The Channel Channel

In this episode, ECIA President and CEO David Loftus speaks with Foundation President Jim Kaplan, President of Cornell-Dubilier, about the new Foundation e-learning initiative PACE, the history of the Foundation and its evolving purpose, Jim's background in the industry and much more.

ECIA CEO David Loftus interviews Peter Heigis about the implementation of the ETL program, initiated by the ECIA Manufacturers' Rep Council.

ECIA's Chief Analyst Dale Ford interviews economist Cliff Waldman CEO of New World Economics and host of “Manufacturing Matters” podcast. The two discuss the broader economy and global trends that will impact growth in the electronic components industry. Cliff will be presenting at the ECIA Executive Conference in October.

“Manufacturing output plummeted in the second quarter of 2020,” Waldman explained. “Then we had a surge in the last couple of quarters of that year due to massive government spending. We saw manufacturing output falter in the first quarter of 2021, which isn’t surprising because all that spending was not sustainable. The question is whether output will continue to falter because of the severe supply shortages and disruptions, or whether we will see stabilization and a resumption of growth as the demand evens out.”

The fascinating discussion ranged from technology’s role as a solution to the challenges of changing global demographics, the impact of the pandemic, his recommendations for where research funding needs to be invested, and much more.

ECIA Foundation Executive Director Debbie Conyers joins Digi-Key Electronics’ Vice President of Business Development Paul Dosser for a thought-provoking conversation with inventor Dean Kamen. He explains in detail how his wildly successful FIRST® programs have addressed the ‘demand problem’ of lack of interest in STEM careers by engaging with students early to ignite the inventor’s spirit among young people all over the globe.

ECIA CEO David Loftus and Flex Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer Lynn Torrel discuss all things supply chain from the EMS industry perspective. Ms Torrel spent most of her career in the distribution industry before moving to the other side of the negotiating table just over a year ago. Her background gives her a unique perspective on the value of distribution to a global electronics manufacturing organization. In her role at FLEX she manages the supply chains of over 1000 customers, including around 16,000 suppliers and one million SKUs.

The wide ranging discussion covers Ms. Torrel’s commitment to mentoring through her activities with Women in Electronics, leadership, managing through Covid, her new understanding of the deeper complexities and challenges of manufacturing, and much more.

In this thought provoking interview, ECIA's President and CEO David Loftus interviews Steve Cholas for a discussion of digital transformation in the component supply chain. Steve Cholas is an industry media guru who has spent his career uncovering the pain points and misalignments between component manufacturers and distributors and developing brand solutions. Currently Steve is VP Global Business with Big Zeta, a B2B provider of technical products and solutions to enable better & easier digital transformation.

ECIA Chief Analyst discusses the post-COVID recovery and economic trends with IHS Markit Sr. Principal Economist Tom Runiewicz. They talk about supply chain disruptions, component shortages, price pressure, global acceleration of Environment, Safety, and Government (ESG) regulation and how it all impacts the electronic component industry. It's a fascinating discussion between two data experts.

Graham Kilshaw, Founder of Lectrix, the newest ECIA Service Partner (ESP), speaks with David Loftus about B2B marketing. He explains the ramifications of putting 'problem before product', a concept that has gained considerable traction especially during the pandemic. The two discuss what permanent changes will likely stick for electronic components sales and marketing and remind listeners to sign up for ECIA's webinar on the topic, "How to Build a Problem-First vs Product-First Marketing Plan for a Components company. But More Importantly... Why You Should." which occurs March 19, 2021. To register, go to www.ecianow.org

ECIA President and CEO David Loftus interviews Bob Evans, Founder and Principal of Evans Strategic Communications and creator of Cloud Wars, a unique website that ranks and analyzes the most influential tech companies. The two spend some time at 30,000 feet, pondering the big questions about current and future trends in the tech industry. It's a fascinating discussion covering Cloud Wars' Top 10, the nature of innovation, and why keeping the customer first is the most important marker of success.

ECIA President and CEO David Loftus interviews always thought-provoking Michael Knight, President TTI Semiconductor Group in this insightful discussion about the personal benefits of being an active member of ECIA, where the industry is headed post-Covid and beyond, his personal journey through the crisis, and much more.