IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1543307
68 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2026 So, I inherited all things custom, adding metal fabrication, plastic injection molding, die casting, wire harness, and anything else that was build-to- print. I also inherited my colleague's talented team of commodity specialists. As Plexus grew, so did my team and supply base, with most of my subject matter expert commodity specialists coming from their respective industries. The crown jewel of our team came when Plexus was rewarded the Coca- Cola Freestyle program. We chose the best suppli- ers for the program, drove costs down through DFM, and managed every single engineering change order that came down daily among the suppliers, design firms, and Coca-Cola, until this revolutionary product was ready for the incredibly successful launch to market. Coca-Cola was a high maintenance customer, and I couldn't have been prouder of my team for their part in this historical accomplishment. These were some of the most talented professionals I have ever had the pleasure of working with. After 15 years as the custom global sourcing manager, my team controlled about $500 million in annual spend and Plexus' revenue had grown to $2.8 billion annually and was on target to surpass $4 billion in FY 2025. There were also a number of notable accom- plishments at Plexus that set the stage for the next phase of my career as a small business owner, consultant, and author. First, early in my Plexus career I realized a bachelor's degree would not continue to be a differentiator, so I earned an MBA. After graduating, I became an adjunct professor at one national and two regional universities, teach- ing at the master's level for 12 years (while still keeping my day job). This ignited my passion for teaching and public speaking, and led to teaching Professional Development Courses at the annual APEX EXPO, which continues to this day. My prior reputation in the PCB manufactur- ing industry was limited to the small circle of PCB shops, customers, and suppliers I had worked for and with. Being the guy who controlled the type of spend my team managed elevated my profile and industry recognition a hundred-fold, as did working intimately with the best PCB and custom manufac- turers in the world. I was always looking for a way to better connect T H E R I G H T A PPROAC H T H E R I G H T A PPROAC H " This ignited my passion for teaching and public speaking, and led to teaching Professional Development Courses at the annual APEX EXPO, which continues to this day."