EMS@C-LEVEL
As Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and SCOOP writer, Philip Stoten, continues to talk to EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) executives he learns more about their individual and collective experiences and their expectations for their own businesses and for the entire electronic manufacturing industry.
Episodes
296 episodes
Private Equity Meets Engineering: Eurocircuits Becomes The Centerpiece Of A Long-Term Strategy
What happens when founders decide legacy matters more than an easy exit? I sat down with Eurocircuits’ Founding Partner Dirk Stans to unpack a deal that keeps the company’s engineering DNA intact while unlocking the resources to scale. Instead ...
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17:29
Building An Agile, Global EMS To Serve EV Makers And Data Centers, with ALL Circuits CEO Bruno Racault
EV adoption may be slower than hopes, but the manufacturing map is being redrawn in real time. I sit down with ALL Circuits CEO Bruno Racault to unpack how a DBG–ALL Circuits alliance is positioning a global EMS player to serve fast-growing dem...
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14:27
A Merger That Turns Tariffs Into Opportunity And Scale Into Customer Advantage, with ALL Circuits' Stephane Klajzyngier
Tariffs changed the rules, but they also opened a door. I sit down with Stephane Klajzyngier, ALL Circuits' Deputy CEO, to unpack how merging with DBG transformed a strong European EMS into a truly global partner with the footprint, capital str...
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18:17
From Connectivity To AI: How Factories Finally Move Data And People with 4IR.UK's David Graham
Factory data doesn’t transform a business until people do. Live from Productronica 2025, I dig into why a decade of Industry 4.0 felt slower than promised and how the tide is turning as engineers connect lines with Hermes, bridge legacy SMEMA w...
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11:29
From Design To Assembly: How PCEA Connects The Electronics Ecosystem with their President Mike Buetow
Crowded halls at Productronica set the scene, but the real action is the shift from isolated specialties to a connected electronics ecosystem. I sit down with Mike Buetow, President of PCEA (Printed Circuit Engineering Association and Pub...
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14:13
Defense Deals And Nordic Expansion from Kitron Group: EMS@C-Level with CEO Peter Nilsson
A Nordic acquisition with outsized impact: I sit down with Kitron Group President and CEO Peter Nilsson to unpack why bringing DeltaNordic into the Kitron family is more than a geographic play. It unlocks entrenched capability in electrical cab...
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14:00
Why Connecting Machines And Companies Unlocks Real Factory Value with Koh Young's Michael Zahn and Joel Scutchfield
The floor at Productronica hummed with a cautious optimism: after nearly two years of headwinds, signs of a turn are appearing in Europe. I sat down with Koh Young’s Michael Zahn and Joel Scutchfield to compare notes across Europe, the US, and ...
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13:29
Scaling Smarter: Why InCap Is Acquiring Lacon Group And What It Unlocks, with CEO Otto Pukk
Deals change the game only when they change what you can do for customers. That's the heartbeat of our conversation as we break down InCap’s planned acquisition of Lacon Group, a Germany-based EMS and ODM player with sites across Bavaria, north...
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9:53
Global Collaboration, Local Impact with Sanjay Huprikar, Chief Global Officer at Global Electronics Association
A bustling Global Electronics Association booth at Productronica sets the stage for a candid conversation with Chief Global Officer Sanjay Huprikar about what real global collaboration looks like when it’s working. We trace a clear arc: India’s...
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9:57
From MBA To COO: Navigating EMS, Mentorship, And A New Leadership Model with Koh Young Europe COO Solin Ahmed
Productronica 2025 sets the stage for this novel leadership story: how a business major found purpose in the SMT and EMS industry, learned the language of machines and yields, and stepped into the COO role. I sat down with Koh Young Europe COO ...
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8:15
The Race is On: Dealmakers At Full Throttle with MP Corporate Finance MD Shaan Tharani
Europe’s EMS market isn’t just busy—it’s redrawing the map in real time. We sit down at Productronica 2025 to unpack how a slow Q1 turned into a full-throttle M&A sprint, and why the leaderboard is changing faster than most expected. From t...
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14:51
EMS & The Economist (November 2025) - Shutdown Shockwaves And Smarter Supply Chains
In this episode of EMS & The Economist with Global Electronics Association Shawn DuBravac, we start with the longest U.S. government shutdown on record and how it choked off official data when leaders needed it most. With unemployment figur...
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16:06
What Happens When Every Action Becomes A Data Point: EMS@C-Level with FermionX MD Will Patrick
Sitting down at FermionX with Managing Director Will Patrick, we explore how a third-generation MD took a family electronics manufacturer from tribal knowledge to a data-first operation that customers can see, trust, and scale with.We s...
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8:49
How Production-First Leadership Transforms Manufacturing Success at ALL Circuits Guadalajara
When production becomes the North Star of manufacturing leadership, everything changes. Oscar, who has evolved from engineering manager to leader of engineering and production at ALL Circuits, reveals the shift in mindset that's transform...
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4:26
The Way We See It: Day One Wrap with EMSNOW's Eric Miscoll and Koh Young's Joel Scutchfield
Amid the bustling energy of APEX 2025, there's a sense that electronics manufacturing is at a pivotal point. Despite swirling uncertainties about politics, trade, and economic conditions, some companies aren't waiting for perfect clarity—some a...
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12:12
Expanding Horizons: Microboard's Growth Strategy and Cultural Values, with Owner and CEO Nicole Russo
How does a manufacturing company double in size with limited workforce availability? What role will AI play in the future of electronics manufacturing? Nicole Russo from Microboard provides powerful insights into these questions and more during...
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8:43
From IPC to Global Electronics Association: Connecting The Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain, with CEO John Mitchell
The electronics industry has reached a pivotal moment of transformation, and leading the charge is a familiar organization with a brand new identity. In this revealing conversation, John Mitchell, President and CEO, announces the rebrand of IPC...
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9:31
Hugs Before Handshakes: How IPC Mexico Is Winning Hearts and Minds at APEX 2025
Mexico's electronics has always been one of the main events at APEX, but this year they are doubling down! I explore the journey of IPC Mexico and their first-ever dedicated pavilion at Apex after 25 years of Mexican participation at the show.&...
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7:34
Yes We Can, Yes We Must: How Europe Can Reclaim Its Competitive Edge with Koh Young's Harald Eppinger
The landscape of European manufacturing is undergoing a profound transformation, caught between geopolitical tensions, shifting economic priorities, and technological disruption. Harald Eppinger of Koh Young offers a candid assessment of where ...
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10:55
Crisis-Proof Manufacturing: InCap's Otto Pukk Talks Tariffs, Trade Wars and Talent in an Agile Global EMS
Amid global economic uncertainty and shifting trade policies, how do manufacturing companies navigate choppy waters? Otto Pukk, President & CEO of InCap joins us to reveal the advantages of a decentralized leadership approach during turbule...
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7:09
Navigating Industry Change with Out of the Box Manufacturing's Allison Budvarson
As the landscape of electronics manufacturing undergoes rapid transformation, industry leaders are grappling with how to navigate uncertainty while capitalizing on emerging opportunities. At APEX 2025, Allison Budvarson, COO and co-founder of O...
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7:13
Uncertainty Has Become The Only Certainty - EMS@C-Level with IMI CEO Lou Hughes
Lou Hughes, President and CEO of IMI, brings us inside the evolving world of global electronics manufacturing where uncertainty has become the only certainty. From his perspective leading a major EMS provider through turbulent times, Hughes sha...
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14:42
MADE IN EUROPE #3: Scaling Defense From EU Strategy to Battlefield Innovation
Europe's defense industrial base stands at a critical inflection point. Military experts warn we have just three to five years to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities before facing potentially devastating security challenges.I talked...
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23:29
Balancing Global and Regional Supply Chains - Sanjay Huprikar, Chief Global Officer, IPC on EMS@C-Level
In this compelling conversation, Sanjay Huprikar shares insights into his expanded role overseeing IPC's global strategy across Europe, India, Southeast Asia, the US, and Canada. As the newly appointed Chief Global Officer for an association se...
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19:45
EMS & The Economist - Chaos-as-a-Strategy and How Tariffs Are Changing Supply Chains (May 25)
Economic uncertainty looms large over the manufacturing landscape as tariffs, interest rates, and geopolitical tensions reshape global supply chains. The slight contraction in Q1 economic growth masks an underlying reality - demand remains rela...
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23:37