Chris J. McDonald Joins Siva Power as Chief Operations Officer

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Siva Power, pioneering the next generation of thin-film solar technology, has hired Chris J. McDonald as its Chief Operations Officer (COO). McDonald brings a high level of operations experience and proven solar-technology expertise, and is an important addition for executing Siva Power's plan to build the first solar factory of the "gigawatt era" to manufacture high-efficiency solar panels at unprecedented scale and the lowest production cost.

McDonald previously held executive roles at Applied Materials and Intel. He was Vice President of Factory Projects for Applied Materials' Solar Business Group, responsible for delivering turn-key factory start-up projects to Applied Materials' customers, successfully starting and completing 14 production lines in six countries. McDonald also spent 20 years at Intel, with his most recent position as Plant Manager in charge of start-up and operations for a semiconductor fabrication plant. McDonald spent three years on assignment at International SEMATECH as director of the Advanced Technology Development Facility. Before that he held management positions in Engineering, Manufacturing and Yield/Quality and Reliability.

As COO, McDonald will report to Siva Power CEO Brad Mattson. On hiring McDonald, Mattson said that, "Chris brings a wealth of operations and factory-building experience to the company and he comes at the perfect time — when we are ready to scale. We were looking for someone who had solar experience, semiconductor experience, but most importantly experience scaling a factory to very high volume, and running 24/7 with great yields. Chris was an A+ candidate on all criteria and we are very glad to have him. I have always said that we were going to build a solar 'Dream Team' here at Siva Power and Chris fulfills the operational part of that team beyond our expectation."

Siva Power President Dr. Billy Stanbery stated, "The hiring decision for COO is an important one and we all agreed that Chris is the one we want. Siva Power is on track to become the world's number one manufacturer of solar modules and Chris will be a great help in getting us there."

Said McDonald, "I am very excited to join Siva Power and consider it a great opportunity to be part of the outstanding team the company has created. I look forward to returning to thin-film solar manufacturing and am convinced that our technology and product roadmap will solve the most important challenges to creating a sustainably profitable and competitive PV manufacturing business, which will lead to Siva Power's swift growth and market leadership."

In addition to McDonald's experience at Applied Materials and Intel, he has also worked at Samsung, serving as Senior Vice President of Plant Operations for Samsung Austin Semiconductor. In this role he was responsible for all aspects of a high-volume state-of-the-art factory.

McDonald has published articles and taught courses on Technology Transfer, Training, Statistical Process Control, Yield Management and Manufacturing. He received his B.S. in Electronics from the University of Southampton, UK, and his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from National Technological University in the US. McDonald is currently finishing an international joint degree program between Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, where he will graduate with a M.S. in Engineering Business Management, and the University of Warwick in the UK, where he will graduate with a M.S. in International Technology Management.

About Siva Power
Siva Power is a leader in advanced manufacturing technology for solar modules and aims to be the world's best-in-class manufacturer of high-efficiency, low-cost solar panels. Siva Power is developing a solar factory for the "gigawatt era" that will produce solar panels at unprecedented scale and the lowest production cost. For more information, visit www.sivapower.com.

SOURCE Siva Power

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