A.R.T. MD Recognized Among UK’s Top Women Business Leaders for 2025
November 24, 2025 | A.R.T. Ltd.Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Debbie McDade, Managing Director of Advanced Rework Technology Ltd (A.R.T.), has been named one of the winners in the Influential Women in Business Awards 2025, an initiative recognising leadership and achievement across UK industry.
This marks the second consecutive year Debbie has been acknowledged by the awards, which highlighted her contribution to the electronics sector and her long-standing commitment to advancing high-quality technical training.
With more than 20 years’ experience in electronics manufacturing and education, Debbie has been instrumental in strengthening professional standards and ensuring that IPC training reflects the realities of modern production environments.
Debbie said: “I’m honoured to receive this recognition, particularly in an industry where women still remain under-represented at senior and technical levels. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on strengthening the quality and consistency of electronics manufacturing by ensuring training is practical, standards-driven and relevant to modern production environments. Supporting people as they build their skills and progress in their careers has always been central to my work, and it’s rewarding to see that contribution recognised. I hope it encourages more women to consider technical roles and leadership paths within the electronics sector.”
As Managing Director of one of Europe’s longest-established independent IPC Certification Centres, Debbie oversees A.R.T.’s strategic direction while remaining directly involved in programme delivery as an IPC Master Instructor Trainer (MIT). Her work includes active participation in global standards development. She currently chairs several IPC European committees, contributes to international working groups, and has previously served as vice chair of both the IPC Technical Activities Executive Committee (TAEC) and the IPC Training Program Advisory Committee (V-TPAC).
A.R.T.’s leadership team also includes Director John Vickers, a qualified Master IPC Trainer. Together, they guide the company’s training and consultancy services for manufacturers, OEMs and service providers across the electronics supply chain, helping organisations maintain consistency, compliance and robust quality practices.
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested 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.
Global Electronics Association to Testify at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity
05/08/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationChris Mitchell, Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association, will testify before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity on Friday, May 8.
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.
TTC-LLC and TTCI: Smarter Training, Stronger Test at PCB East 2026
04/27/2026 | The Test Connection Inc.The Training Connection LLC (TTC-LLC) and The Test Connection, Inc. (TTCI) will be exhibiting together at PCB East 2026, taking place April 28–May 1 at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Attendees can find both teams at Booth #103 during the main exhibition day on Wednesday, April 29.