Reprinted with permission from the July, 2023 issue of ELECTRONIC MFG. SERVICES (EMS)

By Michael Skinner, Editor

In a highly male-dominated industry, women have worked hard to carve out a place for themselves that includes the same opportunities, respect, and recognition as their male counterparts. Here we highlight a few of these women and their unique experiences that have carried them to the top.

Kristen Mattson, Amtech Systems

Kristen Mattson started working for BTU International in 1998 in the process engineering group. At that time she worked directly with customers running trials and doing process development work. Later, she took on roles in product management, specifically focused on semiconductor packaging applications, and then more general roles within marketing.

Now, Mattson works for BTU’s parent company, Amtech Systems, as the corporate director of strategic marketing, where she has direct input into the overall company strategy.

“When I’m in the field or at a show, I love it when a customer or prospective customer says something positive about BTU’s products or brand,” says Mattson. “I feel I have played a part in giving that impression. I’m passionate about dissecting and testing the value propositions for everything — all the time.”

Mattson emphasizes the importance of human interaction in the electronics manufacturing industry, delighted by how human the interactions are. “In the end, buying decisions are not made by some robot or algorithm, they are made by people — people with the most basic needs for trust and partnership,” she says.

Mattson explains how she grew up in the industry, with her father working his entire career as an engineer in the semiconductor fab at IBM in Vermont. Her first job out of college was at an ion implant supplier. “At our dinner table at night, my father would talk about the pace of technology advancement, like Moore’s Law, and about global competition and the importance of semiconductors in the world,” she says. “Now, decades later, these types of conversations are happening at dinner tables again, even outside our industry, with electronics and semiconductors in the news. It’s fun now to talk with friends outside of the industry as they see the electronics and semiconductor business with new interest and perspective.”

Jennifer Davis, Arch Systems

Jennifer Davis joined Arch Systems in December 2019 as a consultant, but soon learned that the technology and team were special. A year later, she became the senior director of marketing and communications. As is common in early stage companies, her role has grown since joining Arch.

In the early stages of a company, there’s a lot of time spent developing branding and messaging. As it grows and becomes a product-led organization, the focus becomes more intent on persona positioning and making sure the company is really developing products that current and potential customers want.

“Taking a business to scale requires more strategic thinking and collaborating, but we still have a lot of fun in the doing at Arch,” says Davis. “I’m happy to lead an exceptional team.”

Davis has always been an operations-minded leader, which she believes has helped her to end up in marketing and communications. “The span of these functions is pretty wide across the company, and I enjoy the touchpoints I have with all the functions,” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s the people that make great organizations. If we keep our priorities in that order, we’re likely to find a lot of personal and professional satisfaction along the way.”

Davis appreciates the opportunity to be part of a team that is unquestionably changing discrete manufacturing. The sophistication of Arch’s products exceed most expectations and Davis considers it rewarding to see a growing understanding of the use of data in the electronics industry.

“Working with women is an empowering experience, as is community outreach. I try to give back by working with young people as they discover new paths,” says Davis. “I’ve had the privilege of working with teenage girls for many years in this capacity, and I’m certain I learn much more from them than they do from me.”

Regina Lathrop, Datest

“My husband, Robert Boguski, acquired Datest with two partners in 2005, and in 2009, the two of us bought out the partners,” says Regina Lathrop. Together, they took on the challenge of turning around and rehabilitating a well known industry brand name that had seen better days. To compound matters, the Great Recession of 2008-2009 was at its peak. “Not an ideal situation,” she says. “But, we found a way and here we are today, with our name recognition better than ever.”

Lathrop is the administrative and marketing coordinator for Datest. This involves a wide variety of financial and HR responsibilities, as well as marketing. Her role has evolved over the years from co-owner with few day-to-day duties to include much more.

“Working with talented industry colleagues is a privilege,” says Lathrop. “I enjoy the creative and collaborative process that brings about fresh ideas for advertising in various media. And, of course, seeing the final result is very gratifying.”

In addition to her role at Datest, Lathrop also volunteers with her local SMTA chapter in Silicon Valley. As the VP of communications, she’s responsible for event publicity. She also works with her fellow officers to determine the schedule and content of chapter events, webinars, technical meetings, expos, and social events.

Lathrop highlights Datest’s efforts to offer internships to promising engineering students. “It is in our company’s interest, as well as that of the industry, to do our best to promote and encourage the next generation of technicians, engineers and managers,” she says. “Now what I’d like to see is more women getting into this field.”

Jayne Carthy, Absolute EMS

“As the VP of sales and marketing for the past four years at Absolute EMS (AEMS), I can absolutely say that AEMS is a Silicon Valley gem,” says Jayne Carthy. “Originally I was drawn to this organization because the vision of CEO Jeff Bullis and COO Doug Dow was in alignment with my passion and my skill set.”

The team was committed to rebuilding a successful business and creating an Industry 4.0 “factory of the future” to deliver to Silicon Valley something that had never been available. AEMS is now a state-of-the-art certified factory that provides PCBA manufacturing services, supports the tightest tolerances and uses the best equipment in the industry.

In her current role, Carthy’s responsibilities include marketing for the organization, defining business verticals, identifying where the company best fits in the industry, partnering with customers that complement its strengths, and growing the company accordingly.

“The most rewarding aspect of my position is inviting organizations to learn more about our offerings and have them be excited about AEMS being an excellent fit for their challenging manufacturing requirements,” she says. “I’m also proud of our strong partnerships in distribution and supply chain.” AEMS is positioned as Hanwha’s Northern California Center of Excellence and MIRTEC continuously provides the company with dedicated support.

“In addition to growing and strengthening our business, we understand that it is just as important to support our community and the next generation,” says Carthy.

“We enjoy community participation and giving back to those that make our area a better place.”

Carthy explains that what offers her the most personal value is being introduced to people and learning about the exciting technology that is being brought to market. She concludes, “It’s beyond exciting to be on the front end of this development and be part of something that makes a huge impact in the world.”