Senior Leadership
Our leadership team has unmatched Silicon Carbide expertise and extensive experience in the semiconductor industry, enabling us to capitalize on the vast opportunities ahead for Wolfspeed’s solutions in high-growth markets. With their knowledge and expertise, we are building a wide bandgap semiconductor powerhouse that is driving the industry transition from silicon to Silicon Carbide with all the passion, ingenuity and perseverance that has guided our company for more than 35 years.
Robert Feurle
Chief Executive Officer
Robert Feurle is a semiconductor industry veteran, bringing more than 30 years of experience in driving operational excellence and financial strength. Prior to his appointment as Wolfspeed’s CEO, Feurle’s recent experience includes serving as Executive Vice President of the Opto Semiconductor business unit at ams-OSRAM AG and Vice President and General Manager of Integrated Solutions and Discretes at Infineon Technologies AG. He also held various leadership and operational roles at Micron Technology, Inc., Qimonda AG and Siemens AG.
Feurle holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Konstanz, Germany.
Neill Reynolds
Chief Financial Officer
Neill Reynolds joined Wolfspeed as Chief Financial Officer in August 2018. Neill is a seasoned finance executive who has led various financial functions at global technology companies. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Finance, Strategy and Procurement at NXP Semiconductors N.V., where he led global teams in developing and executing strategic initiatives to expand profit margins and meet growth objectives. Previously, Neill held divisional Chief Financial Officer positions and served on management teams at General Electric, executing growth initiatives for global industrial and manufacturing businesses spanning multiple technology industries. With his extensive leadership experience and industry knowledge, Neill helps ensure Wolfspeed meets its growth objectives and returns value to investors.
Elif Balkas
Chief Technology Officer
As Chief Technology Officer, Elif focuses on pioneering breakthrough semiconductor technology for Wolfspeed’s Power commercial applications. She joined Wolfspeed in 2006 and has more than 20 years of experience in various leadership positions within the wide bandgap (WBG) materials field in the technology industry. Prior to joining Wolfspeed, Elif served as a scientist at Intrinsic Semiconductor, where she was responsible for GaN and Silicon Carbide epitaxy product development with a focus on high-quality, efficient and effective processes.
Elif co-founded the Women's Initiative at Wolfspeed, has served as the leader of the Professional Development Focus and continues to serve on the Women's Initiative Steering Committee. She has a Ph.D. in materials science from North Carolina State University and has completed several executive education programs at The Wharton School focusing on product management and strategy, scaling a business, and leadership development.
Margaret Chadwick
Chief Human Resources Officer
Margaret Chadwick serves as Wolfspeed’s Chief Human Resources Office and Senior Vice President of Human Resources and has been with the company since 2005. Prior to joining Wolfspeed, she worked in progressive levels of HR responsibility at Duke Energy for eight years. Having started her career in consulting, Margaret has a passion for building leadership and communication skills across the business. She is a certified Trainer of Bell Leadership Achiever and has also attended many specialized communication programs. Margaret holds a B.S. in business from Wake Forest University.
Angelo Cancian
SVP of Global Sales and Marketing
Angelo Cancian is Wolfspeed’s Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing. Prior to this position, Angelo led international sales initiatives and served in several sales’ leadership roles, most recently as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, EMEA while overseeing the region as Managing Director. Since Angelo joined us in 2010, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to our values. In his role as SVP, Angelo leads, grows, and inspires a world-class global Sales and Marketing organization, leveraging his extensive experience to drive our strategy and enhance our global presence. He is based at our German headquarters and travels globally to engage with our teams and customers. Angelo holds a Master’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication from the University of Udine, Italy.
Cengiz Balkas
SVP of Product Lines
Cengiz Balkas is the Senior Vice President and General Manager for Wolfspeed Materials. He joined Wolfspeed, in July 2006 from INTRINSIC Semiconductor Corporation. He has more than 20 years of experience in the development and commercialization of Silicon Carbide materials and semiconductors. In June 2002, Cengiz co-founded INTRINSIC Semiconductor Corporation and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer until its acquisition by Wolfspeed. Previously, he was the General Manager and Director of Technology for Sterling Semiconductor Corporation, a Silicon Carbide materials company. Cengiz holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from North Carolina State University. He is an inventor or co-inventor on several patents and patent applications in the field of wide bandgap semiconductors and has authored or co-authored key publications in the field.
Melissa Garrett
SVP, General Counsel
Melissa Garrett brings extensive legal expertise and has served as a senior member of Wolfspeed’s legal team leading global employment and non-patent litigation matters since 2015. She brings a comprehensive legal background in contracts and negotiations, litigation management, IP protection, corporate governance, employment law, policy and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Wolfspeed, Garrett served as Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Kangaroo Express. She previously served as an attorney at Jackson Lewis and Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, and began her career as an attorney at Fisher & Philips. She holds a Juris Doctor from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Thomas Agron
SVP, Global Expansion Operations
Tom Agron is Wolfspeed's Senior Vice President of Global Expansion Operations and oversees all facility expansions. He joined the company in 2000 as an equipment tech focused on nitride epi. From there, he served in several roles including as a manufacturing engineer, as an equipment manager, as the Global Facilities Director, and as the Vice President of Facilities. Prior to his tenure at Wolfspeed, Tom worked for Infineon Technologies and the United States Air Force.
Priya Almelkar
Chief Information Officer & SVP
Priya Almelkar is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Wolfspeed. She is responsible for setting Wolfspeed’s technology vision, facilitating business growth, and driving scalability. With a focus on digital transformation, Priya spearheads efforts to enhance efficiency through advanced automation and integrated technology.
Priya has been recognized for her leadership by the National Association of Manufacturers, and she is a proud sponsor of Wolfspeed’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) employee resource group. Priya brings over 25 years of experience to Wolfspeed, having led global IT functions across a variety of verticals including telecommunication, retail, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Jeff Ferraro
SVP, Global Procurement and Planning
Jeff Ferraro joined Wolfspeed as Vice President of Supply Chain and Procurement in March 2022, bringing over two decades of progressive responsibility in semiconductor operations. His experience with automotive customers, planning systems and global supply chain make him a natural fit for Wolfspeed’s business transformation and rapid growth. Prior to joining Wolfspeed, Jeff held various positions with Texas Instruments where he was a member of TI’s first 300mm wafer fab startup team, involved in the company’s Finance Leadership Development Program, and served as Director of Finance and Operations for several $1B business units before leading the global supply chain and logistics function through the pandemic. Jeff has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in finance, strategy and entrepreneurship.
Adam Milton
SVP, Global Manufacturing Operations
Adam Milton is the Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing Operations, overseeing Wolfspeed’s Mohawk Valley Fab, North Carolina Fab, and Materials operation. He previously served as the Vice President of Wolfspeed’s Mohawk Valley Fab. In November 2019, Adam left North Carolina to lead Wolfspeed’s New York startup team, splitting his time between the company’s 200 mm pilot line at SUNY Albany and the construction site in Marcy. Adam has a B.S. in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University.
John Edmond
Co-Founder & Research Fellow
Dr. John Edmond is one of Wolfspeed's co-founders and currently focuses his research on Silicon Carbide materials for power semiconductor device applications. He was a key scientist in the research, development and manufacturing of silicon carbide and GaN LEDs for 30 years and is the inventor of over 411 worldwide patents. John graduated with a B.S. in ceramic engineering from Alfred University and received a Ph.D. in materials science at North Carolina State University.