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IPC Strengthens Global Leadership Team with Addition of Joe Schneider as Vice President of U.S/Canada
April 25, 2025 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC, the global electronics association, announces the strategic appointment of Joe Schneider as vice president of U.S./Canada. This newly created executive position underscores the association’s commitment to championing the electronics industry's critical contributions to this region’s innovation and economic growth.
In this role, Schneider is responsible for ensuring that the needs of this vital region’s electronics industry are clearly understood and served by IPC and accomplished by developing strong relationships with regional membership, customers, and partners along with providing exceptional service delivery and identifying new business opportunities throughout the electronics eco-system.
With an impressive resume, Schneider brings more than two decades of executive experience with very successful roles and increasing responsibility in the EMS industry (Flex, Sparton) and the medical devices industry (Abbott, Siemens Healthcare). Immediately prior to joining IPC, he served as the vice president of commercial operations, health solutions for Flex in Buffalo Grove, Ill. While there, he led multi-site operations responsible for medical device, equipment and drug delivery for the healthcare industry.
“As our members, partners and other industry stakeholders meet Joe and see him in action, it will become very apparent that developing strong relationships with our targeted community and finding creative ways to address their challenges are part of his natural DNA. We look forward to him implementing the right strategies to better know the industry and in parallel fulfill our mission to serve the membership,” said Sanjay Huprikar, IPC’s chief global officer.
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/08/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007This week, I’ve selected some outstanding interviews that you’ll want to take note of. First, is a roundtable discussion featuring three dynamic industry cybersecurity experts. Please watch this important discussion that affects us all. Following that, I spotlight the IPC-2581 Consortium, which explains why IPC-2581 is the standard to replace Gerber data for manufacturing. Next, I am including my interview with PCBAA and AAM, who collaborated to release a short documentary on U.S. PCB manufacturing.
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell
05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
Meet Emerging Engineers: Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker, Summit Interconnect
05/05/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker both work for Summit Interconnect, and are in their second year of the Global Electronics Association’s Emerging Engineer Program with mentor Brian Chislea. They stopped by the I-Connect007 booth at APEX EXPO and shared a bit of their story with me. Patrick has worked at the Hollister, California, plant since 2018, while Eric has been at the Chicago site since 2023. Like many of their peers, they came to the electronics industry from different paths, but are both excited about making an impact.
PCBAA, AAM Take on the Fight to Rebuild U.S. Manufacturing in New Documentary
05/05/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Throughout most of the 20th century, manufacturing was central to the American Dream of providing stable jobs and pathways to upward mobility. Today, more than 80% of global electronics manufacturing capacity resides in China and greater Asia, raising serious concerns about supply chain resilience and national security.