Francois Jeanneau
President and Chief Executive Officer
As a recognized executive in the high-tech space, Francois has spent the last two decades building strategic relationships with leading OEMs and ODMs – increasing revenue and catapulting long-term growth for leading organizations. He has held senior level positions at UPEK, a fingerprint authentication company (ultimately acquired by Apple), and helped increase revenue to $50M+ in less than three years. Most recently, Francois was SVP for Novasentis managing its commercial activities including sales, marketing and business development. Prior to that, he was Senior Director of Sales for Cambrios Technologies, leading sales activities with top tier OEMs. He holds an Engineering Degree from ICAM France and an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
John Jacobi
Vice President of Manufacturing
John brings over 3 decades of successful leadership experience developing and commercializing high-technology products in both corporate and new business environments. Prior to joining Novasentis, John served as the Director of Advanced Manufacturing for Covidien’s Energy Based Devices; as Engineering Manager for Peak Industries, a growing contract manufacturer sold to Delphi Automotive; he was the Director of Manufacturing and Quality for Hewlett Packard’s Microdisplay Products Operation, where he helped commercialize the world’s first LCOS Microdisplay; Alliance Manager for Business Critical Systems; and Materials Manager in HP’s Circuit Technology Group, responsible for global technology sourcing and operations. John earned his BSE at the University of Michigan and his Masters in Engineering from Cornell University.
Sri Peruvemba
Vice President of Marketing
With more than two decades of experience in the technology industry, Sri Peruvemba is the Vice President of Marketing for Novasentis. As the go-to expert source on electronic devices and technology for many of the leading technology writers in the country, Peruvemba is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg, Financial Times, and many other publications. He is also regularly invited to present at major technology conferences, has published several articles and white papers, and often leads seminars and classes on the display industry. His 25 years of experience in the electronics industry include marketing LCD, CRT, TFEL, OLED, LED, Plasma and ePaper displays into the mobile, industrial, medical, signage and TV markets. He earned a BSEE, a MBA and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management. Previously, Peruvemba held senior level positions at E Ink, Sharp Corp, TFS Inc, Planar Systems and Suntronic Technology.
Michael Vestel, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
Michael has 25+ years’ experience working in world-class academic, corporate and research environments. He is known for his extensive scientific knowledge and business acumen in developing and delivering innovative system solutions. Prior to joining Novasentis, Michael was principal scientist at SRI International, where he led programs for the U.S. Department of Defense (primarily DARPA), Department of Energy and commercial clients. His projects at SRI included developing wind-powered underwater drones and power-generation and drug-delivery devices. He has also worked at Applied Materials and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Michael holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and M.S. from UCLA, both in materials science and engineering.
Linda Ara
Chief Financial Officer
Linda's career has focused on working with venture-backed startups, typically as consulting Chief Financial Officer. Bringing skill with strategic planning, financial modelling, and financial management to client companies, Linda works closely with the management team to assess cash needs and successfully close investment financing rounds. She started her career with Wells Fargo Bank, and has recently worked with NextWave Pharmaceuticals (sold to Pfizer), NuMedii, Kai Pharmaceuticals (sold to Amgen), and Scios. Linda has a BA degree from UC Berkeley and lives in Palo Alto.
Ralph Russo
Founder, Chairman of the Board
Ralph has had a prolific and highly successful 35+ year career as an executive at Apple, Honeywell, Bay Networks, and Nortel Networks. He is the founder and former first President and CEO of Strategic Polymers Sciences Inc (now Novasentis). He holds a BS from St. Peter’s University, an MBA from Regis University, and a Manufacturing Management Certificate from Harvard Business School. He resides in Atherton, CA, with his wife Susan and has two children, Jessica and Richard.
