Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1471044
34 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2022 is past year, I set up several informational interviews with individuals across the indus- try. I saw this as an avenue to both enhance my own career and provide insight for my peers. To that end, I had the incredible honor of interviewing Happy Holden, the father of HDI PCBs. His insight into what it takes to be an excellent engineer and grow exponentially in this industry is unrivaled. As students beginning an engineering pro- gram, we oen have no idea what to expect. In class, we're taught surface-level material, while the industry is much deeper than that. From Happy I learned that engineering prin- ciples are not the only aspect you will apply to the industry; you must know how to engage with business models and analytics. Before getting involved with IPC as a student liaison, I had limited knowledge of the industry busi- ness model. Now, several months later, and aer speaking with Happy, I am so happy with how much my knowledge has increased. The Happy Tale From a young age, Happy understood the value of hard work. He was raised on a farm, where you quickly learn you don't get days off. He carried these characteristics with him throughout his career. Happy attended Oregon State University with a goal to study chemical engineering, but soon found himself delving into the world of electronics. He learned how to program and work with computers, which was quite unusual for a chemical engineer. He also decided to take on several technical pro- jects while in school, which eventually led to a thriving career around the world. When he fin- ished college, he was hired at Hewlett-Packard, where his first assignment was to develop the calculator. He accomplished this task with ease and was even given the opportunity to manage a $4 million budget to advance the growth of his invention within the first year of work. Another high point of his career was becom- ing chief technical officer for Foxconn. He's My Interview With Happy Holden The New Chapter by Hannah Nelson, VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY/IPC STUDENT DIRECTOR Hannah Nelson met with Happy Holden during IPC APEX EXPO 2022.