Newbury Electronics, a leader in the provision of bare PCBs, assembled electronics and electronics design, has announced the appointment of John Rowley as managing director. The role was previously held by Philip King, who now becomes chairman. Rowley brings with him nearly 20 years’ experience in the electronics sector.

“I am excited about taking on this pivotal role at Newbury Electronics, a company that has gone from strength to strength under Phil’s leadership. With over £3.5 million worth of capital investment in the last few years and more to follow in the next few months, the company is one of the best equipped in the country to meet the demands of modern electronics engineering production and deliver a comprehensive and reliable service to both new and existing customers,” said Rowley.

King said: “John has only been here a few weeks but already he has brought new energy and ideas to the business. I will be less involved in the day-to-day running of the company but look forward to supporting John and seeing how he takes the company forward to the next stage of its development, including honouring our commitment to invest in the company to ensure the highest level of production standards.”

Rowley added: “I’m looking forward to developing new markets and identifying and capturing new business opportunities, whilst maintaining strong relationships with Newbury’s established client base. I have a firm belief that strong communication and investing in people is key to success and will be looking for ways of implementing some new ideas and approaches in due course.” The company is currently seeking suitable candidates to fill several assembly and design vacancies.

Prior to joining Newbury Electronics, Rowley developed his career in a range of positions, including operations manager, operations director and culminating as managing director at SMT Developments. At the same time, he studied for his Master’s in Business Administration, graduated from the Great 200 Leaders programme and is a recipient of The Manufacturer’s Top 100 awards. Rowley holds technical expertise within the electronics manufacturing and automation sector, having overseen the development and subsequent manufacture of thousands of different electronic devices.