It’s Only Common Sense: Culture Will Eat Your Strategy for Breakfast
Driving Innovation: The Flash Cutting Process
Trouble in Your Tank: Understanding Interconnect Defects, Part 2
Paige Fiet: From Emerging Engineer to Quality at TTM
March 19, 2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Editor’s note: This interview was originally recorded at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 as part of a series of interviews with IPC Emerging Engineers.
Paige Fiet is a graduate of the IPC Emerging Engineer program and now works at TTM Technologies in Logan, Utah. She was an IPC Student Board Member and has been a columnist for I-Connect007. She is a stellar example and an encouragement to other young engineers about how to be successful in your early career.
Paige, pleave give an overview of your career so far? Highlight any key factors that motivated you to pursue your role in engineering?
Paige Fiet: My dad was an engineer and as a kid, I remember going to visit him at his factory. I distinctly remember the day they put in a robot arm and how excited he was. I thought it would be like something from “The Jetsons,” but it was just an arm. I was freaked out at first, but he thought it was so cool. That day has stayed with me ever since.
In kindergarten, when everyone said they wanted to be a firefighter or a doctor, I said I wanted to be an engineer. Now, that may have changed a few times over the years, but by college, I knew I wanted to pursue electrical engineering.
I got into electronics through a PCB manufacturing class at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, and I really enjoyed it, so I joined the electronics club. Later, I applied and was selected as the IPC Student Board Member, which was an incredible learning opportunity for me.
Looking back at your career journey so far, what's been the most unexpected aspect or experience you’ve had?
I remember taking this English course in high school, and we had to write a weekly blog about whatever we wanted. I told myself that I would never write articles again. Now, I've been writing articles for I-Connect007 for about two years. It’s funny how these types of things work out.
Continue reading this article in the February 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Tom Kastner: Navigating the Complex World of M&A
12/11/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineWith a background spanning Silicon Valley, Japan, and Chicago, Punching Out columnist Tom Kastner has helped countless PCB and EMS business owners achieve their goals. In this interview, Tom reflects on his path from anthropology student to M&A expert, his love of nature and restoration work, and the satisfaction of guiding entrepreneurs through one of the most complex—and rewarding—transitions in business.
Summit Interconnect’s Leadership in the ‘Silicon Prairie’
12/05/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineSummit Interconnect is one of the two largest PCB fabricators in the United States. I visited with Deepak Makwana, general manager of Summit’s Chicago plant, Business Development Manager Tom Veitch, and Vice President of Technology Gerry Partida at their Schaumberg, Illinois (Summit Chicago) facility to learn more about the evolution of PCB manufacturing in the Midwest.
Mehul Davé: A World Full of Opportunities and Possibilities
12/02/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn this interview, entrepreneur, technologist, and global visionary I-Connect007 columnist Mehul Davé reflects on a lifetime of innovation. From founding companies and mentoring teams to shaping global supply chains, Mehul discusses leadership, culture, and optimism for a thriving PCB future—reminding us that “chips don’t float,” and opportunity is everywhere.
Jesse Vaughan: A Basketball and PCB Industry ‘Fanatic’
12/02/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007A third-generation PCB technologist and lifelong basketball enthusiast, Jesse Vaughan shares how family legacy, grit, and a love of innovation shaped his path from the court to the cleanroom. In this interview, the Beyond the Board columnist reflects on risk-taking, resilience, and the boundless future he envisions for the U.S. PCB industry
Nolan’s Notes: A Tribute to Iola—and Automation
12/02/2025 | Nolan Johnson -- Column: Nolan's NotesIn the 1960s and ’70s, when the west side of the Portland, Oregon, metro area was dominated by Tektronix, my grandmother worked as one of the “assembly ladies.” Known as “Tek,” the company was an economic juggernaut, driving the economy of the cities of Beaverton, Tigard, and Hillsboro. The only employer larger than Tektronix was the state of Oregon itself; virtually every Portlander had some connection to Tek.