News: Suppliers
11 June 2025
SweGaN appoints new chairman and board members
SweGaN AB of Linköping, Sweden, a developer and manufacturer of custom gallium nitride on silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC) epitaxial wafers, based on proprietary growth technology, has announced several key board appointments supporting its growth in telecom, satcom, defense, and power electronics.
Pontus de Laval, senior advisor at Navigare Ventures (a SweGaN shareholder), has been appointed chairman of the board. Leif Johansson and Gerry Maguire join as board members, while David Lam steps down as interim chairman and will remain a deputy board member.
A former CTO of Saab and affiliated with the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, de Laval brings extensive leadership experience in Sweden’s technology and defense sectors.
“I’m excited to lead the executive board and deepen collaboration with SweGaN—a standout Swedish semiconductor company with patented innovation and a highly skilled team. With its cutting-edge research and product development, SweGaN is well-positioned to become a global leader in semiconductor material manufacturing, supporting a growing range of critical applications and regional supply chains,” says de Laval, SweGaN’s newly appointed chairman.
Leif Johansson, recognized as one of Sweden’s most influential business leaders and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, has served as board chair of Ericsson and AstraZeneca, and as CEO of both Volvo Group and Electrolux, among other executive roles.
“As Sweden strengthens its position in the evolving European semiconductor industry, success will depend on the innovation, research, and drive of pioneering companies like SweGaN. Collaborating with Pontus, Ted, and the team to shape the company’s future promises to be an exciting journey,” says Johansson.
Gerry Maguire, co-founder and general partner at Atlantic Bridge, brings over 30 years of experience in the technology industry as an investor, executive, and design engineer. Previously, he was Vice President of R&D at Parthus Technologies, where he played a key role in its IPO on Nasdaq. He has also held senior roles at Philips and Texas Instruments.
“I’m impressed by the groundbreaking semiconductor initiatives SweGaN is already part of, supported by Sweden and the EU,” says Maguire. “I look forward to joining the team and helping drive its inspiring growth and industry impact.”
“On behalf of SweGaN and our management team, I’d like to thank David Lam for his invaluable contributions over the past three years,” says Jr‑Tai Chen, SweGaN’s CEO and co-founder. “David has played a pivotal role—alongside the executive board—in guiding our evolution from a research-driven startup to a recognized commercial semiconductor manufacturer following our Series A investment.”
“We’re pleased that David will continue as a deputy board member and are delighted to welcome Gerry Maguire from Atlantic Bridge. Gerry brings a rare combination of engineering, executive, and investment experience, with deep knowledge of the European market—an ideal fit for SweGaN’s strategic transformation and expansion.”
“As we enter the next phase of our journey, I’m also excited to work more closely with our new chair, Pontus de Laval, and to welcome Swedish business leader Leif Johansson to our team,” continues Chen. “Together, they bring exceptional networks and decades of leadership in technology and defense. These combined forces will help sharpen our focus as we scale infrastructure and production, advance our technologies, and expand into the power electronics market—strengthening supply chain resilience across Europe.”
SweGaN adds chief operating officer as it scales up GaN-on-SiC epi manufacturing
Sweden’s Navigare Ventures takes stake in SweGaN
