There are fascinating developments occurring in the flexible and printed electronics industry all the time. While Printed Electronics Now is in the forefront of keeping you up-to-date with the latest news, there are countless industry experts who have insights well worth hearing and reading.

Whether by providing thoughtful and meaningful social media content, active participation in trade organizations or sharing expertise through technical presentations at conferences, these individuals are some of the leading thought leaders in the printed and flexible electronics industry.

With that, here are some of the industry thought leaders, in. alphabetical order, we check in with on a regular basis:

• Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEX

Raghu Das is the CEO of IDTechEx, one of the leading consultants in the flexible and printed electronics field. While IDTechEx has left the physical trade show space, they remain extremely active in webinars and reports, offering insights into areas ranging from RFID and conductive inks to EVs. Linked In

• Stan Farnsworth, Chief Marketing Officer, PulseForge

Stan Farnsworth is a long-time advocate of the flexible and printed electronics industry, from his early days helping to drive NovaCentrix’s growth as VP of marketing and chief marketing officer to his current role as chief marketing officer of PulseForge, a spin-out of NovaCentrix. Farnsworth is the chairperson of the OE-A, and preiously served as a board member and vice-chair of the organization. Linked In

• Dean Frew, President of RFID Solutions Division at SML Group Limited

As president of the RFID Solutions Division at SML Group Limited, Dean Frew has been active in the field of RFID since 1999, helping to set up standards for the RFID industry that has helped it to become a major presence in the retail segment, among others. Linked In

• Dr. Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, CEO and Founder, TechBlick

With more than. 18,000 followers, Dr. Khasha Ghaffarzadeh is extremely active on LinkedIn. Previously the head of consulting at IDTechEx, Dr. Ghaffarzadeh has excellent insights into all aspects of flexible and printed electronics, and his creation of TechBlick as a platform for online and physical events has moved the industry forward significantly. Linked In

• Dr. Melissa Grupen-Shemansky, Chief Technology Officer, SEMI

With more than 25 years in the semiconductor industry, Dr. Melissa Grupen-Shemansky’s background includes leadership roles at Motorola, Lucent/Bell Labs and AMD/Spansion before taking on the lead technology role at SEMI, the semiconductor industry’s trade association. SEMI is also the home for SEMI FlexTech, a leading voice for the flexible and printed electronics segment. Linked In

• Klaus Hecker – Managing Director at VDMA OE-A

Klaus Hecker serves as managing director for the VDMA OE-A, the flexible and printed electronics industry’s major trade association, as well as the co-organizer of LOPEC annual trade fair. Hecker has served as managing director since 2004 and has helped to drive anmd promote the industry’s growth during that time. Linked In

• Thomas Kolbusch, Director Sales, Marketing, Technology, VP, Coatema Coating Machinery

Thomas Kolbusch is one of the most knowledgeable people in the flexible and printed electronics field, particularly on the equipment side. He has been a long-time leader in the OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association), serving on the Board of Directors since 2009 and exhibiton chair of LOPEC, the OE-A’s trade show and conference, from 2022-2016. He is very active on LinkedIn with more than 6,000 followers. Linked In

• Amir Khoshniyati, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Identiv

With more than 8,000 members on Linked In, Amir Khoshniyati is leader in the RFID field, and is helping drive Identiv’s growth in the segment while also expanding the use cases of RFID in industry as vice chair and board member of NFC Forum. Linked In

• Francisco Teixeira e Melo, President, Solutions Group Worldwide at Avery Dennison

Francisco Teixeira e Melo is a passionate advocate of technology, envisioning a world where technology can be a force for positive change in society, such as the use of digital identities for cradle-to-cradle solutions. His expertise in RFID has helped grow Avery Dennison’s presence in the segment. Linked In

• Wolfgang Mildner, Owner, MSWtech

In addition to his ownership of MSWtech, Wolfgang Mildner is one of the leading voices in the flexible and printed electronics world, having held influential roles at Siemens and PolyIC before starting his own firm. Mildner has served as the general chair of LOPEC since 2006, and has been a meber and Fellow of the OE-A since 2004. Linked In

• Sri Peruvemba, CEO, Marketer International

While probably best known for his time as chief marketing officer of E-Ink, Sri Peruvemba is a major force in the display field, serving as board director and chair of marketing for the Society for Information Display as well as guiding numerous companies with his expertise, including eMagin, SmartKem and OmniPly. Linked In

• Aileen Ryan, President and CEO of RAIN RFID Alliance

With more than 6,000 Linked In followers, Aileen Ryan has taken a major role in the RFID world, serving as CEO of  the RAIN RFID Alliance, which is helping to grow the use of RFID throughout the world. Prior to taking the helm at RAIN RFID Alliance, Ryan held senior positions at Siemens, Huawei and Motorola. Linked In