How we connect customers with products: An interview with BDM, Lisa Parbery

Finding the right connector also means knowing where to source it and how quickly it can arrive. 

Lisa Parbery, Business Development Manager at Amphenol LTD, explains how distribution partners help customers access stock, develop new designs and support longer-term projects.

With more than 30 years in electronics, she also shares why strong relationships and seeing products in their final applications remain central to her work.

How did you enter the electronics industry, and what does your role at Amphenol LTD involve?

I joined RS Components at 18, initially picking and packing products. It was a major local employer in Corby, Northamptonshire, with plenty of opportunities to develop a career. Over 25 years, I progressed into product management, eventually running the interconnect and private-label teams.

After a period in consulting, I joined Amphenol LTD five and a half years ago. Moving from distribution to manufacturing brought a different perspective: businesses I previously knew as competitors became customers.

Today, I work alongside Andrew Rising, Business Development Executive, supporting more than 50 distributors. Our customer base is primarily located across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, although our responsibilities extend globally. No two days are the same, but my role typically involves customer meetings, strategic account development, pricing discussions, and collaborating with our product management team to support new business opportunities and project growth.

Much of the role centres on quarterly business reviews:

• understanding performance
• identifying opportunities
• and agreeing how we can help each partner grow their Amphenol business.

How do your distribution partners support different customer needs?

Distribution is a significant part of our business and our partners offer complementary capabilities, helping customers source products and access support throughout a project.

Our “value-added distributors” can assemble certain connectors from in-stock components to a customer’s specification (under the relevant approvals). For qualified MIL-DTL-38999 products, the appropriate qualification requirements apply. This capability can help customers seeking particular configurations or smaller quantities.

High-service partners, including RS, Farnell, Mouser and DigiKey, provide online access to products, datasheets and images. Their global marketing reach helps us bring new product introductions (NPIs) to a wider audience quickly.

What difference can distributor stock make, from prototyping through to production?

Availability is a major advantage. When ordering a product that needs to be manufactured, customers must allow for the manufacturing lead time. If a distributor already holds it on the shelf, delivery may depend primarily on shipping time.

That can help engineers obtain parts sooner for prototype development and testing. Distributors can also discuss stockholding and scheduled supply for longer programmes. For a three-year project, for example, a partner may hold agreed stock that the customer draws on throughout that period.

Our online stock-check tool is a useful starting point, allowing customers to search by part number and region. If they cannot find what they need, we can explore options across the network. Value-added distributors may hold components from which a connector can be assembled, even when finished products are not listed. So, it’s always worth getting in touch if you can’t readily find what you are looking for.

What do you enjoy most about working with the distribution network?

The relationships are a real highlight. Conferences organised by our Amphenol Military & Aerospace Distribution EMEA  bring more than 60 customers together, giving us valuable opportunities to hear feedback, discuss projects and understand how we can support them.

I also enjoy seeing where our products are used. During a distributor visit in Czechia, I saw panels being assembled for aircraft galleys, where food is prepared and heated. Seeing the application brought familiar components into context.

I have always been interested in the products themselves. Understanding what they become part of, and what they enable customers to achieve, still gives me a great deal of satisfaction.