Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/734166
October 2016 • SMT Magazine 11 stand a leader's expectations, but want to be left alone to accomplish them. A great leader gives them the space they need— but intervenes and offers assistance when he sees them going off- track. He can still influence them, but he should let it be "their idea". This month's issue of SMT Magazine cele- brates leadership, and highlights such qualities that define great leaders. For starters, I caught up with Thomas For- sythe, executive vice president of Kyzen Corp., at the recent NEPCON South China event in Shenzhen to talk about what makes a great lead- er, the changing roles of leaders in this industry, and the impact of effective leadership in the fu- ture of a company. I also interviewed Vi Technology's Jean-Marc Peallat, vice president of global sales, about his thoughts on the role of a leader and how it dif- fers from that of a manager and why inspiration is the key to leadership. He also discussed how to lead the younger generation, and what the office or shop floor will look like 10–20 years from now. Transcend's Laura Huckabee-Jennings, meanwhile, writes about STI Electronics' found- er David Raby's leadership journey, and how he was able to steer his company towards success. Frederick Blancas of EMS firm Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. talks about how sustain- ability has moved up in the priority agenda of business leaders tasked to shape their compa- nies' goals, and how they can align aspects of their business with socially meaningful activi- ties that are fulfilled through economic efficien- cy and entrepreneurial innovation. Susan Mucha of Powell-Mucha Consulting Inc., offers her thoughts about building bridg- es with cross-cultural teams. She notes that as we live in a global society now, more and more leaders are now managing global teams. There- fore, understanding the behavior patterns driv- en by the cultures of team members, having dis- cussions about differences and similarities, and creating an environment where people who are uncomfortable can discuss their concerns, can go a long way to eliminating cultural conflict and building strong teams. Albert C. Yanez Sr., the corporate VP of As- teelflash Group and president of Asteelflash AMERICAS, writes about the leadership princi- ples that his company embraces. I also interviewed Knoll Evangelista of EMS Components Assembly Inc., who talked about leadership, motivation, and how great leaders navigate the challenges to bring their compa- nies to success. In his column this month, Tom Borkes of The Jefferson Project discusses the cost of man- agement and leadership, and what a company gets from that money. Our remaining content includes a variety of pieces from around the industry, including reg- ular columnist Robert Voigt of DDM Novastar, who writes about helping users in their search for used SMT assembly equipment and provides some tips to avoid getting a raw deal or actually spending more than new by the time they get that bargain acquisition in good working order. At NEPCON South China, I had a chance to interview Koh Young Technology Inc.'s Thom- as Lau, sales manager for Southeast Asia, about the challenges and developments happening in the AOI sector. We discussed why manufactur- ers are increasingly looking into strengthening their inspection capabilities. Then we have Tony Bellitto of Firstronic, and his article on the challenge of developing an effective way to recruit and retain high-qual- ity team members in labor markets where expe- rienced manufacturing talent is in short supply. Finally, W. Scott Fillebrown of Libra Indus- tries provides ten key items to look for in an EMS company. I hope you enjoy this month's issue of SMT Magazine. Next month, we will focus on how vias impact the PCB assembly process. Don't forget: We are always in search of col- umnists for SMT Magazine and SMT007 online. If you're interested, feel free to drop us a note. SMT Stephen Las Marias is managing editor of SMT Magazine. He has been a technology editor for more than 12 years covering electronics, components, and industrial automation systems. WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER?