Jens Gamperl Leader in Highlight Podcast

In the latest installment of the Women in Electronics “Leader in Highlight” podcast Founder and Host, Jackie Mattox, catches up with Maria Gillespie, Sr. Manager Distribution Americas at TE Connectivity. Maria first shares how she got her start in the electronics industry – working as an expeditor at a small distributor – and ultimately what led her to stick around and continue her career path to becoming an industry leader. As a lifelong learner, Maria believes “if you are the smartest person in the room, find another room,” and attributes that longing for knowledge, along with a deep respect and involvement in the mil/aero and defense sector of the industry as what keeps her motivated to stay. 

The conversation continues with the topic of leadership, and Maria notes how becoming a mother helped her progress and find strength as a leader. Empathy, patience, and accountability are key themes as Jackie and Maria discuss the intricacies of being a leader and the importance of the human factor. Leaders sometimes must make tough decisions and for Maria, open communication allows her to be comfortable in whatever difficult action needs to be taken. Beyond her own success, Maria aspires to be a sounding board for others. She actively shares connections and resources, lifting her team and supporting their growth. Her involvement in the WE organization aligns with this commitment to fostering professional development.

Maria and Jackie conclude on a more personal note, sharing what makes her happy and sad in her soul, what movie character she sees in herself (hint: she’s tough, empathetic, and passionate, just like Maria herself), and what key takeaways Maria wants to leave with listeners. Tune in to discover more insights from Maria! 

Join Jackie Mattox as she hosts Terri Walsh, Vice President & General Manager – North America at RUTRONIK Electronics, on the latest “Leader in Highlight” Women in Electronics Podcast episode. A nearly 30-year veteran in the industry, Terri shares how she got her start as an entry level engineer and how her career choices led her to the role she’s in today as a leader at RUTRONIK. Terri speaks on the opportunity she’s had to build a culture and a team from the ground up, focusing on inclusivity and embracing the differences and challenges that brings. She continues by highlighting the advances that women have made in her time in the industry, noting that one of the most positive things she has seen is the ability for women to come together and support one another. Jackie and Terri discuss work-life balance and the importance of choosing priorities and making the best decisions for you. Terri thinks back on the mentors in her life and how sometimes you just need someone to see something in you that you didn’t see yourself to give you a push forward. The interview concludes with thoughts on modern feminism, how connecting with people and helping others brings joy, and how our darkest moments can put everything else in perspective. Tune in to hear the full detail! 

Jackie Mattox of Women in Electronics hosts Jens Gamperl, Founder of Sourceability, on the latest installment of WE Radio’s “Leader in Highlight” Podcast series. Jens takes a deep dive through his career path and how his background in IT and distribution ultimately led to the creation of Sourceability. He shares what Sourceability does, how they work with the electronics industry, what services they provide, and how they continually look to their customers to develop the future of the company. Jens and Jackie discuss not only the future of Sourceability, but the future of the industry and the importance of training young leaders. Trust is at the forefront of this movement; it’s the job of the leader not only to inspire, motivate, and empower the people that they’ve hired, but trust them in their decision-making. Jens continues with the value he finds in the WE organization and how women have played an important role through his career. At the end of the day, Jens comments how it’s about making the best decisions for the company and the greatest joy is in hearing that if you could go back, you’d do it all again. Don’t miss this insightful interview! 

Join host, Jackie Mattox, on the WE Podcast latest episode of the "Leader in Highlight" Series as she interviews executives, Dave Doherty, President and COO, and Linda Johnson, Executive Vice President Operations, from DigiKey.

Highlights from this episode include DigiKey's recent brand refresh and their focus on continuous innovation. Dave and Linda emphasize the aim to provide customers with instantaneous access to information, the investment in automation to enhance the digital experience, and the importance of being a healthy ‘disruptor’ by being that one-stop shop for customers of all sizes, supporting both small-scale orders for designers, home engineers, and hobbyists, and large-scale production orders. 

Dave and Linda also share DigiKey's vision for the future, which involves maintaining the high availability of inventory  and choice of product their customers have come to expect. With their global presence, they can aggregate demand and deliver stock worldwide within 1-3 days, and they are dedicated to providing efficient and streamlined services to their customers. 

We learn that Digikey has kept it's roots in the quaint town of Thief River Falls, from where they headquartered and operating their global organization with the same foundational "people first" values. This episode explores DigiKey's emphasis on employee well-being and company culture and intentionally about how best to support their employees, not just in productivity, but as people in general, prioritizing the three C’s: connection, collaboration, and community. 

The episode concludes with final thoughts on what energizes and brings each executive joy and sadness, not only as leaders, but as human beings. Don't miss this enlightening episode of the "Leader in Highlight" Podcast, where you'll gain valuable insights into DigiKey's history, their customer-centric approach, their dedication to channel partners, employee well-being, and industry innovation.

In this episode of the "Leader in Highlight" podcast series, Jackie Mattox, the Founder and CEO of Women in Electronics, speaks with Don Akery, Chief Executive Officer at Waldom Electronics.

In the latest episode of the "Leader in Highlight" podcast series, Jackie Mattox welcomes Kate  Cartwright, Vice President of People & Culture, and Jessie Dearien, Vice President of Marketing, from RS Group. The episode kicks off with Kate and Jessie providing background on Allied Electronics & Automation and parent company, RS Group, and how the shift to one brand has simplified and unified benefits for both employees and customers.

The discussion uncovers the passion for the electronics industry and what excites Kate and Jessie about RS, emphasizing the company's ability to influence the organization's culture and enrich employees' lives by demonstrating leadership qualities. The duo underscores RS's commitment to “make amazing happen for a better world” and the importance of their partnership with Women in Electronics in supporting their vision for equity and representation of women and other diverse groups in leadership roles in the industry. They conclude with a note on recognizing that the industry still has a lot of work to do in terms of equity and representation for women and other diverse groups in leadership and how their partnership with Women in Electronics will support that vision in the future.

In this episode of the "Leader in Highlight" podcast series, Jackie Mattox, the Founder and CEO of Women in Electronics, speaks with Michelle Jobst from Jobst Incorporated, a manufacturer’s rep firm. Michelle shares her journey of how she came full circle into her family business at Jobst, from going on sales calls with her father as a child to graduating college with a degree in International Business and working her way through different corporate positions before returning to the Jobst organization.

Jackie and Michelle discuss the markets and industries that Jobst serves and the company's desire to be at the forefront of innovation. Jackie and Michelle also reflect on their initial meeting through MANA and Michelle's journey as the first woman on the MANA board as the elected chairperson. Michelle shares her thoughts on attracting young people to the industry and the importance of thinking outside the box when it comes to new hires. The discussion ends with Michelle emphasizing the importance of mentorship and connection and inviting women to the conversation. Tune in to the episode to gain insights from Michelle’s journey and her thoughts on the industry's future.

Join Jackie Mattox on the latest episode of the "Leader in Highlight" podcast series as she chats with Colin Strother, Executive Vice President of Rochester Electronics. Colin starts by sharing his career journey through various roles and companies in the electronics industry before joining Rochester for the past 16 years. He emphasizes the company's success in making customers happy, along with the importance of culture and human connections.

Jackie and Colin discuss the future of work in the electronics industry and the potential impact of AI in the next 5 to 10 years. Colin also shares his experiences with mentors throughout his career and highlights the importance of support and reciprocity.

The conversation then shifts to Colin's guiding leadership principles, emphasizing core values, authenticity, and trust. The episode concludes with a discussion on what makes a good leader and the work we have yet to do to bring everyone to the conversation within the industry. Check out this episode to gain insights into Colin's experiences and perspectives on leadership and the future of the electronics industry!

Live from electronica 2022 in Munich, join WE founder & CEO Jackie Mattox as she hosts AnnaMaria Pietromonaco, Corporate Vice President of Supplier Development at Future Electronics. AnnaMaria shares how a critical connection from the first company she worked for helped start and develop her career at Future, and how it doesn’t feel like a lot of years when you’ve had many different roles within one company. “We are taught to help each other.” AnnaMaria gives insight into how life at Future feels like a close-knit family and highlights the value of trust, autonomy, and flexibility in the workplace. She discusses the importance of not only quiet leaders who’ve been there to listen, but mentors who push and believe in you. That mentality has transitioned to her now supporting others, especially women, find confidence, clarity, and honesty as they move up in the industry. Jackie and AnnaMarie conclude with the big learning experiences that come with managing a career and a family.

In Part 2 of the latest WE Podcast, hear from Ken Bradley, President of the Americas Region at Allied Electronics & Automation, as he continues the conversation with Jackie Mattox, Founder and CEO of Women in Electronics. Ken first reflects on his time at Allied and how the industry has changed and grown throughout the years, shifting focus from selling parts to selling solutions and adding value to customer engagements. He shares what he’s learned from two of his recent professional mentors, highlighting the key values they engrained in him as role models and how that created a confidence he did not initially have. Ken also recounts where he first heard the advice he’s never forgotten and how that shaped his guiding leadership principles on the importance of empowering people. Speaking to empowering people, Ken and Jackie further discuss healthy disruption and the intentionality and endurance required when building a diverse and balanced team. Ken leaves us with words of wisdom for young professionals in the industry or anyone looking to advance in their career – “Don’t rely on a company or a person to write your development, write it yourself.”