The Ayna Insights podcast features prominent leaders and influencers shaping the industrial and industrial technology sectors, discussing topics that are critical for executives, boards, and investors. Ayna Insights is brought to you by Ayna, a premier advisory and implementation firm in the industrial technology space, providing transformation and consulting services to its clients.
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The Ayna Insights podcast features prominent leaders and influencers shaping the industrial and industrial technology sectors, discussing topics that are critical for executives, boards, and investors. Ayna Insights is brought to you by Ayna, a premier advisory and implementation firm in the industrial technology space, providing transformation and consulting services to its clients.
To learn more about Ayna, please visit our website at www.ayna.ai.
The views, information, and opinions presented in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Ayna.AI or its affiliates. This podcast should not be considered financial or investment advice. Ayna.AI or its affiliates do not verify for accuracy any of the information contained in this podcast.
Mike Slessor: From Lab to Fab—The Next Decade in Semiconductor Testing
Ayna Insights
26 minutes 45 seconds
2 weeks ago
Mike Slessor: From Lab to Fab—The Next Decade in Semiconductor Testing
In this episode of the Titanium Economy Podcast, host Vineet Gupta speaks with Mike Slessor, President and CEO of FormFactor, about the transformation of semiconductor testing and innovation at the frontier of AI, photonics, and advanced packaging. Mike shares how FormFactor’s deep customer integration—where over a third of employees work directly with partners like Samsung, TSMC, Intel, and NVIDIA—drives precision, speed, and collaboration. He highlights key inflection points such as silicon photonics for energy-efficient data centers, high-bandwidth memory testing for AI, and the role of advanced packaging in extending Moore’s Law. He also discusses the company’s strategic U.S. expansion through a Texas brownfield acquisition following its divestiture of China operations, underscoring how geopolitics is reshaping the semiconductor value chain.
Mike Slessor has led FormFactor since 2014, guiding it to a $750M global leader in semiconductor test and measurement with 2,200 employees worldwide. A former CEO of MicroProbe (acquired by FormFactor), he began his career at KLA-Tencor. Mike holds a PhD in Aeronautics and Physics from Caltech and a BSc in Engineering Physics from the University of British Columbia. Under his leadership, FormFactor continues to pioneer next generation testing solutions powering the semiconductor industry’s most complex challenges.
Discussion Points
(01:37) Market Position & Portfolio: FormFactor’s probe cards enable wafer-level testing, while its systems business supports lab-to-fab transitions for next-gen technologies like quantum computing.
(03:29) Innovation & Customer Collaboration: Deep alignment with key customers drives sustained R&D investment. Engineering teams maintain daily collaboration with global semiconductor leaders.
(06:49) Technology Trends: 5G/6G, silicon photonics, and advanced packaging are reshaping the industry—improving data center efficiency and pushing Moore’s Law forward.
(15:25) Geopolitics & Manufacturing Strategy: Following its China divestiture, FormFactor is expanding U.S. production with a Texas facility to strengthen resilience amid shifting trade dynamics.
Ayna is a premier advisory and implementation firm in the industrial technology space, leveraging a team of experienced leaders to help companies and investors drive performance improvement and value creation. The host of this episode is Ayna's Vineet Gupta.
For More Information
Gerald Kafer LinkedIn
Titanium Economy
Ayna Website
Vineet Gupta
Ayna Insights
The Ayna Insights podcast features prominent leaders and influencers shaping the industrial and industrial technology sectors, discussing topics that are critical for executives, boards, and investors. Ayna Insights is brought to you by Ayna, a premier advisory and implementation firm in the industrial technology space, providing transformation and consulting services to its clients.
To learn more about Ayna, please visit our website at www.ayna.ai.
The views, information, and opinions presented in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Ayna.AI or its affiliates. This podcast should not be considered financial or investment advice. Ayna.AI or its affiliates do not verify for accuracy any of the information contained in this podcast.
