Dr Godfrey Ainsworth, a former managing partner of a corporate finance firm in Cardiff, and who has an "extensive knowledge and experience" of the semiconductor industry from his 20-year involvement with Welsh firm IQE, will take up the role at Seren Photonics, the Western Mail reports.
Seren is a hi-tech company emanating from the University of Sheffield and will look to exploit high brightness LED technology pioneered by Dr Tao Wang at the academic institution.
The firm's managing director Dr Carl Griffiths is thrilled to have Dr Ainsworth's experience on its board a key time as it looks to secure licence deals with GaN manufacturers.
Backed by Fusion IP, which supports commercialisation of innovations created at the University of Sheffield, Seren's technology "is targeted at the large and fast growing white LED markets such as back lighting for laptop computers and TVs".
