutsch, Cinch, Spectrum Control, and Amphenol, I have worked with many OEMs, CEMs, ODMs, and other connector-related organizations. During this time I have witnessed the demise of the traditional “Connector Guru.” While a few remain, very few, if any, match the background, experience, durability, and design portfolio of Bill Garrett. His years of design experience at WD have produced several patents, numerous design innovations, and been integral in WD’s ongoing march to a leadership position in the HDD market.”

Name: William (Bill) W. Garrett
Location: Western Digital, Lake Forest, California
Current position: Principal engineer
Industry affiliations or organizations: Serial ATA Organization
Accomplishments you’re proud of: I currently hold eight U.S. patents.
First job: Draftsman
Favorite website: Mechanical Engineering - Physics Forums
The last book I read: The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Still wanted to be an engineer.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: Teaching art doesn’t pay as well as engineering, stay in school.
What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? The ever-increasing need for speed requires the design of host interface connectors that are able to handle expanding speed levels.

Editor’s note: We did a little research and discovered patents for a storage peripheral, such as a disk drive, having a robust PCB connector configured in accordance with a SATA standard; and a cable connector configured in accordance with a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) standard.

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6811427.html
Patent #6811427, issued 6/21/2005—Storage peripheral with a robust serial advanced technology attachment (SATA).

http://www.patentbuddy.com/patentdetails/958466
Patent # 6,908,330 issued 11/2/2004—A cable connector configured in accordance with a SATA standard that includes a first electrical contact arrangement in accordance with a SATA standard and is configured to mate with a first blade connector having a second electrical contact arrangement, also in accordance with the SATA standard.

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6832929.html
Patent #6832929, issued 12/21/2004—A printed circuit board connector configured in accordance with a SATA standard.  The PCB connector is for connection to a PCB. The PCB connector includes a first blade connector for supporting a first electrical contact arrangement in accordance with a SATA standard, a housing for supporting the first blade connector and the first electrical contact arrangement, and a pair of laterally opposed guard arm receiving cavities integrally formed with the housing.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6996893.html
Patent #6996893, issued 12/19/2003—A method for assembling a plurality of disk drives: An assembly plate comprising of a plate alignment feature (PAF) and a plurality of cells, wherein each cell has a cell alignment feature (CAF) and is adapted to receive and retain a disk drive; determining a valid alignment of the assembly plate in relation to a disk drive assembly device based on the PAF; selecting a disk drive for assembly if the assembly plate is in valid alignment; determining a valid alignment of a selected cell in relation to the disk drive assembly device based on the CAF of the selected cell; placing an initial component of the selected disk drive in the selected cell wherein the initial component is retained by the cell via a retention feature of the cell; repeating the selecting, the determining of a valid alignment of a selected cell, and the placing for each disk drive in the plurality of disk drives; and completing the assembly of each disk drive, during which each disk drive remains in its cell.

http://uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week05/OG/html/1339-1/US07484291-20090203.html
http://uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week05/OG/patentee/alphaG.htm
Patent #7484291, issued 2/3/2009—A method of manufacturing a disk drive with a lead frame engaged within a host electronic unit socket.

Recognizing “Best” Engineers: David R. Hargis
The person who nominated Dave Hargis said, “Every product David designs get into production without difficulties. He knows what needs to be done.”
Name: David R. Hargis
Location: San Jose, California, U.S.
 

Current position: Chief technology officer for a startup operating in stealth mode at the moment.
Industry positions: Mostly startup experience since arriving to the Valley, as I like bringing new companies and their programs on-line. Most recently, I’m vice president of engineering at U4EA Technologies, providing a multi-service business gateway product enabling service providers’ deployment opportunities of VoIP communication techniques, targeting voice, video, data, and security features.

Other positions include:

  • Director of engineering program management at LeapFrog, developing innovative educational products that provide an engaging and effective learning experience for all ages.

  • Director of hardware engineering at Trapeze Networks, developing enterprise wireless equipment for deployment into WiFi networking environments.

These are my most recent positions, but I have also been affiliated with companies such as Phaethon Communication, Red Jade, Weave Innovations, Royal Philips Mobile Computing, HaL Computer, and a host of other startups throughout Silicon Valley.

Accomplishments you’re proud of: U4EA was a five-year-old startup with very little to show for the +$40MM invested when I arrived. After being with the company for less than two years, the engineering team was rebuilt and five VoIP gateway products had been released into the market. This meant redesigning the hardware platforms, bringing software back to a structured mainline of code that could support a continual release strategy, and developing a release process supporting both existing customers and an operational ramp for new products.

Trapeze Networks was a clean paper startup when I arrived, with nothing but a concept and a direction. From that point, the hardware team was built and structure was created to support the development of seven wireless Access Points, based on the developing technology at the time and the implementation of five different L2/L3 switch products supporting SOHO, SMB, and Enterprise environments. This endeavor took just under four years, and was leveraged initially off captive resources, but to scale required leveraging off ODM resources from offshore engineering firms. As the only one with international ODM experience from my five years with Royal Philips Electronics, the responsibility to establish the teams and processes came under my responsibility.

First job: Started as a draftsman at Tektronix Inc., Portland, Oregon, with the Portable Oscilloscope Division. I spent 18 years working my way through the engineering and management ranks prior to arriving here in the Valley. Tektronix products were not considered consumer grade, they had to be consumer-portable and rugged, since these oscilloscopes were used everywhere from a stationary lab environment, carried to and from a customer site by a technician, to being used on a host of mobile military projects.

Favorite website: No real favorites, but I spend plenty of time with Unstrung and ZDNet. Of course, since most of my computers are Dells, I guess you can say I spend plenty of time on the Microsoft website, as well.

The last book I read: The last set of books was for pleasure, as I was traveling over the summer to the Cayman Islands and Acapulco, Mexico for relaxation and golf. The books were the last two in the Clive Cussler series, centered on scuba diving and shipwrecks.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Majored in aeronautical engineering instead of mechanical engineering. I think it would have been a real rush to try and learn how to fly military jets.

The best advice anyone ever gave me was: The advice that I continue to use today from a very colorful engineering manager at Tektronix, who I totally respect, is the following: First, “Accept the fact that project management at any level should really be called ‘contingency management.’ You never have 100 percent of the information to make a risk-free decision, so be prepared.” Second, “The engineering phase system allows you to see firsthand the results of your decisions, so it is best to get it right the first time in Alpha, otherwise the risk of Beta being clean, is exceptionally low, causing slips and cost over-runs.” Third, “Do you still want to run projects?”

What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? It started in the early ‘80s, with the departure of manufacturing jobs, and now it’s progressed heavily into the engineering ranks as well as other areas of a company—it’s cheaper to utilize resources abroad. My question is: Is it really cheaper, or just convenient? Or, has the U.S. painted itself into a corner and now we’re forced to move abroad?

I’ve spent considerable time moving projects to other countries, so you could say that I’m part of the problem, but that’s the easy way out. My reasons for going abroad stem from a mediocre or non-existent engineering pool to draw from, locally. In the past 10 years of hiring, I’ve only seen a handful of new engineering grads to choose from, so the pool in the Valley must be extremely small, or is there a problem with my HR department? Secondly, when looking for mid-level engineering talent with less than 10 years of experience, it’s mostly non-existent in the Valley. Why? Is it too expensive to live here, or isn’t there any talent to draw from?

I also don’t think the solution is to increase the number of H1s available each year. In fact, I believe this only dilutes the engineering pool further and places a greater strain on the economy.

So, why isn’t more being done to get the school system in the U.S. on par with school systems of other countries, building a stronger base at an earlier level? Sorry, but I believe our elementary and primary school system drastically needs help, and either nobody cares, doesn’t know what to do about it, or doesn’t want to step up to the educational costs and reforms required to make the system work.

What incentives can be provided, either congressional, industrial, or both, to incentivize students to move into engineering programs? This could be in the form of aid, internships, or other methods to offset the cost of school. Even having a place to begin work when you graduate would be an incentive, especially in this economy.

It seems that the government has an opportunity to provide economical tax breaks to businesses in support of engineering development activities, but for some reason the government either won’t do it, can’t do it, or doesn’t want to implement change. Remember, this country was developed on great engineering discoveries and it would be a shame to lose this edge now.

I can only say that it feels like engineering as a viable career for the individual or an activity in support of a company is at an inflection point, and the decision to either support it locally or move it abroad completely is almost before us. I say this because the new company I’m with now will have three engineers, including me, here in the U.S., and all other engineering activities will be completed offshore. So, how does a graduating engineer go from zero experience to managing programs internationally without the 25-plus years of interim development experience required to get them to this point?

You can reach David at drhargis@yahoo.com.

Recognizing “Best” Engineers: Howard W. Johnson, Ph.D.
 Mike Wondolowski, engineer at Zebra Technologies, said, “Dr. Johnson has the ability to bring to bear his vast experience in signal integrity (SI) in addressing complex SI issues. He then organizes this information in a clear and concise way that benefits the many engineers who read his newsletter, attend his classes, or read his writings.”

Name: Howard W. Johnson, Ph.D.
Location: Twisp, Washington, U.S.
Current position: Author, inventor, entrepreneur
Industry affiliations or organizations: Howard frequently teaches technical seminars at Oxford University, where he was named a Visiting Fellow. He has taught at hundreds of other sites worldwide. He has served as the EDN “Signal Integrity” columnist since 1997.

Accomplishments you’re proud of: Do you use voicemail? I created the original product plan and speech coding technology for “Phonemail,” the first digital, integrated voicemail system. That product spawned a whole new industry. Do you use computer networking? I served as the chief technical editor of standards for IEEE 802.3 Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. Working closely with Geoff Thompson, Howard Frazier, and hundreds of other engineers, I helped create the Fast and Gigabit Ethernet standards we all enjoy today.

Digital hardware? I am the author of High-Speed Digital Design: A Handbook of Black Magic, the groundbreaking classic text, still in print after 16 years. How about digital signal processing? My FFT algorithms for the length 17, 19, and 25 sequences, created during my graduate-student years at Rice University, have yet to be surpassed.

My wife Liz and I have raised two fine daughters. We live on a horse ranch in the Cascade Mountains, on the sunny, dry side of Washington state, near the Canadian border.

First job: TV repairman, at the age of 15.

Favorite website: www.wsjonline.com

The last book I read: Quantum Reality, by Nick Herbert. I’m always looking for better ways to explain complex phenomena.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Mortgaged my home to buy Apple stock in 2003.

The best advice anyone ever gave me was: Pick a hobby that teaches you something. Successful people absorb 99 percent of their knowledge outside the classroom. This does not mean you should skip school. It means you should learn 100 times what school has to teach. A useful hobby engages your mind and introduces you to like-minded, success-oriented people. Successful people love to learn.

People lacking useful skills or knowledge are forced to trade their time for money. Time is all they have to offer. An hour of uneducated time pays only about $7.25 in the United States.

Successful people cut a different deal with life. They do not trade their time for money. As outlined by Robert Kiyosaki in his book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, successful people create value directly, and then trade that value for money.

My way of creating value involved first learning the art of high-speed digital design. Once mastered, I began teaching seminars in that area. My clients pay me not for the time I spend in the classroom, but for the lifetime of experience I bring with me and for my ability to communicate that experience in a way that improves their technical capabilities and, often, changes their lives. That's value. Here's the good part: I get to sell the same lifetime of experience over and over. I've done about 250 classes so far, and expect to continue for some time. That is the way value works. You never run out of it.

(“Why Teach Science” www.sigcon.com/Pubs/edn/WhyTeachScience.htm)

What trend in the industry is affecting your job and what would you like to do about it? I'm very concerned about the E.U. RoHS regulations that ban leaded solder in electronic products. Even the U.S. EPA admits that banning lead in this instance is a poor environmental decision. Studies from the U.S. EPA (environmental protection agency) conclusively demonstrate that banning lead requires a substantial increase in tin production around the world, and tin mining is a very nasty business. Lead, as you may know, is no longer actively mined for electronic solder production. We recycle plenty of high-grade lead from used car batteries. The effective result of banning lead in solder is simply a substantial worldwide increase in tin production.

In addition, lead-free solder suffers three crippling defects. (1) No lead-free solder has been shown to create as good or as reliable a solder joint as lead-based solder. (2) Lead-free solder requires much higher processing temperatures that stress board materials and components. (3) Lead-free conductive coatings all appear to develop “tin whiskers” over time, which can short out critical functions.

I have heard my fill of solder-reliability experts who espouse the view that these defects don't matter because, “Most electronic products go obsolete after three years anyway.” That is a shortsighted and dangerous viewpoint.

The RoHS initiative bans several other substances as well, all of which we seem to be able to get along without, but I wish we could repeal the “lead-free” portion of the RoHS initiative.

“Rollback the Lead-Free Initiative”  www.sigcon.com/Pubs/news/10_01.htm

Other comments: I had the great fortune to become associated with a high-value mentor early in my career. Professor Martin Graham, previously chair of the U.C. Berkeley EE department and a pioneer of the computer age, taught me a great deal of what I know about high-speed digital systems. It is my privilege to disseminate that knowledge to thousands of engineers annually through my seminars and writings. Professor Graham's teaching process relied on lots of personal interaction and lots of time in the lab trying things. Unfortunately, engineers today, due to the highly compressed schedules imposed by their tight time-to-market requirements, now have much less time to experiment, and therefore less time to ”learn,” than did I. You can sense the flavor of our interactions in these three articles, a tribute to his teaching style:

“Space-Time Diagrams” www.sigcon.com/Pubs/news/12_02.htm
“Nibble Effect” www.sigcon.com/Pubs/news/12_03.htm
“Current-Source Driver” www.sigcon.com/Pubs/news/12_04.htm
 
I'd like to work with as many engineers as possible, inspiring them to pass on hard-fought knowledge to their co-workers through education and shared lab work.

Send Dr. Johnson your comments at www.sigcon.com.

 
 

 

 

 

Bishop & Associates, Inc. © 2010