News: Suppliers
5 June 2020
GTAT appoints ST veteran to board to accelerate growth in SiC market
GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) of Hudson, NH, USA – which produces silicon carbide (SiC) and sapphire material and crystal growth equipment for the solar, power electronics and optoelectronics industries) – has appointed Bob Krysiak to its board of directors.
Krysiak has more than 30 years of experience at semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics, a supplier of SiC devices. Most recently he was executive VP & general manager of ST’s Americas Region, a multi-billion-dollar business. He was also a member of the company’s strategic committee and managed the worldwide digital marketing effort. He retired from ST at the end of 2018. While at ST, Krysiak was a key player in driving its SiC-based semiconductor business into the market. GTAT reckons that this experience will further strengthen its strategy as a player in the SiC space.
“GTAT has made a remarkable pivot over the last few years, becoming a world-class supplier of crystal materials,” says GTAT’s chairman Gene Davis. “The appointment of Bob to the board of directors strengthens the relevant experience and talent on the board in order to continue to effectively govern and support the company as it takes a leading position in the silicon carbide market… Leveraging Bob’s expertise in this area will further accelerate its growth going forward,” he adds.
“His outstanding accomplishments in the SiC semiconductor space will prove invaluable to us as we accelerate our leadership in high-quality, attractively priced SiC crystal for substrate manufacturers,” reckons president & CEO Greg Knight.
Highlights of Krysiak’s career at ST include numerous roles held between 1983 and 2019 where he contributed to the position that the firm now holds. “During my time at ST, we recognized very early that silicon carbide devices would be a game-changer for high-growth markets such as electric vehicles (EVs),” says Krysiak. “GTAT’s top-tier quality combined with a business model focused on high-volume crystal production and cost leadership will enable a broader supply of silicon carbide wafers and accelerate the use of silicon carbide in power electronics.”
Krysiak graduated from the UK’s Cardiff University with a degree in Electronics and holds an MBA from the University of Bath. He replaces Matthew Aronsky, who has recently resigned after serving on GTAT’s board since 2016.
