Female Professionals in Supply Chain Management: An Interview

Amber-Louise Cockman, Sales Manager at Rebound Electronics, discusses her personal development within the electronics industry and challenges faced in what she describes as a turbulent market.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your time at Rebound Electronics?

I started at Rebound back in 2015 as a Sales Support. Originally, I wanted some office experience as my goal was to get into a career in HR but 7 years later and I’m still here!

I was recently promoted to Sales Manager. As well as managing and endeavouring to grow a set of spending accounts, I look for new businesses and companies to open as customers. Additionally, I am heavily involved in training of new starters on the bespoke Rebound System, and I manage the Sales Support team here at the UK headquarters.

Can you share a unique or interesting fact about yourself?

I am a Psychology BSc Hons graduate and I achieved an Upper Second-Class Honors (2:1) at Portsmouth University in 2014. After university I proceeded to embark on a 7-month trip around Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand where I made some great memories and friends! The best part of the trip was sky diving at sunrise over Lake Taupo, New Zealand, this was a big achievement for me.

What has been your biggest achievement whilst working at Rebound Electronics?

When I started at Rebound, I said that I didn’t see myself in a Sales role and that meant progression at the company would be limited. The management team here, mainly Raj Keshvara and Chris Hughes, have been very supportive in my sales journey helping me to build confidence and knowledge. Even entering into the Account Manager role, I never imagined I’d succeed at business development but have subsequently opened over 30 new accounts since January 2021.

Are there any challenges that you have faced being a woman working in the electronics industry? If so, how have you overcome them?

My entire electronics journey so far has been with Rebound, so that’s all I can really comment on. The current management offer the same opportunity to all that start here and as long as you work hard and put in the effort then you will progress and succeed. This can be seen throughout the business with staff longevity at Rebound and their progression.

 In addition, have you encountered any challenges generally whilst working in the industry?

The last three years have definitely been a big challenge. The pandemic caused major disruption and uncertainty to the industry and manufacturers have been unable to support the increase in demand.

We have been working with customers on shortages but in some cases, you can place an order within as little as ten minutes of receiving a quote and the stock has already gone or the price has increased! This is very frustrating for the customers and for us, but it’s just a case of working quickly and efficiently and offering alternative solutions. The turbulent market has, however, introduced us to a large number of new customers globally who, along with existing customers, we will now work to build long lasting partnerships with.

What advice would you give to young women looking to pursue a career in this industry? 

Just go for it! It’s an ever changing, dynamic industry and the possibilities are endless. The beauty of Rebound is that we have so many ways in which we can support customers and we are continuously growing and expanding our offerings and locations worldwide. Ultimately our aim is to get to know our customers and offer support in whatever way suits them best.