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14 PCB007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2025 F E AT U R E C O LU M N I ST Q & A Simon Khesin: A PCB Journey of Both Familiar and Unfamiliar Paths S imon is one of our newest PCB007 columnists. In this interview, we learn there's more to Simon than a technical degree. It is great to have your perspective and expertise. Where were you born and raised, and where did you go to school? I was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1989 and raised there, through my time at university. I studied at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, where my major was Machine Building in Electronic Tech- nologies. My focus was on becoming a designer of machinery for both PCB production and the semi- conductor industry. For my diploma work, I designed a two-spindle drilling machine intended for creating base holes in inner layers, which were to be used for inner layer alignment before lamination. That is an impressive senior project. How did you end up in this industry specifically? I asked my university tutor if he could recommend where I should start working in the industry. He intro- duced me to the CEO of a company that served as a dealer for many European, Asian, U.S., and Israeli OEMs in Russia. This company supplied complete PCB shops, along with all the necessary materials and chemistry. What was your journey to Schmoll, and what pro- fessional accomplishments are you most proud of? I began my career as a process and sales support engineer. I participated in process adjustments, learned a great deal about the PCB process, and helped to prepare process and operator manuals. Since my educational background was in design, my company tasked me with drawing the layouts for new PCB shops and calculating all the installa- tion requirements. Because I knew English well, I soon became responsible for communication with OEMs. This allowed me to connect with many people in the industry and gain hands-on experience with almost all technologies and machines. I evolved into becoming the main presenter for the company at technical seminars, and I authored many technical articles. However, my true passion was always communicating with people, which led me to shift into sales. In this role, I served as a C o l u m n i st : Simon Khesin C o l u m n : Driving Innovation Ti m e w i t h I - C o n n e ct 0 07: 9 months Columnist Bio: S i m o n K h e s i n i s t h e key a c c o u n t m a n a g e r fo r S c h m o l l M a s c h i n e n G m b H a n d h a s ove r 1 2 ye a rs of ex p e r i - e n c e i n t h e P C B i n d u st r y, h a v i n g h e l d va r i o u s ro l e s a c ro s s t h e s e cto r. B efo re j o i n i n g S c h m o l l h e wo r ke d a s a d i st r i b u to r fo r b i g e q u i p m e n t O E M s f ro m Eu - ro p e, As i a , a n d I s ra e l . S i m o n's c a re e r b e g a n a s a p ro c e s s e n g i n e e r, w i t h a d d i t i o n a l re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t h a t i n c l u d e d P C B fa cto r i e s , l a yo u t d e s i g n i n g , a n d p ro j e ct m a n a g e m e n t fo r n ew P C B fa cto r y s et u p s . H e c o - a u t h o rs t h i s c o l u m n w i t h h i s c o l l e a g u e, Ku r t Pa l m e r. S e l e ct c o l u m n s f ro m D r i v i n g I n n ova t i o n : • Registration in PCB Production Throughout the Process • Mastering Panel Warpage by M a rcy La Ro nt , I - C o n n e ct 0 07