Speakers

Hichem M’Saad was appointed as Chair of the Management Board and CEO on May 13, 2024.

Hichem joined ASM in 2015 as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Thermal Products business unit. From 2019, he held the role of Executive Vice President and General Manager of Global Products, in which he was responsible for developing ASM’s ALD, Epi, VF, and PECVD products.

An experienced, passionate leader, Hichem has been instrumental in ASM’s innovative, disruptive technologies and products, including the Intrepid ES, Synergis, Previum, and SONORA.

In 2022, Hichem was appointed as a member of the Management Board for a four-year term and Chief Technology Officer, overseeing ASM’s technical product portfolio, platform group, and future technologies, and has been a key driver in ASM’s ‘Growth through Innovation’ strategy.

Hichem started his career as a process development engineer on various dielectric CVD applications. He became Corporate VP and General Manager of the Dielectric Systems and Modules (DSM) and the Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) divisions. He also served as CEO of a start-up in the solar photovoltaic industry for six years.

Hichem received a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, a master’s degree in materials science & engineering from Cornell University, and a PhD in electronic materials science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has written 57 technical articles and holds nearly 200 granted patents. Hichem is a non-executive director of ASMPT.

Vamsi Paruchuri is Corporate Vice President of Technology Innovation and Market Research at ASM, where he leads global efforts to identify emerging technologies, align market insights with innovation roadmaps and drive strategic R&D programs. With over two decades of experience in semiconductor research and executive leadership, Vamsi has played a pivotal role in shaping innovation strategies and driving technological advancement across the industry.

Prior to this, Vamsi served as Vice President in the Office of the CTO and Technical Marketing, where he played a key role in bridging deep technical expertise with strategic marketing and customer engagement. As Vice President of Corporate R&D, he led the development of next-generation materials and process technologies, contributing directly to ASM’s differentiation in the logic and memory markets.

Earlier in his career, Vamsi spent nearly 14 years at IBM Research, where he held multiple senior leadership roles and led pioneering efforts in semiconductor materials, process integration and device architectures. His work contributed to several foundational innovations in logic technology, including: High-k/metal gate CMOS, BEOL process innovations, FinFET transistors, EUV patterning integration, and Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors.

Vamsi is a named inventor on more than 125 patents and has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications, many of which are widely cited and have influenced industry standards and academic research. His contributions span both fundamental materials science and applied process integration, reflecting a combination of technical depth and strategic vision.
Vamsi earned his PhD in metallurgical engineering from the University of Utah.

Jason Foster has over 29 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, bringing deep expertise in product development and customer engagement.

Before joining ASM in 2016, Jason spent 20 years at Applied Materials, where he contributed to the development of PECVD products and managed customer interactions to drive the adoption of new technologies.

At ASM, Jason played a pivotal role in driving the successful market penetration of new products and overseeing their transition into high-volume manufacturing. His leadership extended to the Plasma Products Business Unit, where he spearheaded substantial growth in the PEALD sector from 2019 to 2024.

In May 2024, Jason assumed a broader leadership role as the head of Service and Spares Business, ASM Global Quality, and the ASM Global Training Center. In this capacity, he leads all customer-facing initiatives with the goal of strengthening ASM’s customer support organization and enhancing service excellence.

Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.

Eric Shero is Vice President and ALD Key Product Unit Head at ASM, where he leads a global team of engineers in developing advanced ALD products.
His team specializes in metal oxide films, delivering differentiated solutions that meet customers’ stringent technical requirements and timelines—spanning the full product lifecycle from concept to commercialization.

Eric began his career at ASM in 1998 as a senior process engineer. Over nearly three decades, he has held numerous leadership roles and played a pivotal part in shaping ASM’s ALD organization in the US. He was instrumental in the development and launch of the Pulsar ALD tool in 2007, ASM’s first ALD system adopted in high-volume manufacturing. Pulsar’s breakthrough technology continues to drive customer success and revenue nearly 20 years later.

A recognized authority in ALD technology, Eric holds over 100 patents and is one of the only three engineers in ASM’s history to be named an ASM Fellow—an honor reserved for individuals whose innovations have made a profound impact on the company. He is frequently consulted as an executive scientist for his deep technical expertise.

Eric earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Arizona State University and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona under Professor Farhang Shadman.

Paul Verhagen was appointed as member of the Management Board and CFO in June 2021. He has played a pivotal role in advancing ASM’s ‘Growth through Innovation’ strategy, significantly enhancing the company’s profitability and financial resilience, while laying the foundation for continued investments in future expansion. Paul has a proven track record and background in Dutch listed companies and the electronics industry. He made a career within Royal Philips – starting in the early 90s and until 2013, he fulfilled numerous executive positions in the Netherlands, the US, Hong Kong, and China. His last two assignments – from 2007 until 2013 – were as Executive Vice President and CFO of Philips Consumer Lifestyle, and Executive Vice President and CFO of Philips Lighting. In 2014, he became the CFO and member of the Management Board of the Dutch stock listed company Fugro.

Paul is a non-executive director of ASMPT, a member of the supervisory board (raad van toezicht) of Delft University of Technology and a member of the supervisory board of football club PSV. He holds a master’s degree in business administration, and has a post-graduate degree as Chartered Controller.