Yuval Wasserman
ICHOR HOLDINGSAbout Yuval Wasserman
Independent director at Ichor since 2021; age 70; current tenure ~3.9 years. Serves on the Human Capital Committee and the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; the Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules (including compensation committee independence) . Former President & CEO of Advanced Energy Industries with deep semiconductor equipment, operations, and financial oversight experience; B.Sc. Chemical Engineering from Ben Gurion University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS) | President & CEO; earlier President & COO; EVP roles including Thin Films, Sales/Marketing/Services | 2007–2021 (CEO 2014–2021) | Led strategic and operational transformation in precision power products |
| Tevet Process Controls Technologies | President & CEO | 2002–2007 | Ran metrology/controls company; executive P&L accountability |
| Boxer Cross | SVP, Marketing & Sales | 2000–2002 | Commercial leadership in semi equipment |
| Eaton (now Axcelis Technologies) | VP, Marketing & Technology | 1997–1999 | Technology and go-to-market leadership |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FARO Technologies (FARO) | Director | 2017–present | Public, metrology/3D measurement |
| Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS) | Director (while CEO/President) | 2014–2021 | Precision power products |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2025 nominees): Human Capital Committee (member); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member). Not a committee chair .
- Independence: Board classifies Wasserman as independent; meets Nasdaq Rule 10C-1 independence for compensation committee members .
- Attendance and engagement: In 2024 the Board met 5 times; each of the Audit, Human Capital, and Nominating & Corporate Governance committees met 5 times. Each incumbent director attended at least 75% of aggregate board/committee meetings; all ten directors attended the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders .
- Governance practices: Board maintains hedging and pledging prohibitions for directors/officers; clawback policy in place (awards under the omnibus plan are subject to clawback) .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Policy Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $60,000 (non-employee director); $85,000 (Lead Independent); $110,000 (Chair) | Paid quarterly |
| Committee chair cash retainer | Audit $20,000; Human Capital $15,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $10,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Committee member cash retainer | Audit $10,000; Human Capital $7,500; Nominating & Corporate Governance $5,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Director | 2024 Fees Earned (Cash) | 2024 Stock Awards (Grant-date FV) | 2024 Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuval Wasserman | $72,500 | $150,016 | $222,516 |
Notes: Wasserman’s $72.5k cash aligns with $60k base plus committee member fees (HCC $7.5k; NCG $5k) .
Performance Compensation
| Component | 2024 Value / Units | Vesting / Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer (RSUs) | $150,016 grant-date fair value | Director RSUs valued at $150,000 vest immediately prior to the next annual meeting; 2025 AGM scheduled for May 14, 2025 |
| Unvested RSUs outstanding (12/27/2024) | 3,923 units | Annual grant vests before next AGM, subject to service |
Clawback and prohibitions: Equity awards are subject to the company’s clawback policy/requirements; hedging and pledging of company securities are prohibited .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS) | Wasserman Director/CEO 2014–2021 | Ichor Chairman Thomas Rohrs was also an AEIS director (2006–2022), creating a historical board interlock/network tie |
| FARO Technologies (FARO) | Wasserman Director 2017–present | No disclosed interlocks with current Ichor directors in proxy |
No related-person transactions since the beginning of 2024; audit committee oversees RPT policy and any approvals, and none were reported . Human Capital Committee reported no compensation committee interlocks/insider participation issues in 2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leadership and executive experience; global business perspective; semiconductor manufacturing and process knowledge; supply chain knowledge; institutional knowledge; other relevant industry knowledge; human capital management; financial/audit; cybersecurity/privacy/risk; strategic transactions/M&A; sales and marketing; technology/R&D (each marked for Wasserman in Ichor’s skills matrix) .
- Education: B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Ben Gurion University .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 17,112 | As of record date March 17, 2025 |
| RSUs acquirable within 60 days (from record date) | 3,923 | Reflects near-term vesting |
| Stock options outstanding | 0 | — |
| Unvested RSUs outstanding (12/27/2024) | 3,923 | — |
| Shares outstanding (denominator) | 34,112,963 | Record date basis |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | ~0.05% | 17,112 / 34,112,963 computed from cited values |
Ownership alignment: Directors are subject to a 3.0x annual retainer stock ownership guideline; Ichor states all covered individuals are in compliance .
Pledging/Hedging: Company policy prohibits holding securities in margin accounts or pledging and prohibits hedging transactions, supporting alignment with shareholders .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with CEO experience in adjacent industry; sits on Human Capital and Nominating & Corporate Governance—two high-influence committees for executive pay and board composition; attendance threshold met; equity-heavy director pay mix with annual RSU retainer; robust ownership guideline (3x retainer) and compliance; hedging/pledging prohibited; clawback coverage on equity .
- Potential watch items: Historical interlock with Ichor’s Chairman at Advanced Energy (network ties) merits awareness, though no related-party transactions disclosed and independence affirmed .
- Refreshment/tenure: Tenure ~3.9 years; Board enforces a 75-year age limit (saw a non-renomination at that threshold), fostering ongoing refreshment .