Q: What industries did you work in prior to your new Sales role at Amphenol Invotec? A: Prior to joining the Amphenol Invotec team I worked for a PCB broker the UK. My role was in internal account management, supporting customers globally, particularly in Asia across a wide range of market sectors.
Q: What attracted to the Sales role at Amphenol Invotec? A: Really it was two factors. Firstly, it’s the role. It's a different position, where I will be more field based and more focused on not only growing our relationships with existing customers, but also targeting new ones. Secondly, Amphenol Invotec has a really good track record. So that's a big, big draw as well.
Q: What is your official business title at Amphenol Invotec? A: Sales Account Manager.
Q: Which regions of the world will your new role cover? A: Predominantly, my focus will be on the UK. I’m based in the North East of England, so I'll be covering this area and Scotland in particular. Of course, as a sales team we are flexible and we adapt to meet our customer needs, wherever that is.
Q: Will your new Sales role focus on any particular sectors? A: Amphenol Invotec has a strong heritage in Aerospace, Defence and Space sectors, so for certain I will be focussing in these areas. But, we are also recognised for serving a much broader range of markets, including industrial, mass transit, oil and gas, automotive and medical. Q: Will you be attending some of the upcoming industry exhibitions and conferences? A: The Amphenol Invotec Sales team participates in several international trade exhibitions. We are selective of course; typically, Electronica in Munich is a prime focus to exhibit, and we look to participate in a variety of other events, including Space Tech, DSEI, Paris Air Show and FEINDEF.
Q: The pandemic and geo-political turmoil has created some delays in the supply chain for some materials. What are your views on this going forward? A: I think it’s fair to say for everyone it’s been a challenge! From a sales and customer support perspective, it puts a bigger demand on communication with customers. Out of some challenging situations, it does give a good opportunity to have more in-depth talks with them. When you discuss problems, you can build towards solutions and understand your customer better, which can lead to building stronger relationships. That’s really important.
Q: Amphenol Invotec continues to see a strong order book with continued demand? A: That’s certainly true. Since Q4 2021, we have seen a significant surge in orders as a broad picture, as we began to emerge from the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was pent-up demand already in the system, but we know customers were holding back due to the lack of confidence. Through the vaccination programme, confidence in orders has been turned back on. In turn, this has also created a double whammy of surge buying effects, where concerns in material availability and even allocation fuelled additional demand. As we have moved through 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been another contributory factor, particularly in defence spending, where we have a strong presence. Overall, customers have had to release orders, and continue to longer planning horizons to secure what they need.
Q: Which sectors are you currently seeing the most demand for your PCBs? A: Issues in Ukraine have had a ripple effect throughout Europe. We can all see this with increased defence budgets being announced in many countries. Also, we see demand from the Aviation sector as the industry looks to rebound. The space sector is certainly project-driven, and right now it’s certainly true that the major players are very active. Fundamentally, customers are looking to shore up their supply in the wake of the pandemic and geo-political concerns. Overall, it’s likely that you'll see the UK market increasing because of that. Sensitive sectors such as Defence, Space and Aerospace will of course be at the forefront, but there will undoubtedly be others.
Q: British manufacturing is renowned for quality. Do you think that the fact that your PCBs are made in Britain is helping with the sales? A: Quality has to be a given, and it’s certainly a cornerstone of our business approach. Having the associated customer and industry approvals follows on from that. We have tailored our business to gain and maintain accreditations that our customers see as the basis for dealing with us. The profile of our customers is very much mission-critical, and we see that from the products we help to deliver, whether it’s supporting ventilators to help our NHS, defence programs for our armed forces or engine management systems for F1 motorsport. The fact that we are British can, of course, be deemed attractive for security of supply and adaptability to being vital for national interest concerns. Of course, we have a broader reach and exports within Europe and North America and other selected territories remain a key part of our business.
Q: Tell me about the team at Amphenol Invotec? A: I think one of the things I've noticed just from being there is that the people that work there, at all levels, are personal and approachable. In sales and customer service, irrespective of what you offer, engaging with people is essential; good relationships are vital. I'm still quite young in this industry. I'm just turning 30, so I'm quite new in the grand scheme of things. But I know that there's a lot of people here who've been with Amphenol Invotec for a long time, and I think that shows how good the company is. From the sales team to people on the manufacturing floor and on the ground, everyone's friendly, really positive with a can-do attitude. I think that's a real benefit because there’s a wealth of experience to draw on. That’s certainly been tested in these past two years, but we value our team members and our customer relationships.
Q: Amphenol Invotec has a lot of expertise in PCBs across your two UK facilities? A: Yes, I think another thing that really stands out from the company is that there's lot of PCB technology expertise here. Our job is to help support product realisation and we have been doing this for over 40 years. It filters down through the organisation. Yes, we have key positions in engineering, technology, and quality, but it goes throughout the levels of the business. There’s a wealth of knowledge here. It’s rare for us to see something that hasn’t been done before, and we draw on this in our customer engagement. It’s a trust thing; we look to be open, honest, and direct. Converting a customer product from an engineering concept through to a qualified serial production doesn’t come on a whim. Being able to impart our know-how, fosters trust, and it goes hand-in-hand with what I was just saying in terms of the people culture. We want to be trusted and approachable. For me, as I am finding my feet here, it's reassuring I can find support to answer my knowledge growth and of course that of my customers.