Kateeva Announces Leadership Changes

Kateeva announced the appointment of May Su as CEO and member of the Board.

Su succeeds Alain Harrus who held the CEO role since 2013.

She joined Kateeva in 2018 as chief marketing officer.

Harrus becomes chairman emeritus and will serve Kateeva as an advisor.

The CEO transition is among several executive moves implemented as part of a company restructuring due to a significant change in business conditions.

Co-Founder Conor Madigan stepped down as president, although he remains on the board.

Five longtime Kateeva executives were promoted to the new leadership team: Mary Loomas, CFO; David Duke, senior VP of sales and service; Alex Ko, senior VP of engineering; Christopher Hauf, VP of technology, and Sunil Goudar, senior director of operations and manufacturing.

Co-Founders Gerry Chen and Valerie Gassend remain with the company.

The new leadership is focused on enabling global customers with advanced technology solutions for OLED display manufacturers.

With a tighter infrastructure that includes a full-service team in China, the company can move fast to build equipment for manufacturers’ differentiated processes that deliver high-yield, low cost-of-ownership advantages.

“We’re pleased to name May as Alain’s successor. Her keen understanding of customers’ technology challenges and market priorities helped Kateeva become a world-class solutions partner to global display manufacturers,” Kateeva Board Member Henry Wang said. “As a business leader with deep connections in China and throughout Asia, she’s the right executive to maximize Kateeva’s potential and value in this new phase.”

“Kateeva has always stood out for its talent and capacity to innovate novel technology solutions,” Su added. “We’re a smaller company today, but more focused than ever on enabling customers in the display space and beyond with highly differentiated equipment. I’m excited to lead the team.”

Harrus credited Su for forging a customer-engagement strategy at Kateeva that helped display manufacturers optimize their experience with the company’s equipment solutions.

“She’s a skilled engineer and applications expert with a talent for leading cross-cultural teams collectively dedicated to making customers successful. The company will thrive under her leadership,” he said.

“Thanks to their vision, leadership and fortitude, nearly every high-end smartphone produced today was enabled by a Kateeva tool,” Wang said of Harrus and Madigan. “They turned a novel technology concept into a breakthrough equipment solution that helped the display industry fulfill the potential of OLED technology. We appreciate their continued contribution.”

Before Kateeva, Su held executive positions with leading semiconductor equipment companies where she implemented strategic growth initiatives that brought breakthrough technologies to market and strengthened revenue pipelines. Her roles included: Vice President of Corporate Marketing at KLA-Tencor, Product General Manager at Lam Research, President of US and European Operations at Nova Instruments, VP of Strategic Marketing at Brooks Automation, and VP/GM at Crossing Automation and Aviza Technology.