Wolfspeed appoints new CEO from ams-Osram, Infineon
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Power chip maker Wolfspeed has appointed a new CEO following its sacking of Gregg Lowe back in December.
Robert Feurle will take over as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from May 1, 2025, following a comprehensive internal and external search by the Board of Directors. Feurle succeeds Thomas Werner, who is serving as interim Executive Chairman and will return as Chairman of the Board following the transition.
Feurle has history with Wolfspeed. While at Infineon he was part of the team supporting the proposed acquisition of the Wolfspeed operations in 2016.
Feurle is a citizen of both the US and Germany and return to Wolfspeed in Durham, North Carolina having been Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Opto Semiconductors Business Unit at ams-OSRAM. There, he was responsible for managing more than 10,000 employees in sites and factories around the world for LED and Laser products for automotive applications. He has also worked at Wolfspeed competitor Infineon Technologies on silicon IGBT and silicon carbide (SiC) power devices and at Micron Technology, Qimonda, and Siemens.
Wolfspeed is facing significant challenges with its shift to a pure play 200mm silicon carbide chip provider as the automotive market, and demand for SiC chips, slowed.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Wolfspeed during such a transformative period. During my tenure at Infineon, I became intimately familiar with the silicon carbide industry and saw firsthand Wolfspeed’s impressive leadership in the space. I believe we have just begun to scratch the surface of the vast potential of silicon carbide. Wolfspeed’s world-class facilities, exceptional talent, and robust intellectual property, position us to maintain and expand our market leadership,” said Feurle.
At Infineon Technologies, he led new product introductions in the field of IGBT and silicon carbide technologies as Vice President and General Manager for Integrated Solutions and Discretes.
Wolfspeed acknowledges the challenges, saying it continues to focus on improving financial performance and accelerating its path to generate positive free cash flow, take aggressive steps to strengthen its balance sheet and raise cost-effective capital required to support its long-term growth plan.
“With all of the Company’s competitive advantages I feel very confident that we will be able to work through this transformative period to refresh the operating plan, improve financial performance and accelerate our path to positive free cash flow,” said Feurle
“With a history of delivering significant operational enhancements and profitability improvements, and deep industry expertise, we are confident that Robert is the right individual to take the helm during this stage in the Company’s lifecycle. His history of driving success and operational excellence in each of his previous roles is a significant contributor to our decision to appoint him as CEO. The Board and I look forward to working closely with Robert to successfully navigate near-term market dynamics and ultimately position the Company for long-term value creation,” said Thomas Werner, Executive Chairman.
Feurle holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Konstanz, Germany.
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