Leadership in Manufacturing

How should leaders start using AI without overwhelming teams or chasing tools that never deliver real value?

In this bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding is joined again by Ellen Albright, Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Engineering Technology, for a focused conversation on starting AI adoption the right way.

This short episode centers on one critical leadership principle. AI only creates value when it is aligned with real business objectives. Sannah and Ellen discuss why leaders should start small, avoid tool overload, and treat AI as a support system for daily work rather than a shortcut or trend to chase.

Building on the full conversation in Episode 133, this bonus episode highlights practical guidance around refining prompts, setting guardrails, and introducing AI in ways that build trust instead of resistance. The discussion reinforces that AI adoption is a leadership and change management challenge, not just a technology decision.

This episode is for leaders in electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain who want to move from experimentation to intentional, people-first AI adoption.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why AI must align with real business goals to deliver value
• How starting small helps teams avoid AI overwhelm
• Why refining prompts over time leads to better outcomes
• How AI can support daily work without creating noise
• Why leadership clarity matters more than tools in AI adoption

About the guest:

Ellen Albright is the Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Engineering Technology, where she leads multi-channel marketing, sales enablement, and people-first AI initiatives that support efficiency while protecting engineering expertise and customer trust.

Hosted by:

Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. She helps leaders across electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain lead technical teams with clarity, trust, and confidence as complexity and AI reshape how work gets done.

Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.

How can leaders use AI to deliver faster technical answers without overwhelming teams or losing trust? In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Ellen Albright, Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Engineering Technology, about building a practical AI agent to support sales and engineering teams.

This conversation explores how leaders can turn technical data into faster, more reliable answers by using AI as a first step rather than a replacement for human expertise. Sannah and Ellen discuss governance, training, and change management, and why successful AI adoption depends more on leadership clarity than on tools.

This episode is for leaders in electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain who want to move beyond experimentation and implement AI in ways that improve efficiency, protect trust, and strengthen customer experience.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How leaders build AI agents to support sales and engineering teams
• Why AI works best as a starting point, not a final decision maker
• How governance and training shape successful AI adoption
• Where human judgment and validation remain essential
• How to align AI initiatives with real business goals

About the guest:

Ellen Albright is the Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Engineering Technology, where she has spent more than 20 years leading multi-channel marketing, sales enablement, and channel partner initiatives. She is actively involved in implementing people-first AI strategies that improve internal efficiency while protecting engineering expertise and customer relationships.

Hosted by:

Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. She helps leaders across electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain build people-first cultures, communicate clearly, and lead with confidence as technology continues to evolve.

Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.

In this short bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Bruce Kellar, Senior Vice President of Sales at Sager Electronics, about leading through disruption with clarity, composure, and confidence.

This focused conversation explores why overreacting creates risk, how leaders can educate themselves before acting, and why communicating both decisions and reasoning builds trust across teams. Bruce shares practical leadership guidance shaped by decades in the electronics industry and explains why adaptability and the willingness to pivot are essential when conditions continue to change.

This episode is for leaders in electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain who want to stay steady during uncertainty, communicate clearly, and lead people through disruption with confidence.

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In this episode, you will learn:

• Why leaders should not overreact when disruption hits
• How education and perspective lead to better leadership decisions
• Why communicating the why behind decisions builds trust
• How adaptability helps teams stay aligned during change
• What steady, people-first leadership looks like in uncertain environments

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About the guest:

Bruce Kellar is Senior Vice President of Sales at Sager Electronics. With more than four decades in the electronics industry and nearly three decades at Sager, he has led national sales strategy, built high-performing teams, and driven sustained growth across distribution, OEM, and EMS channels. Bruce is widely respected for his disciplined execution, clear communication, and integrity-driven leadership.

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Hosted by:

Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. She helps leaders across the electronics and manufacturing industries build people-first cultures, communicate clearly, and lead with confidence through constant change.

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Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

This Podcast episode is sponsored by Sager Electronics

Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.

How should leaders use AI without losing trust, judgment, and human connection? In this short bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Kaitlyn Tredaway, COO at CalcuQuote, about where artificial intelligence truly adds value and where human leadership must remain in charge.

This focused conversation explores why AI is best used for efficiency, scale, and repetitive work, while people remain essential for decision making, negotiations, crisis management, and customer relationships. Sannah and Kaitlyn discuss the real risks of over automating leadership and why trust cannot be outsourced to technology.

This episode is for leaders in electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain who want to adopt AI thoughtfully, protect relationships, and lead with clarity in an increasingly automated world.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why AI should support leaders instead of replacing them
• Where human judgment still matters most in leadership
• How automation can improve efficiency without damaging trust
• Why customer relationships require real human connection
• How people first leadership works in an AI driven workplace

About the guest:

Kaitlyn Tredaway is the COO of CalcuQuote, where she leads operations, strategy, and customer success for software serving the electronics manufacturing industry. Since joining in 2016, she has helped scale the company from a small startup to a global organization. Kaitlyn is known for transparent communication, strong customer focus, and practical use of AI that supports teams without sacrificing culture.

Hosted by:

Sannah Vinding is an engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. She helps leaders across the electronics industry build people first cultures, communicate clearly, and lead with confidence as technology continues to evolve.

Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.

Why trust and clarity matter in cross cultural leadership.

How do leaders communicate clearly, build trust, and navigate cultural differences inside global electronics and manufacturing teams? In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Jessica Chang, Distribution Sales Manager at MEAN WELL USA, about how leaders build strong relationships across borders and communicate with confidence in multicultural environments.

Jessica shares how cultural expectations shape communication, why clarity prevents misalignment, and how slowing down often leads to better outcomes. She explains how to translate complex headquarters programs into simple steps teams can act on, why urgency means different things across cultures, and how listening has become her most valuable leadership skill.

This conversation is for leaders in electronics, manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain who want to improve communication, strengthen partnerships, and build trust with global teams.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How cultural differences shape communication in global teams
• How clarity, honesty, and repetition reduce misalignment
• Why leaders must translate urgency, not just react to it
• How to simplify complex programs for U S distributors and customers
• Why listening is a core leadership habit across cultures
• How to build long term trust with partners and internal teams

About the guest:

Jessica Chang is the Distribution Sales Manager at MEAN WELL USA. With more than 20 years in the power electronics industry, she leads U S distribution efforts while collaborating closely with headquarters in Taiwan. Jessica is known for simplifying complexity, strengthening distributor relationships, and building trust across cultural and operational boundaries.

Hosted by:

Sannah Vinding, Engineer, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. With more than 20 years of experience in electronics, manufacturing, and product development, Sannah helps leaders grow their skills, build strong teams, and communicate with clarity.

Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

This Podcast episode is sponsored by Sager Electronics

Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.

Why AI should support people, not replace them.

How do modern leaders use AI to support people, strengthen culture, and scale global teams? In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Kaitlyn Tredaway, COO at CalcuQuote, about how leaders can balance technology and trust while growing a global remote team.

Kaitlyn explains why AI should handle routine and complex tasks so people can focus on communication, judgment, and customer relationships. She shares how clarity, collaboration, and transparency help teams stay aligned across regions and time zones. Together, Sannah and Kaitlyn explore how efficiency and empathy work side by side in modern leadership.

This conversation is for leaders in electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain who want to improve communication, lead remote teams with confidence, and use AI in a people first way.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How AI supports high value work instead of replacing people

• How to build clarity and trust in remote teams

• Why communication keeps global teams connected

• How to scale operations without losing culture

• Why people and processes still matter in modern leadership

• How efficiency and empathy work together in high performing teams

About the guest:

Kaitlyn Tredaway is the COO of CalcuQuote, where she leads operations, strategy, and customer success. Since joining in 2016, she has helped scale the company from a two person startup to a global team. Kaitlyn is known for building high performing teams, embracing change, and keeping a strong customer focus.

Hosted by:

Sannah Vinding, B2B marketing strategist, leadership educator, and host of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast. Sannah brings over 20 years of industry experience in electronics, product development, and leadership growth, helping professionals build stronger teams and lead with clarity.

Listen to more episodes, sign up for the weekly leadership newsletter, and explore insights at:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep leading forward.

Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all skill. Real leadership comes from experience — from learning, adapting, and building trust with people across every generation.

In this episode, discover how to use your experience to connect with multi-generational teams, build trust that inspires performance, and create a company culture where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to grow.

Host Sannah Vinding sits down with Matt Cordell, General Manager at CviLux North America, to explore how leadership evolves over time and why treating your team like family leads to better results. Matt shares lessons from more than 40 years in electronics manufacturing — including how to lead four generations at once, give effective feedback, and balance business growth with people-first leadership.

🎧 Listen now to learn how experience, empathy, and trust can transform the way you lead.

Guest: Matt Cordell, General Manager, CviLux North America

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🎧 Subscribe and follow for more leadership insights from real voices shaping the future of manufacturing, distribution, and electronics.

At Leadership in Manufacturing, we’re shaping the next generation of leaders one conversation at a time. Each episode delivers actionable strategies to help you lead smarter, communicate better, and grow your influence in today’s dynamic industry.

📥 Join 4,100+ professionals who get leadership insights straight to their inbox:

👉 Subscribe to the Newsletter

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast!

🌐 Learn more about the show:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

Adapting your leadership style isn’t just about managing people; it’s about understanding them. In today’s workforce, success depends on how well you connect, listen, and lead across generations.

Discover how to bridge generational gaps, empower your team through trust, and build a culture of communication that keeps people engaged and performing at their best. You’ll learn practical ways to listen actively, adapt your approach, and lead with empathy in a world where expectations are shifting fast.

To explore what it really takes to lead every generation with confidence and clarity, Sannah Vinding sits down with Mark Adams, Director Global Channel at Advanced Energy. Mark shares lessons from his diverse career in distribution, manufacturing, and engineering, revealing how adaptability and trust create lasting impact.

🎧 Listen now to gain actionable insights you can apply immediately to strengthen your leadership and inspire teams across every generation.

Guest: Mark Adams, Director Global Channel at Advanced Energy

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This podcast episode is sponsored by Sager Electronics.

🎧 Subscribe and follow for more leadership insights from real voices shaping the future of manufacturing, distribution, and electronics.

At Leadership in Manufacturing, we’re shaping the next generation of leaders one conversation at a time. Each episode delivers actionable strategies to help you lead smarter, communicate better, and grow your influence in today’s dynamic industry.

📥 Join 4,100+ professionals who get leadership insights straight to their inbox:

👉 Subscribe to the Newsletter

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast!

🌐 Learn more about the show:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

In this episode, Bruce Kellar, Senior Vice President of Sales at Sager Electronics, shares what four decades in the electronics industry have taught him about leadership, belief, and building trust. From the early days of GPS and Bluetooth to today’s AI-driven landscape, Bruce has seen the industry evolve — and led teams through every wave of change.

Hosted by Sannah Vinding on the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, this conversation dives into how belief becomes the bridge between strategy and success, why communication and listening are core to earning trust, and how integrity and adaptability define strong leadership.

Bruce also shares personal stories from his early sales career, including one unforgettable lesson in accountability that shaped how he leads today.

Whether you’re leading a sales team, managing through disruption, or developing your leadership style, this episode delivers practical insights for staying grounded and guiding others through change.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How belief connects strategy, trust, and performance

• Why clear communication and listening build stronger teams

• How to lead with integrity and adaptability through disruption

• What it means to motivate people who truly believe in the mission

• Why mentorship and consistency create long-term success

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This Podcast episode is sponsored by Sager Electronics

🎧 Subscribe and follow for more leadership insights from real voices shaping the future of manufacturing, distribution, and electronics.

At Leadership in Manufacturing, we’re shaping the next generation of leaders one conversation at a time. Each episode delivers actionable strategies to help you lead smarter, communicate better, and grow your influence in today’s dynamic industry.

📥 Join 4,100+ professionals who get leadership insights straight to their inbox:

👉 Subscribe to the Newsletter

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast!

🌐 Learn more about the show:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

In this episode, Amy Anahory, CEO of MicroPower Direct, shares her journey of stepping into her family’s power electronics business and leading it through industry disruption, growth, and change. With a background in political science and marketing, Amy proves that leadership is not about having all the technical answers, it is about trust, flexibility, and curiosity.

Hosted by Sannah Vinding on the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, this conversation explores what it takes to modernize a family business, build resilience in lean teams, and lead with honesty even during uncertainty.

Amy opens up about how motherhood shaped her leadership style, the lessons she learned from her father, and why admitting what you don’t know is actually a strength. She also shares how pushing herself out of her comfort zone, from networking to industry events, has made her a stronger and more confident leader.

Whether you are leading a family business, running lean teams, or looking to grow as a leader in manufacturing, this episode is full of practical insights you can apply right away.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How family business leadership teaches resilience and adaptability
• Why trust and flexibility are essential for lean teams
• What makes admitting “I don’t know” a sign of strong leadership
• How curiosity drives growth and innovation
• Why stepping outside your comfort zone is key to becoming a better leader

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🎧 Subscribe and follow for more leadership insights from real voices shaping the future of manufacturing and engineering.

At Leadership in Manufacturing, we’re shaping the next generation of leaders one conversation at a time. Each episode delivers actionable strategies to help you lead smarter, communicate better, and grow your influence in today’s dynamic industry.

📥 Join 4,100+ professionals who get leadership insights straight to their inbox:

👉 Subscribe to the Newsletter

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast!

🌐 Learn more about the show:

https://leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/