ECIA has announced Phil Gallagher as this year’s recipient of its highest annual honour, the North Star Award.
“This prestigious accolade celebrates individuals whose unwavering commitment, exceptional leadership, and tireless dedication have significantly impacted the field of electronic components and the ECIA community,” ECIA President and CEO David Loftus explained during the award ceremony at the ECIA Executive Conference.
“It is with great honour that we present this award to Phil Gallagher, an exceptional leader, whose dedication goes far beyond the success of his own company. As a highly outgoing and approachable CEO, he fosters an inclusive environment where collaboration thrives. His visionary leadership has not only propelled his organisation to new heights but also driven positive change across the entire industry. Phil’s efforts were pivotal in reuniting our industry leaders, fostering cooperation, and revitalizing the association. Through his vision and determination, he strengthened both ECIA and the industry, proving the power of leadership and solidarity.”
“I am privileged to receive this prestigious award,” Gallagher responded. “It is a tremendous honour to be among the industry legends who have received the North Star Award. I am reminded that no one is successful on their own. You must never forget the people who helped you, and for me that includes those in the industry and people with a commitment to excellence at Avnet. We are always stronger together. I dedicate this award to the people in ECIA, our employees, our suppliers, our stakeholders and everyone that works to make the industry better.”
For millennia, the North Star guided those navigators who sought to explore our world and to make it better. The award is so named to reflect the extraordinary leadership, guidance, and perseverance of those who are recognised. These individuals made significant contributions to our industry over the course of their careers and set the standard for those who follow. In 2016 the inaugural North Star Award recipient was long-time board member Michael Knight of TTI; John Denslinger earned the award in 2017; Blair Haas, Bud Industries received it in 2018; and Dave Doherty of DigiKey took home the award in 2019. After a break when the conference was cancelled for two years due to the pandemic, Jeff Thomson received the award in 2022; last year the award went to Frank Flynn.
