Octopart Sponsors the Women in Electronics (WE) Conference, Sept 2022

Octopart was a proud premium sponsor of the 6th Annual Women in Electronics conference held earlier this month in San Diego, California. There were over 165 attendees from over 60 leading industry organizations representing manufacturing, distribution, digital partners, industry associations, and service providers. Focusing on the theme of “Growing Forward”, the two-day event was packed with workshops, panel discussions, and presentations that offered the opportunity for attendees to work on professional and personal growth. 

Octopart’s own VP of Biz Dev, Jane Fischetti attended the conference and also facilitated a round table discussion. Read more about her experience of working in the electronics industry for over 30 years and what being a member of the Women in Electronics Association and attending the conference means for her. 

How long have you worked in the electronics industry and where? 

Jane: I am so fortunate to have stumbled into this industry just over 33 years ago. I entered the world of electronics before the use of email, so I have experienced the progression from fax machines to email, to EDI, to API, and beyond.  All that change demanded that I be flexible, nimble, and adaptive.  I spent most of my career at PEI-Genesis, which also evolved from a broad line regional distributor to a global specialty distributor, during my tenure there.  I spent the last five or six years of my time at PEI developing our China and India strategies and then building and managing their China factory. All of these experiences seem like a million years away from my first day there.

Describe your experience being part of the WE group and how has it impacted your mindset about being a woman in electronics.

I joined WE and attended my first conference in 2018. I admit that I was a silent observer in the beginning.  There were a lot of transitions happening in my life; I started working here at Octopart in 2020, and of course, there was the COVID pandemic, but beyond that, I just felt “too busy” to be more involved.  And I’m sure I’m not alone in that.  However, I think I missed a real opportunity. I should have leaned into the organization at the time.  WE allows you to give and take as much or as little as you like. 

In 2021, one of my male colleagues, Nemanja Jokonovic, encouraged me to contact his friend Maryellen Stack, who leads WE’s marketing initiatives. That led to Octopart/Nexar supporting WE from a marketing perspective.  From there, Jackie Mattox, founder of WE, helped us with our annual Altium Designer conference by moderating a keynote panel of professionals.  Jackie is focused on encouraging more women engineers to join WE.  The organization aspires to make all women happier, more successful, and more engaged in their work across all disciplines whether in sales, marketing, product development, or engineering.

What was a highlight for you from the WE Conference last week?

Jackie, Monica, and Amy, the founders of WE created an amazing agenda that focused on both personal and professional development, asking us to challenge ourselves and pointing out where to find the tools we need to be successful. 

The first day was ladies only and we dove into a wide range of topics, like succeeding through challenges, being more creative, polishing your image and personal brand, owning your career paths, and recognizing and working through your own pain and struggles that might be holding you back from success in all aspects of your life.

On the second day our male colleagues joined us and we looked back at Aristotle’s 12 virtues, asserting that our character drives our conduct.  We can recognize these virtues in ourselves and in our employees to help them develop.  We got a report on innovation in the industry, how to build a healthy talent pipeline, and how to shift our mindsets into a more modern approach toward business. Octopart sponsored a round table discussion around supply chain and digital transformation, where we discussed all the new ways we can support and interact with our customers.  We then ended with a discussion around “Growing Forward’  and how to take the next steps in your career. They shared a story about how a marketing misstep where 70,000 stuffed Chick-fil-A cows landed on a football field actually helped Jeff Henderson find his way to his dream job. 

Being with all the amazing women that attended was refreshing and motivating.  Genein Letford’s creativity workshop stood out for me.  It reminded me to get out of my box, be more creative and have fun.  She also reminded me that not all people express their creativity the same way.  A creative team will be happier, more productive, and stay with the company longer.  With that said, I’m off to dust off my colored pencils!  

Octopart/Nexar/Altium is a proud premium sponsor of this event and is a Silver Sponsor of the WE Organization, proudly advocating for opportunities for women in electronics.  

“We are excited to be a part of an organization whose goals are to empower, develop, advocate and celebrate women in electronics.” Jane Fischetti, VP of Biz Dev, Octopart

Women In Electronics

“It was an honor to be in good company at the 6th Annual Leadership Conference with friends and colleagues, all of us coming together to develop as a united community. Our industry has a massive impact on the globe, and as we challenge and grow ourselves personally, we rise together professionally.” Jackie Mattox, Founder & Chief Executive Officer 

Women in Electronics was founded in 2017 by a group of women professionals as a way to form a sense of community, develop together, and unite with their male colleagues in an effort to expand the opportunities for women in the electronics industry. A 501(c)(3) public charity, WE is focused on advancing women through four organizational goals: empower, advocate, develop and celebrate. With regional chapters in the US and Europe, and a vision to bring our program to a global community, Women in Electronics is supported by leading industry organizations.

Learn more about Women in Electronics

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