Conversations with SEMI Leadership on Semiconductor Industry Challenges, Growth, Sustainability, and Workforce Development

This podcast episode was recorded live at SEMICON West 2022 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where critical discussions about the latest issues impacting the semiconductor industry took place. 

 Françoise von Trapp speaks with Joe Stockunas, the new President of SEMI Americas; Ajit Manocha, SEMI CEO and President; Mousumi Bhat, who heads up SEMI’s Sustainability Initiative, and Shari Liss, Executive Director at SEMI Foundation, who talk about some of the week’s highlights. 

While Joe is new to trade organizations, he brings over 40 years of industry experience in executive positions to this role. During the conversation, he talks about how his perspective as a long-time SEMI member gives him insight on how to serve the membership. He also shares highlights of SEMICON West 2022, and takeaways from the keynote talks. To wrap up his interview, Joe touches on future plans for SEMICON West, and his top priorities for SEMI programs for the Americas. 

With Sustainability as one of SEMI’s main priorities, there was an entire day and a half devoted to it, with the Sustainability Summit and Sustainability Start-Up event. The interview with Ajit Manocha and Mousumi Bhat focuses on the critical situation of climate change, and the role SEMI is playing to support industry-wide collaboration in setting achievable goals so that we can half our carbon footprint by 2030, and net zero by 2050. They also discuss next steps and top priorities for a Semiconductor Industry Sustainability Roadmap. 

Lastly, Françoise speaks with Shari Liss about SEMI’s new career platformed to help diversity and grow the U.S. semiconductor workforce. They talk about the microelectronics industry’s image and awareness program, and what SEMI Foundation is doing to address it. Shari unveils the details of the career platform, which is designed to help students understand what skills they have, which they need to develop, and how they can apply this skills to a career in the semiconductor industry. 

 Learn more about the Sustainability Initiative here 

Learn more about the Career Platform here

 Find our guests on LinkedIN: 

•  Ajit Manocha, CEO and President, SEMI 
• Joe Stokunas, Presideint, SEMI Americas 
• Mousumi Bhat, VP, SEMI Sustainability Programs 
• Shari Liss, Executive Director, SEMI Foundation