Someone You Should Know: Toby Lasley

Toby Lasley
President
Ion Associates, LLC

With so many ERA members, it is not easy to get to know every rep, manufacturer and distributor in the business.“Someone You Should Know” is The Representor department that gives readers the chance to learn about fellow ERA members, including how their time is spent both in and out of the office. Meet Toby Lasley, president of Ion Associates. The Representor asked Lasley a few questions about his time in the manufacturers’ rep business. Here is what he had to say.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

With deep roots in the capital city, I am a native Austinite and a proud Texan. A devoted Longhorn supporter, my life outside of work is centered on family and the outdoors. I hold a strong appreciation for the arts and am an active concertgoer, enjoying a broad range of music and Austin’s renowned live-music scene.

How long have you been in the rep business, and how did you become interested in working at a manufacturers’ rep in the electronics industry?

I’ve spent my career in the manufacturers’ rep business, and my interest in the role started long before I formally entered the industry. My father has been my role model, and growing up I had a front-row seat to what the rep business really looks like. I still remember him working from his car with one of the early analog cell phones—constantly on the move, solving problems in real time, connecting engineers, buyers and suppliers to keep business moving forward. What stood out to me wasn’t just the technology, but the role itself. Being a rep meant understanding complex products, navigating different personalities and finding solutions that worked for everyone involved. It was part technical, part relationship-driven, and entirely dynamic.

What have you found to be most rewarding about the rep business?

The most rewarding aspect is the unique role we play as strategic partners, not just as salespeople. We get to work alongside our principals and customers from the early design stages, seeing a project progress from a conceptual need to a successful, highvolume product in the market. This long-term engagement allows us to deliver substantial, sustained value. The reward lies in knowing that our technical expertise and market connections were the critical link that brought an innovative solution to fruition, resulting in growth and success for both our principals and our customers.

What is something challenging about the rep business that you are hoping you can positively influence over time?

One of the most persistent challenges in the rep business is that our value is often measured too narrowly—typically at the point of transaction—rather than across the full lifecycle of influence that drives long-term success. Manufacturers rely on reps to do far more than close orders. We build early technical alignment, shape roadmaps, manage risk, maintain continuity through personnel changes and keep momentum alive when programs stall or markets shift. Much of that work happens months—or years—before revenue is visible, and it’s not always easy to quantify. What I’m hoping to positively influence over time is a more holistic view of value in the rep model. That includes clearer alignment on expectations, better instrumentation around early-stage influence and design activity, and a shared understanding that consistency, proximity and trusted relationships are strategic assets not just sales functions.

Briefly describe your rep firm, and please include how long your company has been a member of ERA.

Ion Associates is the largest technical sales and marketing organization in Texas representing OEM electronics manufacturers. Headquartered in Austin, we operate as a fully integrated go-to-market extension for our partners across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mexico, Central and South America. Our organization is built around deep technical and commercial execution, combining: Field application engineers (FAEs) who engage early with customer engineering teams to drive design wins and solve complex system challenges; product line managers (PLMs) who align supplier roadmaps to customer platforms and manage strategy across product lifecycles; account managers who maintain senior-level relationships, navigate customer organizations and convert strategy into revenue; and inside sales representatives (ISRs) who provide day-to-day operational support, pipeline management and responsiveness at scale. Together, this structure allows Ion to deliver consistent technical influence, disciplined execution, and long-term market development—from early architecture discussions through production ramp.

What recent innovations, best practices and/or changes has your firm made?

We have begun leveraging AI-enabled tools to improve team efficiency, particularly around meeting documentation and follow-up. Automated note-taking and summarization allow our teams to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time engaging customers and advancing opportunities. In parallel, we are strengthening collaboration across roles by implementing standardized planning and follow-up tools. These forms help coordinate customer visits and intentionally bring together the collective expertise of our FAEs, ISRs and account managers. The result is more thoughtful meeting preparation, clearer documentation and higher-quality follow-through ensuring insights are captured, shared and acted on consistently across the organization.

What have you learned and/or what contacts have you made through ERA that have had the greatest positive impacts on you and/or your business?

My involvement with ERA has provided both perspective and practical value. ERA conferences create a unique forum where rep firm leaders can speak candidly about the realities of the business—what’s working, what’s changing and how to adapt as the model evolves. The most meaningful impact has come from the relationships formed with other principals and senior leaders. Those peers have become trusted sounding boards, helping validate strategic decisions around talent investment, organizational structure, supplier alignment and long-term planning. Learning how other high-performing firms measure success beyond bookings has directly influenced how we think about value creation inside our own organization. ERA has also reinforced that strong rep firms differentiate themselves through technical depth, consistency and execution—not just coverage. The insights and relationships gained through ERA have had a lasting, positive influence on both my leadership approach and the way we continue to build and position our business.

What are some things you enjoy outside of the workplace?

I discovered hobby horsing during COVID and it quickly became more than a pastime. I’ve since advanced to the semifinal round of the Hill Country Hobby Horse Association and am actively pursuing qualification for the regional semifinals in June.