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.

Thomas Werner

Executive Chair

Thomas Werner has been a member of the Board of Directors since March 2006, and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Company since October 2023. He has served as the Executive Chairman of SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR), a publicly traded marketer of high-efficiency solar cells and solar panels, since February 2024, and served as Principal Executive Officer of SunPower from February 2024 until August 2024. Mr. Werner previously served as Sunpower’s Chairman of the Board of Directors from June 2010 to November 2021 and as its Chief Executive Officer from June 2003 to April 2021. Prior to SunPower, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Silicon Light Machines Corporation, an optical solutions subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, from July 2001 to June 2003. Earlier, Mr. Werner was Vice President and General Manager of the Business Connectivity Group of 3Com Corporation, a network solutions company.

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.

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.

Cengiz Balkas

SVP & GM, Materials

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.

Jay Cameron

SVP & GM, Power

Jay Cameron joined Wolfspeed as Vice President and General Manager for Wolfspeed Power in May 2018. He has a diverse technology background spanning multiple geographic areas and different industries including Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas in the personal electronics, automotive, industrial, telecommunications and enterprise markets. Prior to joining Wolfspeed, Jay held Vice President and General Manager positions at Texas Instruments, where he worked for 17 years. His global perspective, dedication to building high performance teams, and strategic planning and implementation skills make him a critical leader to Wolfspeed as it continues to accelerate growth. Jay has a B.S.E. and M.S.E. in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

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.

Lisa Fritz

SVP, Global Quality

Lisa Fritz joined Wolfspeed in 2018 and serves as Wolfspeed’s Senior Vice President of Global Quality. She is an experienced quality professional with over 25 years in the semiconductor and automotive industries. Prior to joining Wolfspeed, she had a long career spanning 20 years at Texas Instruments, most recently serving as Quality Director for their High Volume Analog and Logic business. Lisa has represented Wolfspeed on North Carolina State University's Women and Minority Engineering Programs National Advisory Board, as a speaker at the 2021 Society of Women Engineers Conference and is a co-founder of the Wolfspeed Women’s Initiative. She holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from New Mexico State University.

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. 

Joseph Roybal

SVP, Global Backend Operations

Joseph Roybal is the Senior Vice President of Global Backend Operations, tasked with managing all post-fabrication manufacturing sites and activities. He joined Wolfspeed in 2021 with 26 years of semiconductor industry experience, most recently serving as Director of Analog Signal Chain Quality and as the Director of Test Operations at Texas Instruments. Joseph’s primary focus is to transform Wolfspeed into a world-class manufacturing leader during the revolution of Silicon Carbide in power electronics, and to leverage his unparalleled understanding of customers across key market spaces to exceed their high demands for delivery, cost, quality and growth.

Joseph graduated from New Mexico State with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. Throughout his career, he has served as an advisor to universities across the Southwest, encouraging underserved Hispanic students to major in STEM fields.

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.