Paul Schroeter

Paul is a strong data-driven leader of R&D, operations, and engineering with a record of success in organizations ranging from pre-product start-ups to $500 million public companies. Previously he was COO at Ampulse Corporation, an innovative public-private solar technology partnership. Before that, as COO and Senior Vice President at Neophotonics Corp., a leading designer, and manufacturer of optical components, modules, and subsystems, Paul was responsible for R&D, operations, and engineering, both domestic and international. He grew the company from a 25-person materials research startup to an industry leader with over 2,300 employees and more than $100 million in annual revenue, recognized for technical excellence, on-time delivery of complex integrated optical components, and outstanding customer service. Previously as Vice President of Operations and Engineering at Read-Rite Corp, Paul was a primary contributor in transforming Read-Rite from a struggling small company into the largest independent supplier of thin-film computer disk heads employing 10,000 people with $500 million in revenue. Earlier in his career, as an Engineering Manager at Advanced Micro Devices, Paul started three separate high volume semiconductor wafer fabrication/production facilities from initial planning and set up through daily operations, and transferred processes from R&D into production. Paul received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana.