IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1533344
IPC COMMUNITY 56 SPRING 2025 INDUSTRY INFLUENCER It's been great to reflect upon the 30-odd years since I bumped into Barry Matties, a long-haired American bloke in a T-shirt and baseball cap, roving around with a camera at productronica in Munich in the 1990s. It was sometime later that I was privileged to be adopted into his editorial team. As a PCB fabricator, Barry's publications kept me in touch with industry news and gave me insight into developments and advances in the technology. In 2022, Barry sold his business, I-Connect007, to IPC and will remain as an executive consultant for several months as he begins to explore other business opportuni- ties. But not without first receiving the IPC President's Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2025, given in honor of his significant leadership contribu- tions to the industry. Barry, what motivated you to create and publish a new magazine for the industry back in the 1980s? Barry Matties: I was probably about 23 or 24 years old, and I realized the only way to create the lifestyle that I wanted for my family and me was to create my own business. I realized I would never achieve it by working for somebody else. I didn't know anything about business, publishing magazines, leadership, or really any other business skill, but the timing was right, and I was driven to learn and succeed. In 1987, we pioneered desktop publishing and launched CircuiTree magazine. We were challenging the publishing paradigm, and because we did not know the rules of pub- lishing, it allowed us to compete against much larger magazines in ways they did not expect. Your tagline is "good for the industry." Why do you believe it matters to promote electronics? It's important to have an infor- mation source that's good for the industry. Our business strategy is That Inspires Change Leadership Barry Matties shares insights into a career driven by passion, creativity, and mentorship By Pete Starkey, Contributing Writer, IPC Community