News: Suppliers
8 January 2020
AXT adds finance executive to board
AXT Inc of Fremont, CA, USA – which makes gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP) and germanium (Ge) substrates and raw materials – has appointed Christine Russell to its board of directors (effective 23 December), boosting the number of directors from four to five. Russell will serve on the audit, compensation and nominating/corporate governance committees.
Russell also serves on the board of directors and as audit committee chair of both QuickLogic Corp and eGain Corp. She is chairman emeritus and a director on the board of SVDX (Silicon Valley Directors Exchange), a professional organization that provides a forum for education, conversation about current issues, and peer interaction for boards of directors of Silicon Valley companies.
Since 2018, Russell has served as chief financial officer of PDF Solutions Inc, a provider of yield improvement technologies for the IC manufacturing process life-cycle. She previously served as CFO of Uni-Pixel Inc, a manufacturer of touch sensor films (which was sold to a China-based firm); Vendavo Inc, a SaaS-based pricing optimization software company addressing the Global 2000; and EAG Inc (Evans Analytical Group), a global provider of analytical testing for technology companies (including major semiconductor, chemicals and pharmaceuticals firms). Prior to EAG, she served in the roles of both CFO and executive VP of business development at Virage Logic Corp, a Nasdaq-listed semiconductor intellectual property company that was sold to Synopsys Inc in 2010.
Russell holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Santa Clara University.
“She brings a tremendous depth of experience as a public company director and finance executive, and is well regarded in the investment community,” comments CEO Morris Young. “She joins at a time when AXT is positioned to take advantage of a number of market opportunities, and we look forward to drawing on her expertise as AXT continues to prepare for its next phase of growth and expansion,” he adds.
“I look forward to working with Jesse Chen, Morris, and the rest of the board as the company continues to achieve milestones in the relocation of its manufacturing facilities and prepares itself for market opportunities in 5G, data-center connectivity, optical components, LED lighting and lasers, and satellite solar cells, as well as a host of emerging applications that can help drive its future growth,” says Russell.
