Teledyne FLIR Defense Appoints Managing Director: People in the News: 11/12/2025

Photonics.com
Nov 2025ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 12, 2025 — LightPath Technologies appointed Israel Piergiovanni vice president of manufacturing to facilitate the scaling up of production to drive anticipated growth. Piergiovanni has more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning global manufacturing operations, engineering, and quality management across high-precision technology companies. He served as senior director of manufacturing operations at Luminar Technologies, where he led multi-site production of advanced optical assemblies across facilities in the U.S., Mexico, and Thailand.

SILVERWATER, Australia — Semiconductor technology developer BluGlass appointed non-executive director Omer Granit executive chair, and added two members to its board. Granit is also a partner of investment firm EnPar Capital and a non-executive director and investor of ASX-listed advanced manufacturing company Amaero International Ltd. Lucy Robb Vujcic and Ata Gokyildirim join the board, replacing outgoing directors James Walker and Stephe Wilks. Vujcic is a commercial attorney and corporate governance specialist with extensive experience across corporate law, defense procurement, government contracting, and international arbitration. Gokyildirim is currently chief revenue officer at Insait IO.

TUCSON, Ariz. — Applied Energetics, a directed energy solutions company, appointed Matthew Seaford to its advisory board. Seaford brings more than 30 years of experience in advanced technology, national security, and industrial base development across the U.S. government and private sector. Seaford recently served as director of the portfolio management office for the U.S. Department of Commerce's CHIPS Program Office. Before that position, he was technical director for the CIA Directorate of Science and Technology.

KISTA, Sweden — Sivers Semiconductors, a global leader in photonics and wireless technologies, appointed Raymond Biagan chief revenue officer. Raymond joins Sivers from GlobalFoundries and has worked at several prominent silicon and III-V compound semiconductor companies, including Qualcomm, RF Micro Devices, RFaxis, and Sanan Integrated Circuits.

Tarik Solomon. Courtesy of Teledyne FLIR Defense.

Tarik Solomon. Courtesy of Teledyne FLIR Defense.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Teledyne FLIR Defense appointed Tarik Solomon managing director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Solomon will oversee the company’s regional growth strategy, partnerships, and localization initiatives across defense, industrial, and emerging technology sectors. He joins Teledyne FLIR from Arabian Sahara Company, where he served as executive director, and UnmannedX, where he led operations and strategy.

Christophe Pottier. Courtesy of Murata.

Christophe Pottier. Courtesy of Murata.

HOOFDDORP, Netherlands — Christophe Pottier, vice president of sales for Murata Manufacturing Co., a leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, has been appointed president of the European Passive Components Industry Association. Pottier has more than 30 years of experience within the electronics industry, with a strong focus on strategic sales and automotive sector initiatives. His mission as president is to elevate the role of passive components, foster collaboration, and strengthen ties with research institutes.

BILLERICA, Mass. — Advanced materials science company Entegris appointed Brad Clay senior vice president of global operations, supply chain, and quality. Clay has more than 25 years of experience leading global teams and transforming manufacturing operations across the supply chain, procurement, and quality. He previously worked at GlobalFoundries and spent 18 years at Lexmark.

Stewart Lane. Courtesy of the Manufacturing Technologies Association.

Stewart Lane. Courtesy of the Manufacturing Technologies Association.

LONDON — The Manufacturing Technologies Association, which is the U.K.’s leading trade body for the manufacturing technology sector, appointed Stewart Lane president. Currently serving as Renishaw’s head of EMEA business development, Lane has also headed Renishaw’s corporate business development function and U.K. sales division. He has helped drive the development of the company’s metrology, encoder, and additive manufacturing businesses.

Yoram Salinger. Courtesy of Valens Semiconductor.

Yoram Salinger. Courtesy of Valens Semiconductor.

HOD HASHARON, Israel — Valens Semiconductor appointed Yoram Salinger CEO. Salinger will succeed Gideon Ben-Zvi, who has led Valens since 2020 and will remain actively involved with the company as a member of the board of directors. Most recently, Salinger served as CEO of cybersecurity company Perception Point. He previously served as CEO of Red-Bend Software. Valens also announced changes to its board of directors; Salinger joins, and both Eyal Kishon and Dror Jerushalmi will be stepping down.

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