The Interface

Episode 199: Jay Sandidge

A conversation with Jay Sandidge, General Manager of Positronic in Springfield, MO. Jay has been GM for five months but has been with Positronic for nearly 20 years. We talk about Positronic's product portfolio, market focus, and desire to work closely with their customers on customized parts. We talk about being part of the 2021 acquisition by Amphenol and now understanding, three years later, why Amphenol was attracted to their business. We talk about the "generalist" part of being a general manager and how he focuses on creating a comfortable working environment for his team. We talk about moving around as a kid -- Belgium, Houston, Oklahoma, and Virginia Beach -- before settling in Springfield. We talk about his time as a drummer in a band in the early 2000s and opening for Tonic and the Goo Goo Dolls. And we discuss his desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 198: Elizabeth Matus

A conversation with Elizabeth Matus, Distribution Specialist for Amphenol Aerospace. Elizabeth is now based in Sidney, NY after spending her first seven years with the company in the Nogales, Mexico facility. We talk about her role in distribution, working with high-service distributors, and why they're such an essential part of Amphenol's business. We talk about her recent move from Nogales to Sidney to help advance her career and what her first couple of months have been like, both personally and professionally. We talk about being born and raised in Mexico, being a troublemaker as a little girl, moving to California for a few years, and finally returning to Mexico. We talk about using this new career opportunity to explore and visit new places. And we discuss her desert island album, movie, and book, including her favorite passage from the book. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 197: Craig Higginson

A conversation with Craig Higginson, General Manager of Q Microwave in San Diego, CA. Q Microwave, founded by Craig and his business partner in 1998, is one of the newest acquisitions to join Amphenol just a few months ago. We talk about designing and manufacturing microwave and RF filter products for use in the wireless and military industries. We talk about old-school filter needs from the early cell phone era and some current real-world applications for what their filter connectors can do. We talk about growing up in the Bay Area in California, getting into computers from his father and brothers, and meeting some of the most famous legends of the early days of Silicon Valley. We talk about the days before being acquired by Amphenol where he would live on the edge and use his house as collateral to make huge investments in his business. And we discuss his desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 196: Natalie Emerson

A conversation with Natalie Emerson, Product Specialist for Amphenol PCD in Beverly, MA. Natalie has been with Amphenol for close to a year. We talk about being the channel-to-market for Amphenol Socapex's products from France into the North American market. We talk about the outstanding support she gets from the French and U.S. engineering teams to help with customers. We talk about focusing on product education, not just for her customers, but for the sales teams and distribution partners. We talk about being raised in the greater Boston area and striving for greatness academically and in the many sports she participated in. We talk about her unique first few jobs before learning about Amphenol while being picked up in a bar. We talk about her love of cooking in her free time, and we discuss her desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 195: Vi Quach

This is an episode you won't want to miss -- A conversation with Vi Quach, Senior Operations Manager for Amphenol Fiber Optic Products. Vi has been with Amphenol since 2017. We spend the entire episode discussing his remarkable recovery from Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. We talk about the incredible journey from being told he had weeks to live to waking up every day with a smile, ready to get after whatever life has in store for him. We talk about how returning to work in April has been the best thing for him as it allows him to continue to share his story with others and tell people that there is no such thing as "impossible." We talk about how surviving cancer has changed his outlook on life, focusing on what matters and enjoying every second. And, of course, we discuss his very relevant desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 194: Kevin Rauer

A conversation with Kevin Rauer, General Manager of Bernd Richter, in Germany. Kevin has been with Amphenol and Bernd since 2009. We talk about his business, which focuses on custom, high-quality cables and connectors, mainly for the medical and defense industries. We talk about becoming general manager nine months ago and some of the things he's learned as he goes through his first year in the role. We talk about leaning on his fellow general managers, especially in similar industries, to offer advice and guidance. We talk about growing up in East Germany before reunification and some differences between now and then. We talk about taking a break from school and work for six months and traveling through Australia. We talk about raising two young boys, and we discuss his desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 193: Lisa Locascio

A conversation with Lisa Locascio, Project Leader for the Amphenol Industrial Products Group. Lisa is based in Chicago and has been with Amphenol for over 30 years. We talk about the group's future as it expands into more manufacturing locations to support demanding markets like the solar industry. We talk about being there at the beginning of Amphenol Industrial becoming its own business and how much it's evolved. We talk about working for the former Pyle National in Chicago in an operations role before Amphenol acquired them and taking a leap of faith that the opportunity to change jobs would pay off. We talk about why her unique skill set, inherited mainly from her father, makes her the perfect person to run projects across multiple businesses for the Industrial group. We talk about being a former gym rat, continuing to stay active, but avoiding the dangers of downhill skiing. And we discuss her desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 192: Dan Blaney

A conversation with Dan Blaney, Group Director of Operations for Amphenol's High Technology Industrial Group. Dan has been with Amphenol, mainly with Amphenol Alden, since 2000. We talk about his new group role, which utilizes his vast knowledge and operations experience to help other AHTI businesses. We talk about being re-energized in this new role towards the tail end of his 46-year career as it allows him to mentor the next generation of operations experts and leave Amphenol in a better place once he retires. We talk about how important it is to effectively communicate how we're doing within our organizations and with our customers. We talk about getting into the manufacturing world through teaching tennis lessons as a young man. We use a few sports analogies, primarily related to coaching and football, and we discuss his desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 191: Keyon Keshtgar

A conversation with Keyon Keshtgar, Senior Design and Engineering Manager for Onanon in Milpitas, CA. Keyon has been getting things done with Onanon for seven years. We talk about Onanon's focus on designing and manufacturing connectors and cable assemblies, mainly for the medical industry. We talk about some new products he's most excited about, like MagConnect and SmartConnect, that integrate active and passive components in one solution. We talk about working with the next generation of engineers at the college level and mentoring them that learning from their failures is invaluable to their development. We talk about his early interest in the biomedical field and observing various surgical procedures before focusing more on engineering. We talk about playing basketball in his free time and we discuss his desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.

Episode 190: Jose Estevez

A conversation with Jose Estevez, Director of Marketing for Amphenol Aerospace in Sidney, NY. Jose has been with Amphenol since the beginning of the year but has been in the interconnect industry for most of his career. We talk about his first nine months on the job, managing a large marketing team across two sites and wrapping his arms around Amphenol's strategic planning process for the first time. We talk about how the collaborative efforts with the other military and aerospace businesses have helped him and his team's efforts. We talk about his excitement around new product development, starting with a customer relationship that turns into an idea and eventually a finished product that makes money. We talk about growing up in the Dominican Republic, being attracted to engineering at a young age, and starting immediately in this industry. We talk about the joys of world cuisine, and we discuss his desert island album, book, and movie. This is The Interface.

Hosted by Chris Cappello. Music by Square Seed.

For The Interface podcast guest inquiries and suggestions, send a LinkedIn message to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjcappello.