We are honored to welcome a lineup of industry leaders, researchers, and workforce development experts who are driving change in the semiconductor industry. Their insights, experience, and dedication to expanding opportunities will be invaluable as we explore strategies for strengthening Europe’s talent pipeline.

Explore their bios below and get ready for a day of impactful discussions.

Laith Altimime

Laith Altimime, as President of SEMI Europe, leads SEMI’s activities in Europe and the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Altimime has P&L responsibility as well as ownership of all Europe region programs and events, including SEMICON Europa. He is responsible for establishing industry Standards, advocacy, community development, expositions, and programs.

He provides support and services to SEMI members worldwide that have supply chain interests in Europe. He manages and nurtures relationships with SEMI members in the region and globally as well as with local associations and constituents in industry, government, and academia. Altimime has more than 30 years of international experience in the semiconductor industry. Prior to joining SEMI in 2015, He held senior leadership positions at NEC, KLA-Tencor, Infineon, Qimonda, and imec. Altimime holds an MSc from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.

Reviliani Gani

Reviliani joined SEMI Europe in 2019. In her current role as Senior Manager of Diversity and Workforce Development at SEMI Europe, she coordinates the implementation of the EU Erasmus+ project, European Chips Diversity Alliance, with a mission to lower barriers for under-represented groups in the European semiconductor industry through data, training, and engagement programs.

She has over 10 years of experience managing various projects across public and private sectors in Jakarta, Paris, and Berlin. Reviliani holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism Project from Lille University.

Caroline Sasia

Caroline Sasia joined Soitec in 2022 as Executive Vice President, Head of Communications and Marketing & Chief of Staff to the CEO. In this role, she’s part of Soitec’s Executive Committee. With over 20 years of professional experience, Caroline Sasia has a strong expertise in designing and executing communications strategies in complex and dynamic international environments with a focus on high-tech, mobility, and sustainability sectors.

Before joining Soitec Caroline spent most of her career at the Renault Group and at the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance where she held various roles in communications, strategy, and public affairs. Caroline Sasia graduated from Sciences Po Paris. 

Isabella Drolz

Isabella Drolz serves as the Vice President of Marketing & Product Strategy at Comet AG’s X-ray Systems Division. The division develops advanced X-ray/CT systems and AI software solutions under Comet’s brands Comet Yxlon and Dragonfly. Comet Yxlon provides X-ray and CT inspection solutions from lab to fab environments, while Dragonfly offers AI-powered software that enables scientists, researchers, and industrial customers to perform complex image analyses and extract actionable insights in a repeatable, reliable, and cost-efficient manner, driving product yield.

In her role, Isabella oversees Market and Product Management, Global Application & Training Centers, Marketing, and the Academia Program. She holds a degree in industrial engineering, a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration, and an MBA from Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City, USA. With a strong background in mechanical and plant engineering, Isabella has held several management roles focused on market-driven product and business development. 

John Blake

John is the current General Manager of MIDAS Ireland, which is the representative body for the semiconductor / microelectronics sector in Ireland.John graduated in 1985, with a Degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from University College Cork. From 1985 to 2019, he worked in various engineering and business leadership roles with Analog Devices and ON Semiconductor in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the USA. In recent years, he has worked part-time as a consultant in the Technology and Healthcare sectors. 

John has had a long association with MIDAS Ireland, with whom he has held various positions, including leading the Training Sub-Committee, General Manager from 2011 to 2015 and again from early 2024 and was a Member of the MIDAS Advisory Board for a number of years. He also worked on a project for MIDAS researching the future skills needs of the Irish Electronics Sector during 2020 and 2021. John lives with his wife a few miles outside Limerick, enjoys travelling, golf and outdoor activities. He has 3 adult sons who are working in the Financial sector in Ireland and Australia. 

Nessa Maguire

Nessa Maguire is the Founder of EudaOrg, a consultancy specialising in workforce development solutions tailored to diverse needs. She holds an MSc in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology and has over 15 years of experience in organisational change, coaching, and research. Drawing on this expertise, she collaborates with industries facing complex talent challenges to build inclusive and high-performing teams. An experienced speaker and advisor, she regularly contributes to discussions on the future of work, leadership, and inclusion. 

EudaOrg is a partner in the European Chips Diversity Alliance, leading research on workforce inclusion and talent shortages in the semiconductor sector. The organisation is also developing AI-driven coaching technology to enhance career readiness, support workforce transitions, and address the evolving demands of the future of work. 

Jeanne McDonagh

Jeanne McDonagh is the CEO of the Open Doors Initiative. She has over 30 years’ experience in inclusion, politics, campaigning, mental health and LGBTQ+ issues, and board work. She has bipolar which informs her work through lived experience. 

Stephan Schmuck

Stephan teaches in the liberal arts and the field of diversity & inclusion at ESCP Berlin Campus. He worked across different programmes on graduate and executive level and has developed Europe’s first LGBT+ Leadership programme. Stephan areas of expertise are strategic  diversity implementation, inclusive leadership and  economic history.

He has worked abroad in the academic institutions in Ireland and the UK and advised companies such as HSBC, EY, S&P and PwC. Currently, he is the project lead for the development of diversity measures for talent acquisition and retention in the EC Chip Alliance consortium. His current research interests focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion in organisation, cultures of collaboration and LGBT+ leadership. 

Aileen Kelly-O’Sullivan

Aileen’s career in QT Technologies Ireland Ltd. (Qualcomm Ireland) began in 2020, on the Engineering Operations team. Aileen worked on Site Communications, STEM Outreach and University Relations. From there, Aileen, along with the support of their Site Lead, Senior Leadership and the University Relations team in San Diego, has grown the University Relations team and STEM Outreach efforts.

Aileen has a background in FMCG, Recruitment and Sales. She has a degree in Human Resources, a Higher Diploma in Personnel Management, is CIPD accredited and a proud graduate of University College Cork.

Eilish McLoughlin

Dr Eilish McLoughlin is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Sciences at Dublin City University (DCU). She is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and a Chartered Physicist. Eilish obtained a PhD in Semiconductor Physics in 2000 and since then her research has evolved to focus on physics/STEM education and teacher education.

She has led over 40 national and international programmes aimed at improving teachers’ competence and confidence to teach physics/STEM at early childhood, primary and secondary level. In 2016, she founded the STEM Teacher Internship Programme to provide pre-service and early career teachers with the opportunity to complete paid internships in a STEM role in industry.  She has led the national expansion of this programme to include primary and secondary STEM teachers from across seven Irish universities. This programme has impacted on teachers’ understanding of integrated STEM education, supported them in designing learning opportunities based on real-world contexts, and fostered education–industry partnerships in STEM education.

Claire MacNamee

With over 15 years of leadership experience in public service, enterprise, and industry, Claire has worked at TU Dublin since 2007. In the past four years, she has secured over €10 million in funding for university projects focusing on enterprise development, technology and inclusion. As the Head of Enterprise Engagement at Technological University Dublin, Claire oversees four business incubators supporting over 100 start-up companies across the Dublin Region.

Her work involves nurturing entrepreneurial talent, facilitating partnerships, and driving economic growth through innovation. Claire ran her own business, for ten years before taking up this role and is passionate about supporting owner-managers and founders. Claire has held Board Director roles for several organisations and is currently a Board Member of the Mill Enterprise Centre. Claire is a member of the Evaluation and Investments Committee for the Local Enterprise Office and represents TU Dublin on several enterprise and industry forums.

Claire is also the Creator and Director of the University’s flagship gender equality initiative, TrailblazHER. Claire is deeply committed to promoting and advancing equality, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, with a key focus on advancing opportunities for women in areas where women are underrepresented.   Claire is a graduate of UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business and holds awards in Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Communications.

Rachel O’Neill

Rachel serves as the Associate Manager for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the Better Workplace Team at Regeneron, located in Raheen, Limerick. Regeneron is a prominent biotechnology company with its headquarters in the US and its European manufacturing site in Raheen. With over 25 years of corporate experience across the electronics and biopharma sectors, Rachel has previously worked with Molex and Analog Devices.

She is passionate about creating equitable opportunities for all employees, with a particular focus on supporting women in advancing their careers and promoting STEM careers to girls. Rachel has led women’s networking groups, championed employee resource groups, advised young professional networks, and conducted STEM outreach programs. 

Louis Cheng

Louis Cheng serves as Rewards, Analytics & Talent Solutions Partner for the Electronics business sector of Merck Group. In his role as an HR professional, he partners with business leaders to develop and execute people strategies and initiatives that align with overall business objectives and enhance the employee experience through the life cycle.

Louis is currently based in Germany, the headquarters of Merck, and he also brings valuable experience from his previous work in China and the USA. Louis holds a master’s degree in management science and engineering.

Janka Kottulová

Janka Kottulová, PhD, is a project manager and researcher specializing in gender equality and research talent development. As a member of the Centre for Gender Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, she has contributed to projects focused on advancing gender equality in academia and other sectors, including preparation of the university’s Gender Equality Plan.

She also works with EURAXESS Slovakia, where she is responsible for activities supporting early career researchers and for developing intersectoral collaborations to promote research careers beyond academia.

Margaret Spillane

Margaret Spillane is the Definition and System Architect Director at onsemi Limerick, where she leads a team focused on power delivery to processors for the computing market. Before assuming her current role, Margaret served as an Application Engineer within onsemi, providing support to numerous customers worldwide.

Margaret holds a Master of Science degree specializing in Power Electronics from the Limerick Institute of Technology and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University.

Krystyna Dimtchev

Krystyna Dimtchev is an accomplished professional with a master’s degree from the Technical University of Wroclaw, Poland, and is an IPMA Certified Senior Project Manager. She has a proven track record in the consultancy and construction industry, managing multidisciplinary teams on mission-critical projects & programmes.

Krystyna excels in strategic, financial, and business acumen, client interfacing, and maintaining relationships. Her exceptional communication skills ensure high engagement and transparency with diverse stakeholders, including business owners, government agencies, and construction teams. Krystyna places great emphasis on continuous professional development for both her and her team members. She actively promotes females in engineering and project management and participates in charity events to support local communities. Krystyna is a Council and Executive Board Member of Engineers Ireland, Vice Chair of the Women in Engineering Committee, and serves as the STEPS and CPD Liaison for the PM Society.