Thomas Sonderman

CEO & Director

Thomas Sonderman was appointed CEO and elected to the board of directors in 2017. Under his leadership, he has driven the company’s transformation from an IDM to a pure play foundry and led its successful IPO in 2021. He has diversified the customer base, improved operational efficiencies and leveraged SkyWater as a U.S.-based semiconductor foundry to expand its government business and reinstate a strong commercial manufacturing presence in the U.S. He has built a world-class leadership team and workforce that is driving innovation and delivering excellence to SkyWater’s customers every day.

Prior to joining SkyWater, Sonderman’s extensive industry experience included all aspects of fab operations and delivering market leadership and increased shareholder value to high-technology industry leaders Rudolph Technologies (now ONTO Innovation), GLOBALFOUNDRIES and AMD. Notably, he played a critical role serving as part of an executive team at AMD that spun-off manufacturing operations to form GLOBALFOUNDRIES.

Sonderman holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Missouri S&T and an M.S. in electrical engineering from National Technological University. He has 50 patents, is a renowned industry speaker and was inducted into the Academy of Chemical and Biochemical Engineers at Missouri S&T in 2024. Sonderman also received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Missouri S&T and serves as the Commissioner for Semiconductors and Microelectronics at Purdue University’s Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy.

John Sakamoto

President & COO

John Sakamoto oversees all day-to-day business and manufacturing operations and is responsible for driving consistent profitability and implementing growth strategies, including ensuring smooth and efficient operations across the organization. He is responsible for cultivating key relationships with customers, suppliers and stakeholders for long-term business success. Additionally, Sakamoto leads the company’s functional areas related to delivering the technology as a service (TaaS) model to the market.

His experience includes 25 years in various executive leadership positions with Altera, Intel, and Marvell where he consistently achieved financial and strategic objectives through the implementation of effective business processes. His expertise includes market strategy, organizational growth, general management, business unit leadership, sales, operations, engineering and acquisition integration planning.

Sakamoto holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Steve Manko

CFO

Steve Manko utilizes his extensive finance background in working with his team to drive profitability and enhance the value of the organization. He achieves this by collaborating with other leaders in the company to understand their challenges and opportunities and develop a strategy for increased returns on investment.

Prior to joining SkyWater as CFO, Manko was managing director at Riveron Consulting where he led the Financial Advisory Services practice in Minneapolis. He and his team assisted companies through various change events such as acquisitions and internal process changes and optimizations. Previously, Manko was at Ernst & Young and specialized in the Banking & Capital Markets industries. He spent time in the Cleveland, Ohio and Honolulu, Hawaii offices, before moving with his family to the Twin Cities in 2015.

Manko holds a Master of Business Administration from The University of Akron and a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and business administration from Malone University. He is also a member of various accounting and finance committees and organizations.

Chris Hilberg

General Counsel & Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

Chris Hilberg is responsible for SkyWater’s legal and compliance functions, and provides the company’s management and board of directors with strategic and high-value business, corporate, governance, transactional and compliance advice, counsel and leadership. He leads SkyWater’s legal and compliance team, and oversees the company’s legal affairs, including corporate governance, commercial transactions, intellectual property, corporate and regulatory compliance, employment law and litigation.

Hilberg’s more than 20 years as an attorney include extensive, broad-based experience at large law firms and in-house. He routinely advises Fortune 500 companies on commercial transactions, risk management, compliance, global sourcing and supply chain functions and intellectual property strategy.

Hilberg has an undergraduate degree in physics from Carleton College, a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, and is a licensed patent attorney before the USPTO.

Sudhakar Adivikolanu, PhD

SVP, Supply Chain and Information Technology

Sudhakar Adivikolanu’s role encompasses all elements necessary to excel customer delivery performance goals, achieve supply chain excellence and resiliency and set a strong IT foundation to support both enterprise growth and next generation smart manufacturing.

His decades of experience include success in managing complex and global supply chains and architecting and implementing digital transformations in various semiconductor, high tech and manufacturing environments. He has garnered these skills at Skyworks, Maxim/ADI, SanDisk/Western Digital and i2/BlueYonder. Adivikolanu’s background includes a strong understanding of supply chain fundamentals, manufacturing systems and operations and enterprise digital transformations with deep system and process knowledge.  He has a strong academic background and has authored publications in advanced process control related to semiconductor manufacturing.

Adivikolanu holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. He also received a doctorate and Master of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Kristen Bergstrom

SVP, Human Resources

Kristen Bergstrom is responsible for SkyWater’s human resource strategy and execution, with a focus on fostering a thriving workplace culture, driving strategic talent initiatives, and ensuring organizational success through people-focused policies. With nearly two decades of experience in human resources, she specializes in strategic business partnering, talent acquisition and development, employee engagement, and leadership development.

Throughout her career, Bergstrom has played a pivotal role in shaping company cultures, implementing innovative HR strategies, and leading transformative workforce initiatives. A trusted advisor to executive leadership, she is focused on building high-performing teams and driving continuous improvement in the employee experience. Before joining SkyWater, Bergstrom spent 14 years at Tennant Company, where she held progressive HR leadership roles, culminating in her position as vice president, talent and total rewards. Earlier in her career, she served as a human resources generalist at ATK.

Bergstrom earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on human resources and operations from St. Cloud State University – Herberger Business School.

Brad Ferguson, PhD

SVP & GM, Special Programs; SVP, SkyWater Florida; GM, Advanced Packaging; President & CEO, SkyWater Federal

Brad Ferguson is focused on accelerating the growth of SkyWater’s Advanced Packaging and Special Programs, and strengthening strategic U.S. government relationships, including support of secure microelectronics manufacturing.  Previously, he served as chief technology officer, creating a strong foundation for this critical function where he developed the company’s technology roadmap and IP strategy. Ferguson was also responsible for launching SkyWater’s government relations strategy and created the purpose-built entity SkyWater Federal focused specifically on streamlining government contract engagements.

Ferguson started his career in photolithography process development at Cypress Semiconductor. In 2008, he started up and developed the Cypress custom foundry business to provide differentiated solutions to technology innovators. He also drove the accreditation process to achieve Trusted Foundry status and secured many defense customers, which launched the company’s entry into the aerospace and defense market, a key component of SkyWater’s market strategy.

Ferguson received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He also received a Doctorate and Master of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Percy Gilbert, Ph.D.

SVP, Engineering

Percy Gilbert is responsible for leading and expanding SkyWater’s engineering organization, which is integral to the company’s ongoing strategic growth in Advanced Technology Services (ATS), platform solutions and wafer services. He oversees key engineering functions and works closely with senior engineering leaders to implement innovative solutions that streamline product development and ensure the delivery of high-performance semiconductor solutions to a diverse array of industries.

Gilbert brings deep expertise in the semiconductor industry, with leadership roles spanning technology development and product engineering. He spent over two decades at IBM where he led advanced process technology development and product engineering for next-generation microprocessors. He has also held leadership positions at Motorola and, most recently, at NXP Semiconductors.

Gilbert received a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University and is credited with 10 U.S. patents and over 20 technical publications.

Bassel Haddad

SVP & GM, Foundry Solutions & Technology Platforms

Bassel Haddad leads SkyWater’s foundry business and advanced technology services (ATS) and oversees the technology platform offerings and services.

In this role, he is accountable for the business financial performance and advancing its long-term growth across both defense and commercial markets. Additionally, he is responsible for steering the company’s go-to-market efforts and fostering relationships with customers and the broader ecosystem. Previously Haddad served as senior vice president and general manager of advanced packaging at SkyWater, where he led the company’s advanced packaging business including technology development, engineering, marketing and fab operations.

Before joining SkyWater, Haddad was with Intel beginning in 2011, most recently as vice president and general manager of edge device and AI products in the Network and Edge Group. In that role, he managed a multi-billion-dollar P&L and led innovations in edge AI and the Internet of Things (IoT). Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions in platform architecture, silicon development, systems, and software engineering, delivering transformative products to diverse end markets.

Haddad holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He is the primary inventor on five USPTO-issued patents in the areas of digital communication and systems architecture.

 

Dan Malinaric

SVP, Fab Operations

Dan Malinaric is responsible for leading SkyWater’s semiconductor manufacturing operations, overseeing fabs in Minnesota and Texas. He provides the company’s leadership team with operational expertise and guidance to drive manufacturing excellence, capacity expansion, and long-term growth.

Malinaric’s more than 40 years in the semiconductor industry include extensive experience in operational leadership and large-scale expansion initiatives. He has held senior executive roles at Atmel Corporation as Vice President of Worldwide Wafer Operations, and at Microchip Technology as Corporate Vice President, where he oversaw Fab 5 in Colorado and Fab 4 in Oregon, leading significant increases in manufacturing capacity.

Malinaric holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and International Business from the University of Colorado.

Ross Miller

SVP, Commercial and A&D Business

As Senior Vice President at SkyWater Technology, Ross Miller leads the industrial and aerospace businesses while steering the company’s strategic go-to-market planning, branding, and corporate communications efforts. He is a seasoned semiconductor and technology executive with over 20 years of experience driving innovation, growth, and strategic transformation across startup, enterprise, and government environments.

Throughout his career, Miller has consistently demonstrated his ability to merge technical expertise with strategic insight. Prior to joining SkyWater, he was vice president of marketing and sales for Agnitron Technology, a compound semiconductor startup. His previous experience includes positions at Eaton Corp, NVE Corp, Microsoft, and in the Space and Missiles Systems Group as an active duty Air Force officer.

Miller holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Science in electrical engineering from North Dakota State University.