Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1496178
16 SMT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2023 Feature Article by Mark Wolfe IPC When I first entered the electronic manu- facturing services (EMS) industry in 1989, I had some engineering experience, but zero knowledge as to how to manufacture anything. At that point, I didn't realize how little I understood about the real, yet alone subtle differences between an EMS company and OEMs. A colleague of mine suggested I contact IPC to see what resources they had available. The recommendation: Join an upcoming meeting of senior EMS industry leaders, known as the EMS Management Council. I attended my first EMS management meeting that year and started participating on the EMS Council Steering Committee shortly after. That initial experience has drawn me back yearly for over three decades. The content has always been relevant, but relationships are one of the primary reasons I keep returning. I always look forward to the roundtable conversations with my peers as a great opportunity to hear from others who may be facing the same challenges, but often approaching them in ways that I can learn from. From an industry perspective, these meetings spurred important projects like Program Management Certifications and an EMS Industry Services agreement that is still used today, not to mention being the genesis of renaming the industry from contract manufacturing to electronic manufacturing services more than 30 years ago. These foundational goals have remained for the time I have participated: provide relevant Why the EMS Leadership Summit Matters