Leadership in Manufacturing

Sales teams have more tools than ever. Product training has expanded. CRM training has expanded. AI training is next. But the basics of selling still matter when a buyer pushes back, a customer relationship gets tense, or a major opportunity needs trust before it can move forward. In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, Sannah Vinding talks with Andy Coyle, Senior Director of S...

Automation can improve distribution operations, but only when leaders understand the work, the team, and the flexibility the business still needs. In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, Sannah Vinding talks with Aaron Hein , Senior Director of Distribution Operations at Sager Electronics , about leading operational change, building a new distribution operation, and choosing fl...

The manufacturers rep role is changing. Territory coverage and relationships still matter, but manufacturers now expect stronger opportunity visibility, better data, more technical confidence, and a clearer reason to keep investing in the rep relationship. In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, Sannah Vinding continues her conversation with Walter Tobin , former CEO of the Ele...

Customers are harder to reach. Inboxes are full, LinkedIn pitches arrive too fast, and more outreach is not solving the problem. In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, Sannah Vinding sits down with Walter Tobin , former CEO of the Electronics Representatives Association , to talk about why sales training matters in the electronics channel. Walter brings decades of experience a...

Jeff Newell is the President of Mouser Electronics , a global distributor with more than 4,000 employees, 1,200 manufacturer partners, and customers in 223 countries and territories. In this episode, Jeff sits down with Sannah Vinding to talk about what leadership actually looks like at the top of a multi-billion dollar global business. Jeff is direct, practical, and refuses to put himself on a pe...

What does the field sales rep actually deliver in a market where buyers research with AI before they engage? Lonnie Power , Customer Business Manager at Heilind Electronics , joins S annah Vinding to talk about how the role has shifted from information delivery to translation, bridging, and problem solving. Lonnie has spent close to three decades inside the electronics industry, working both the s...

AI can pull the datasheet, cross-reference the part, and draft the follow-up in minutes. What it cannot do is understand where a customer's roadmap is heading two years out, or know which application risk will surface before it shows up in testing. The rep who sees around corners is still the one who wins the business. The question is how you build that edge when the tools keep changing. In this b...

What makes technical training actually work? Not the slides, not the credentials of the trainer, and not the size of the room. According to Don Gillis , HVACR Technical Trainer at HARDI, it comes down to tone, trust, and whether the person delivering the material has genuinely thought about what the audience needs to retain. Don has spent more than three decades in the HVACR industry, starting in...

AI is making reps faster. But faster is not the same as better. The rep who brings value still wins. The question is how you build that value when the tools are changing. In the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Hunter Starr , CPMR, President at Performance Technical Sales, to explore how the manufacturers rep role is evolving as AI reshapes research, outreach, a...

The autonomy of a startup feels freeing, until the guardrails disappear and every mistake is amplified. The structure of a large enterprise feels slow, until you realize some of those constraints exist for a reason. Most leaders do not get to stay in one type of organization their whole career. The question is whether you adapt or just repeat what worked last time. In the Leadership in Manufacturi...

The tools are changing. But leadership is what determines whether they create impact. In Part 2 of this conversation on the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast , host Sannah Vinding continues the discussion with Tom Walker , Co-Founder and Vice President of S pectron Components , shifting the focus from tactics to leadership. In Part 1, Tom shared how AI-powered workflows are helping modern manufa...

The role of the manufacturer’s rep has changed. Access is more limited. Expectations are higher. And the old playbook no longer works the way it used to. In Part 1 of this two-part episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast , host Sannah Vinding is joined by Tom Walker , Co-Founder and Vice President of Spectron Components , to break down how the modern manufacturer’s rep role is evolving...

How should leaders start using AI without overwhelming teams or chasing tools that never deliver real value? In this bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast , host Sannah Vinding is joined again by Ellen Albright , Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Engineering Technology , for a focused conversation on starting AI adoption the right way. This short episode centers on...

How can leaders use AI to deliver faster technical answers without overwhelming teams or losing trust? In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Ellen Albright , Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Engineering Technology , about building a practical AI agent to support sales and engineering teams. This conversation explores how leaders c...

In this short bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast , host Sannah Vinding speaks with Bruce Kellar , Senior Vice President of Sales at Sager Electronics , about leading through disruption with clarity, composure, and confidence. This focused conversation explores why overreacting creates risk, how leaders can educate themselves before acting, and why communicating both decisions...

How should leaders use AI without losing trust, judgment, and human connection? In this short bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Kaitlyn Tredaway , COO at CalcuQuote , about where artificial intelligence truly adds value and where human leadership must remain in charge. This focused conversation explores why AI is best used for efficiency, sca...

Why trust and clarity matter in cross cultural leadership. How do leaders communicate clearly, build trust, and navigate cultural differences inside global electronics and manufacturing teams? In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Jessica Chang, Distribution Sales Manager at MEAN WELL USA , about how leaders build strong relationships across bo...

Why AI should support people, not replace them. How do modern leaders use AI to support people, strengthen culture, and scale global teams? In this episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast, host Sannah Vinding speaks with Kaitlyn Tredaway , COO at CalcuQuote , about how leaders can balance technology and trust while growing a global remote team. Kaitlyn explains why AI should handle rout...

Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all skill. Real leadership comes from experience — from learning, adapting, and building trust with people across every generation. In this episode, discover how to use your experience to connect with multi-generational teams, build trust that inspires performance, and create a company culture where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to grow. Host Sannah...

Adapting your leadership style isn’t just about managing people; it’s about understanding them. In today’s workforce, success depends on how well you connect, listen, and lead across generations. Discover how to bridge generational gaps, empower your team through trust, and build a culture of communication that keeps people engaged and performing at their best. You’ll learn practical ways to liste...

In this episode, Bruce Kellar , Senior Vice President of Sales at Sager Electronics , shares what four decades in the electronics industry have taught him about leadership, belief, and building trust. From the early days of GPS and Bluetooth to today’s AI-driven landscape, Bruce has seen the industry evolve — and led teams through every wave of change. Hosted by Sannah Vinding on the Leadership in...

In this episode, Amy Anahory , CEO of MicroPower Direct , shares her journey of stepping into her family’s power electronics business and leading it through industry disruption, growth, and change. With a background in political science and marketing, Amy proves that leadership is not about having all the technical answers, it is about trust, flexibility, and curiosity. Hosted by Sannah Vinding on...

In this episode, Andreas Brockmann , Apprenticeship Coordinator at UNITED GRINDING North America , shares how a four-year apprenticeship program is preparing the next generation of manufacturing leaders. With more than 30 years of experience in engineering and training, Andreas explains why apprenticeships are more than just technical education, they are long-term investments in people, culture, a...

In this episode, Charles Johnson , Lead Trainer and Technical Engineer at Lynxspring, Inc . and host of the It’s a Controls Problem podcast , shares how one leadership mistake reshaped his entire approach to leading technical teams. Hosted by Sannah Vinding on the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast , this conversation explores how active listening and humility transform leadership in manufacturin...

In this bonus episode of the Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast , host Sannah Vinding reconnects with Jacob Baldwin , Director of Corporate Marketing at UNITED GRINDING North America , to dive deeper into the power of authentic storytelling in manufacturing marketing. Jacob shares why marketing in manufacturing is uniquely challenging - from long sales cycles and complex buying committees to the...