Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1213413
76 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2020 Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Nolan Johnson speaks with Lenora Clark about MacDermid Alpha's automotive initia- tive, where her role fits into the company's fo- cus on supporting carmakers in various busi- ness areas, and where the future of automotive is heading. Nolan Johnson: We did an interview at SMTAi 2019 about your new role as director of auton- omous driving and safety technology at Mac- Dermid Alpha Electronics Solutions. Refresh us on that role. How is it going? Lenora Clark: It is going very well, thank you. I am learning every day, and I enjoy work- ing in the automotive space during this excit- ing time. My role is to understand the techni- cal and strategic challenges of the automotive market. This is to see how a chemical supplier can make automotive Tier 1s and, ultimately, carmakers successful during a time of change, specifically with respect to advanced safety from a systems level. The Direction of MacDermid Alpha's Automotive Initiative Johnson: How did you arrive at this role? Give us a little background on the start of your career. Clark: I started in this organization fresh out of college with a bachelor's degree in chem- istry. My focus was surface finishing, which gave me a lot of exposure to end-users. At the time, we worked closely with all market seg- ments, testing immersion silver. It was a time of transition away from leaded hot-air solder level. Immersion silver was my introduction to alternative surface finishes. Through this, I learned assembly and the importance of collaboration through a supply chain from a chemical supplier to a PCB fabri- cator. This included the assembly facility and finally testing and execution of a final product in end-use. This experience in surface finish- ing laid the perfect foundation for my role to- day in the automotive initiative. Johnson: Is the automotive initiative new to MacDermid Alpha? Clark: MacDermid made the decision 15 years ago to give the automotive industry the next Lenora Clark