The Rogers Board of Directors is elected by the shareholders to oversee the management of the company and to assure that shareholder interests are being served. The Board has delegated certain authority to a number of standing committees, including an Audit Committee, Compensation and Organization Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee.
The Board is mainly comprised of outside, independent directors. It regularly meets in executive session, without the presence of Rogers’ management.
The Board and management both believe that managing the Company with a principal focus on long-term value generally promotes the best interest of shareholders, as well as other stakeholders and interested parties, including employees, customers, suppliers, Rogers' communities and the public at large.
Mr. Bruce D. Hoechner was elected as President and Chief Executive Officer by the Board of Directors and joined Rogers Corporation in October, 2011, at which time he also became a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Hoechner has many years of broad leadership experience across numerous geographies, businesses and functions in the specialty chemicals industry with particularly strong international business expertise. For over ten years of his career he lived and worked in Asia — Singapore, Thailand and most recently, Shanghai, China. His Asian assignments were first with Rohm and Haas Company, for whom he worked for 28 years, and then The Dow Chemical Company after its acquisition of Rohm and Haas in 2009. While in Shanghai, Mr. Hoechner was responsible for a variety of businesses, most recently as President, Asia Pacific Region, Dow Advanced Materials Division. He has also led a number of specialty chemical global business units with wide-ranging operations in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. Mr. Hoechner holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University and is a graduate of the Wharton Management Certificate Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Hoechner is also a director of Curtis Wright Corp.
Keith L. Barnes has been a Director of the Company since October of 2015. Mr. Barnes is the CEO of Barnes Capital Management, a family investment office focused on technology investments in Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest.
In 2011, Mr. Barnes was Chairman of Verigy Pte Ltd, a leading manufacturer of semiconductor capital equipment, started within Hewlett Packard. Verigy was domiciled in Singapore and was acquired by Advantest of Japan in 2011. From 2006-2010, Mr. Barnes was CEO of Verigy. From 2003-2006, Mr. Barnes was Chairman and CEO of Electroglas, a leading manufacturer of semiconductor probing solutions. Mr. Barnes was Chairman and CEO of Integrated Measurement Systems from 1995-2001 when IMS was acquired by Credence.
Mr. Barnes is also a director of Knowles Corporation, Mentor Graphics Corporation, and Viavi Solutions.
Carol R. Jensen, PhD has been a Director of the Company since February of 2006. Ms. Jensen is currently President and Principal Partner in Lightning Ranch Group, a privately held group of companies in ranching, real estate, technology consulting, energy and aviation.
Ms. Jensen previously served as a director of the Microelectronic Computer Corporation and the American Chamber of Commerce - Denmark. She previously held positions at The Dow Chemical Company, as Vice President of Research & Development of Performance Chemicals from 2001-2004. At 3M Corporation, she served as Executive Director of Research & Development from 2000-2001, Managing Director of 3M Denmark from 1998-2000, and Technical Director of 3M’s Electronic Products business from 1990-1998. She also worked for IBM Corporation, holding various positions in research, development, marketing and corporate strategy from 1979-1990. She was also an adjunct professor of Chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin from 1991-1994.
In these positions she gained experience in the electronics and Internet industries, the chemical and materials industry, and in research, marketing, development, manufacturing, sales, international business, governance and executive management. Her technical background and experience make Ms. Jensen a valuable member of the Company’s Board of Directors and a great resource to its management.
Ganesh Moorthy, has been a Director of the Company since July of 2013. In February 2016, Mr. Moorthy was named President of Microchip Technology Incorporated, adding that position to the post of Chief Operating Officer, a title he has held since 2009. Microchip Technology Incorporated is a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog, memory and Flash-IP solutions. He served as Executive Vice President of Microchip from October 2006 to June 2009. From November 2001 to October 2006, Mr. Moorthy served as Vice President of several Microchip divisions. From June of 2010 to October of 2014, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of Hua-Hong Grace Semiconductor in Shanghai, China. He is also a member of the University of Washington’s Electrical Engineering Board of Advisors. Mr. Moorthy’s extensive background in a number of Rogers' key industries and his global expertise in business and technology leadership made him an excellent addition to the Board.
Jeffrey J. Owens was appointed as a Director of the Company in August of 2017. Mr. Owens most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Delphi Automotive PLC, until his retirement in March 2017. During his over 40-year career at Delphi, Mr. Owens served in a variety of technology, engineering and operating leadership roles. He served as President of Delphi’s Electronics and Safety Division, a position with international responsibilities.
Mr. Owens is also a director of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation of San Jose, California. Mr. Owens recently served as Chairman of the Kettering University Board of Trustees and is currently a trustee.
Mr. Owens’ global experience and leadership roles in innovation and technology, particularly in the areas of Advanced Mobility and Advanced Connectivity, make him an excellent addition to the Board.
Helene Simonet has been a Director of the Company since October of 2014. Ms. Simonet served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Coherent, Inc. from April 2002 through her retirement in December 2016. She served as Vice President of Finance of Coherent’s former Medical Group and Vice President of Finance of its Photonics Division from 1999-2002.
Prior to joining Coherent, Ms. Simonet spent over twenty years in senior finance positions at Raychem Corporation's Division and Corporate organizations, including Vice President of Finance of Raynet Corporation. Ms. Simonet has both Master's and Bachelor degrees from the University of Leuven, Belgium.
Ms. Simonet is a well-rounded executive with broad experience in both executive and financial management of a global technology manufacturing company, international business, mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning. This experience and her expertise in areas important to Rogers make her an excellent addition to the Board.
Peter Wallace joined the Rogers board of directors on June 15, 2010. Mr. Wallace served as Chief Executive Officer and a director of Gardner Denver Inc., an industrial manufacturer of compressors, blowers, pumps and other fluid control products used in numerous global end markets until his retirement in January 2016.
He served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Robbins & Myers, Inc. from 2004-2013, when the company was acquired by National Oilwell Varco, Inc. Prior to joining Robbins & Myers, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of IMI Norgren Group from 2001 to 2004.
Mr. Wallace is a director of Curtiss-Wright Corporation and a director and chairman of the board of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc., both public companies. He also serves on the board of a private manufacturing firm engaged in packaging equipment and consulting services.
Mr. Wallace’s career has included senior functional roles in application engineering, sales, marketing and international operations. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer at three multinational corporations. This broad and extensive leadership and board experience is valuable to Rogers’ Board of Directors and to management.