Farnell Announces Strategic Leadership Appointments

Daniel Ford and Richard Diaz join Farnell as VP sales for EMEA, the Americas.

LEEDS, UK, Nov 21, 2024 – Farnell has announced the appointment of two accomplished sales leaders to drive growth and strengthen customer engagement across the EMEA and Americas regions.

Daniel Ford

Daniel Ford joins Farnell as vice president of its EMEA sales organization. With over 21 years of experience at Future Electronics, Daniel is highly regarded for his contributions to sales growth in the UK, Ireland, Nordics and Baltics. His knowledge of the electronics components market, coupled with long-standing customer and supplier relationships plus extensive experience of managing teams across nine countries, ideally positions him to lead Farnell’s EMEA sales team.

Richard Diaz steps into the role of vice president of sales for the Americas. With over 25 years of strategic leadership and development experience, Richard has consistently achieved profitability and market share growth in his previous roles. As chief operating officer at Abracon, he was responsible for sales, business development, and asset management, building on his extensive experience at both supplier and competitor companies.


Known for implementing metric-driven strategies, Richard is set to enhance Newark’s profitability and support automation initiatives to boost efficiency. His familiarity with Avnet, where he previously served as a vice president, will further accelerate joint Avnet and Farnell initiatives across the Americas.

Daniel Ford, vice president of EMEA sales, Farnell, stated, “I’m thrilled to join Farnell and lead the EMEA sales team at what is an exciting time for the business. Farnell has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality products and excellent service to customers across the region, and I look forward to leveraging my industry experience and relationships to build on this success. I’m eager to collaborate with our customers and partners to drive growth, deepen engagement, and support Farnell’s mission to deliver exceptional value in the electronics supply chain.”

Richard Diaz

Richard Diaz, vice president of Americas sales, Farnell, stated, “I’m honored to step into this role with Farnell and lead the Americas sales team as we continue to support our customers’ evolving needs. With Farnell’s robust portfolio and our strategic alignment with Avnet, we’re uniquely positioned to deliver impactful solutions. I look forward to applying my experience in strategic sales management and digital transformation to accelerate growth, improve efficiency, and drive profitability in the Americas.”

Rebeca Obregon, president of Farnell, added, “We are pleased to welcome both Daniel and Richard to our leadership team at such a pivotal time for Farnell. Their deep industry expertise and impressive records of driving growth and strengthening customer relationships make them ideal leaders to support our ambitious plans in EMEA and the Americas. Daniel’s success in expanding sales across Europe and Richard’s strategic vision for the Americas will help us continue to deliver outstanding value to our customers and partners.”

For more information, visit farnell.com.