Ben Bajarin

CEO and Principal Analyst

Creative Strategies

Ben Bajarin is CEO and Principal Analyst at Creative Strategies, where he has worked since 2000. He specializes in personal and enterprise computing, semiconductor industry broadly, and business strategy, with a research focus on the intersection of human behavior and technology. Prior to joining Creative Strategies, Ben held roles at Cypress Semiconductor and founded two startups in the late 1990s. He serves on analyst advisory councils for leading tech firms, advises top-tier investment banks including UBS and Morgan Stanley, and maintains strong ties with Silicon Valley VCs and startups.

Ben has guest lectured at Stanford, Berkeley Haas, and Harvard Business School, and his insights have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, and other major outlets. He has also contributed columns to TechCrunch, TIME, Fast Company, and MIT Technology Review.

Bob Brennan

Vice President, GM, Intel Foundry Services, Customer Solutions Engineering

Intel

Bob Brennan is Vice President of Customer Solutions Engineering for Intel Foundry Services at Intel Corporation. He is responsible for leading the delivery of end-to-end design solutions to help IFS customers use Intel’s portfolio of unique IPs and design technology in their product designs. This responsibility covers the entire design life cycle for customers, from customer design architecture to the strategic selection of Intel IP to platform enablement, as well as design services support for SoC integration including validation and debug support.

In his previous role, Bob served as Vice President of Emerging Memory & System at Micron, where he managed product, design, and engineering teams to accelerate the delivery of new designs on new technologies. Bob also served as Senior Vice President of Memory Solutions Lab at Samsung, where he established an Enterprise SSD product line, delivered Samsung’s first revenue software product while continuing an active role in architecture development.

Prior to these roles, Bob spent 22 years at Intel serving in various senior technical positions, including Server Architecture, Laptop Architecture, Mobile SoC Architecture, and CPU Core Design, Verification and Architecture.

Calvin Cheung

Vice President, Engineering and Business Development

ASE Group

Calvin Cheung is currently the Vice President of Engineering and Business Development at ASE. Since joining ASE over 15 years ago, Calvin has led teams working with system house customers on complex technology innovations that have resulted in significant market success within the consumer electronics space. He has held responsibility for building and leading strong field application engineering teams that collaborate with customers on technology development and new product introductions. He is a leading technologist for 2.5D, power integration, and silicon photonics technology development at ASE.

Calvin has decades of semiconductor industry experience in silicon product development, from design to manufacturing. Prior to ASE, Calvin spent many years at AMD, performing a variety of technology, strategic, and management roles. Latterly, he was responsible for building and leading the product development engineering group, which developed and delivered three generations of chipset for AMD’s microprocessors.

Chowdary Yanamadala

Senior Director, Technology Strategy

Arm

Chowdary Yanamadala is a Technology Strategist at Arm, where he leads the technology pathfinding initiative. This initiative involves analyzing emerging technology trends and market dynamics to provide strategic insights for Arm. His primary focus is on identifying opportunities and addressing challenges both within the industry and for Arm specifically.

Prior to joining Arm, Chowdary served as the CTO and SVP at ChaoLogix, which was later acquired by Arm in 2017. Before his time at ChaoLogix, Chowdary held various positions at Maxim, including leading the Embedded Security business unit, and Director of IC design.

Chowdary serves as an advisor for three startups in the areas of IoT, data analytics, and clean energy. He holds an MBA from Cornell University and is trained in Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University (MSEE) and Osmania University (BSEE). He also holds approximately 20 patents, either granted or pending. In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Yanamadala is interested in areas of policymaking related to technology and economic development.

Gautham Unni

Head of Semiconductor Solutions, Strategy, and Business Development

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Dr. Gautham Unni serves as the Head of Semiconductor Solutions, Strategy, and Business Development at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this role, he spearheads efforts to deliver scalable, secure, and innovative cloud solutions that address the complex challenges of semiconductor design, production, and supply chain management. Gautham leads strategic initiatives that leverage AI to optimize the semiconductor value chain, encompassing areas such as EDA, AI-driven manufacturing, and advanced product development.

With over 15 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, he has held key positions at GlobalFoundries, Lam Research, and Applied Materials, contributing expertise in process engineering, product development, and product management/marketing. Gautham holds both a BS and a PhD in chemical engineering, and is recognized for his ability to bridge technology and business strategy to drive innovation across the semiconductor ecosystem.

Giulietta Poltronieri

Partner

McKinsey & Company

Giulietta Poltronieri is a Partner in McKinsey’s Global Semiconductors and Advanced Electronics practices. She leads transformational programs with semiconductor clients along the full value chain, including semiconductor equipment players, IDMs, fabless, foundries, OSATs, and customers, with focus on operations, strategy and people topics.

She is leading McKinsey’s “Talent in Semiconductors” Global Service Line and is the EMEA “All-in, Diversity & Inclusion” Leader for McKinsey Advanced Industries practices, leading initiatives to attract and retain female talent in sectors where the male gender has traditionally been prevalent.

Giulietta holds a double Master in International Management from Bocconi University and HEC Paris. Before joining McKinsey, she has briefly worked at Google in the role of Business Associate.

Greg Mischou

Managing Director

Atlas Technology Group

Greg Mischou is a Managing Director at Atlas Technology Group LLC with a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) & Digital Transformation Technology. With over 25 years of investment banking and technology experience, Greg has the vision, in-depth industry perspective and deep domain expertise to advise technology companies on mergers, private placements, strategic acquisitions, divestitures, and exit strategies. Prior to Atlas, Greg was a Senior Partner & Managing Director and Head of IoT Technology Investment Banking at Woodside Capital Partners. Prior to this, Greg held senior level technology investment banking positions at UBS and Alex. Brown. Before entering investment banking, Greg was at Intel where he held roles in Corporate Development and Product Management of the Pentium and i486 microprocessors.

Greg holds an MBA from The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Northeastern University.

Kash Johal

Founder and CEO

Yorchip

Kash is the founder of several companies in Silicon Valley and has been involved in multiple successful exits. He founded YorChip, a company focused on chiplet technology that enables the mass market use of reusable chiplets.

With over 40 years of experience in ASIC and IP development, Kash has expertise spanning all levels, from research and development to sales and marketing.

Kaushal Vora

Senior Director, Head of Core Technologies & Ecosystem Enablement

Renesas

With over 15 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Kaushal has worked in several technology areas including healthcare, telecom infrastructure, and solid-state lighting. At Renesas, he leads a global team responsible for defining and developing IoT solutions for the company’s microcontroller and microprocessor product lines with a focus on AI and ML, Cybersecurity, Functional Safety, and connectivity among other areas.

Kaushal has a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Margaret Han

Executive Vice President and Head of US Foundry

Samsung Semiconductor

Margaret Han serves as Executive Vice President and Head of US Foundry for Samsung Semiconductor.

A veteran of the semiconductor industry, Han brings deep expertise in business development, market expansion, and strategic sourcing. She has held leadership roles at TSMC, NXP Semiconductors, and
Intel, where she consistently drove growth and operational excellence. At TSMC, she was instrumental in establishing the North America marketing and business development division, leading a broad portfolio of customer accounts.

Han earned a degree in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University and completed the Executive Program at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Markus Bolte

Partner

AlixPartners

Markus co-leads AlixPartners’ global semiconductor practice. With 20 years of global business experience, he has profound expertise in large corporate transformation and corporate improvement programs. He is driven by a passion for measurable impact as well as serving the semiconductors industry navigate through the disruptions of our age. Before joining Alixpartners, Markus led the strategy at a global technology leader. He started his consulting career at two leading European management consultancy firms.

Before joining the consulting world, Markus led a research group for supercomputing and nanophysics research at the University of Hamburg (Germany) utilizing Nvidia’s CUDA to accelerate complex nanophysics simulations and collaborating with institutions globally. Markus holds a summa cum laude PhD and two Masters in Physics and Computer Science from the Institute of Semiconductor Physics at University of Hamburg in the same fields and holds a global patent in data storage.

Michael Kurniawan

Business Strategy Lead

Accenture

Mike Kurniawan is the Business Strategy Lead High Tech practice at Accenture. He focuses on the Semiconductor segment and advises clients on growth, product, manufacturing, operations, and ecosystem partnership strategy. Mike has 5 years of industry experience from his time at GlobalFoundries and R&D experience from his 7+ years in academia. He received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Within the context of the GSA EmTech interest group, Mike has been a core team member since 2022 (previously AI Interest Group). He has been deeply involved with the interest group team members in publishing white papers, panel discussions, and webinars, touching on the topic of emerging technologies and their impact on the Semiconductor industry.

Michelle Chiang

Director, Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions

Infineon Technologies

Michelle Chiang is Director of Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions at Infineon Technologies, where she leads initiatives shaping future product direction, customer engagement, and operational strategy. With over 15 years of experience across the semiconductor and technology sectors—including senior roles at Qualcomm—Michelle has helped global organizations reimagine go-to-market approaches, enhance key account development, and build scalable reporting systems that align with strategic objectives.

She has been instrumental in structuring cross-functional initiatives that integrate market intelligence, stakeholder alignment, and performance tracking to deliver measurable business outcomes. Known for her ability to translate complex industry shifts into actionable strategies, Michelle has authored thought leadership that challenges conventional practices and drives innovation.

She holds a Master’s degree in International Management from the University of California, San Diego, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Michelle brings a distinctive blend of analytical rigor, strategic vision, and operational execution to the semiconductor industry.

Mohit Gupta

Senior Vice President & General Manager

Alphawave Semi

Mohit Gupta joined Alphawave in September 2022 as part of the OpenFive acquisition from SiFive. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the IP and Custom Silicon Business unit. Mohit brings in more than 2 decades of experience in semiconductor IP and SoC domains, leading worldwide engineering, application engineering, products, and field teams. Prior to Alphawave, he led the IP and Custom SoC business units at SiFive and Rambus.

Mohit holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communications from Thapar University and Master of Science in Microelectronics from BITS, Pilani. He also holds an executive MBA in International Business from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.

Padampreet Singh

Global Data & AL Lead - High Tech Industry

Accenture

Padampreet is the Chief Data & Analytics Officer for the High Tech Industry and has deep expertise in customer and supply chain functions. He has strong experience in Data & AI strategy, Modern Data Platform, Operating Model, Data Governance and Digital Transformations.

He has partnered with executive teams at organizations across the US, Europe, and Asia, supporting the development of overall Data & AI strategies. His broader experience includes leading engagements such as Modern Data Platforms, Customer 360, Sales & Marketing Analytics, Control Towers, Data Science & AI COEs, Manufacturing Quality Analytics, Master Data Management, etc.

Padam holds an M.B.A. and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering.

Paul Karazuba

Vice President, Marketing

Expedera

Paul is Vice President of Marketing at Expedera, a leading provider of AI Inference NPU semiconductor IP. He brings a talent for transforming new technology into products that excite customers. Previously, Paul was VP Marketing at PLDA, specializing in high-speed interconnect IP, until its acquisition by Rambus. Before PLDA, he was Senior Director of Marketing at Rambus. Paul brings more than 25 years of marketing experience including Quicklogic, Aptina (Micron), and others. He holds a BS in Management and Marketing from Manhattan College.

Priya Kesavan

AI Strategy Principal

Microsoft

Priya Kesavan is an AI Strategy Principal at Microsoft. In her current role, she leads the development of long-term strategies and roadmaps for Microsoft’s in-house AI hardware systems. In the past, Priya held several leadership positions in product management for SoC and systems development at Intel and Cisco. Driven by a passion for harnessing AI to address complex real-world challenges and improve user experiences, she is a strong advocate for “AI for good.” Priya is also committed to empowering women in technology and AI, spearheading initiatives to foster their growth and advancement.

She holds a degree in Computer Engineering from Madras University.

Priyanka Mathikshara

CEO

Voltai

Priyanka is the CEO and co-founder of Voltai, the company developing Frontier AI Models and AI Agentic Systems for Semiconductors and Electronics. The Sequoia-backed company has a stellar Stanford team including the ex-CTO of Synopsys and advisory board includes John Hennessy (Chairman of Google), Victor Peng (ex-President of AMD/Xilinx), and Apple’s Head of AI. They are serving some of the largest Fortune 500 semiconductor companies in the world.

Robert Wann

Founder, President, and CEO / CISSP, CMMC Certified Assessor

Enova Technology

Robert Wann founded Enova Technology in January 2000, after 11 years of engineering and technical marketing job roles in Silicon Valley. Robert is passionate about security technology with a vision to build the world’s first real-time Full Disk Encryption (FDE) chip technology. The chip sits at the physical layer of a computer architecture and transparently encrypts the storage device with in-line performance to safeguard the confidentiality of all data-at-rest (DAR) and data-in-transit (DIT). He provided security engineering assessments to guide strategic accounts like US prime defense contractors and others to facilitate, among other technical implementations, their NSA COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) and NIAP validations. He is well-versed in modern cryptographic chip design, including Quantum-Resistant cryptography, cybersecurity, AI, system security engineering, and assessment.

Robert received his education in MSEE and BSEE, and is a CISSP and CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) Certified Assessor (CCA).

Sailesh Kumar

CEO

Baya Systems

Dr. Sailesh Kumar is a seasoned expert in SoC, Fabric, IO, Memory architecture, and algorithms, with over two decades of experience. He has pioneered several high-impact, industry-first technologies, including 400G Network Processor at Huawei, Software Defined Fabric at NetSpeed, Xeon Architecture Transportation at Intel, and Software Defined Chiplet at Baya. Sailesh founded NetSpeed Systems and served as its Chief Technology Officer until its successful acquisition by Intel. At Intel, as a Fellow, he initiated and led multiple projects, such as the design of a Xeon platform automation system and the standardization of data center compute protocols.

Sailesh is also a prolific author, with more than two dozen highly cited papers and over 150 patents. He holds a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

Sumti Jairath

Chief Architect

SambaNova

Sumti Jairath is Chief Architect at SambaNova Systems, with expertise in hardware-software co-design. Sumti worked on PA-RISC-based Superdome servers back at HP, followed by several generations of SPARC CMT processors at Sun Microsystems and Oracle. At Oracle, Sumti worked on SQL, Data-analytics and Machine Learning acceleration in SPARC processors. Sumti holds 27 patents in computer architecture and hardware-software co-design.

Tulika Jha

Director, Logic Design

Microsoft

Tulika Jha is the Director of Logic Design at AHSI Microsoft with 22+ years of industry experience. She drives the Silicon Logic Design Team, project, and strategy for Hyper Scalar SOCs across the pipeline of products. Tulika manages, mentors, and empowers more than 100 engineers across geographies, from recent college graduates to Principal Engineers. Tulika leads and drives various AHSI wide Silicon Standards and initiatives, enabling predictability, scalability across various SOCs, influencing multiple orgs within AHSI.

She has a strong influence and impact in the Semiconductor industry through her contributions via White Papers, providing Mentorship, as a Conference Speaker and Presenter, Panelist, IEEE Executive Leader, and STEM coach.

Vikram Meghal

Senior Vice President and Global Head of Engineering for Networks, Communication, Media and Tech

Infosys

Vikram Meghal is the Senior Vice President of Engineering Services at Infosys and is responsible for the Global Engineering Business focusing on Network, Communication, Media and Technology. He remains passionate about driving disaggregated, software driven, open networking architectures for simplification of networks. He has enabled multiple technology and network product organizations realize their product roadmap through innovative solutions and partnerships.

His current responsibilities allow him to understand the entire semiconductor to cloud eco-system and contribute to accelerated product journeys through automation and AI.

Warren Niles

Founder & CEO

Warlex Technologies

Warren Niles is the founder of Warlex Technologies, an advertising technology startup, with a background in computer science and machine learning. He brings expertise in artificial intelligence, quantitative finance, distributed systems, and cryptography. Warren has built AI systems for web traffic fingerprinting and sentiment analysis, developed a distributed database for scalable CP systems, and created an autonomous engine for real-time financial data analysis.

He holds a B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in Machine Learning and a minor in Statistics from the University of Chicago.