ON Partners Recruits COO/ CFO for Meta Materials
May 10, 2023 – After a rigorous search, Mike Lynch of ON Partners has recruited Uzi Sasson as chief operating officer and chief financial officer for Meta Materials in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He replaces current CFO and COO Ken Rice, who is retiring. “We are excited to welcome Uzi to the executive leadership team,” said George Palikaras, president and CEO of Meta Materials. “He has extensive experience providing strategic financial and operational leadership to companies at various stages, which will prove instrumental in helping us execute on our growth strategy and financial objectives while creating sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders. I would also like to thank Ken Rice for all his contributions, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Mr. Sasson is a seasoned public company financial executive and certified public accountant with more than 30 years of experience building and scaling operations for high-growth multinational manufacturers and semiconductor companies. His expertise includes corporate finance, SEC and regulatory compliance, accounting and tax analysis, international finance, mergers and acquisitions with global OEMs, supply agreements, real estate transactions, investor relations, and talent development.
Mr. Sasson most recently served as CFO of Katena Computing Technologies Inc., a privately held computing technology design and manufacturing company. Prior to that, he served as executive vice president and CFO for Eat Just Inc. a plant-based food technology company. Mr. Sasson also served as COO and CFO of IXYS Corp. before being promoted to president and CEO. During his tenure at IXYS, he oversaw an 800-plus percent increase in revenue to over $750 million per annum prior to the company being sold. Mr. Sasson currently serves on the board of directors of VTool Ltd. and on the board of trustees of World Affairs Council, where he also serves as chair of the audit committee.
“It is an honor to join META’s accomplished executive leadership team,” said Mr. Sasson. “META’s innovative technologies and products present tremendous opportunities for value creation, and I look forward to leveraging my background to support the company’s efforts to accelerate growth.”
Related: ON Partners Assists Papa John’s with CFO Search
META delivers previously unachievable performance across a range of applications, by inventing, designing, developing, and manufacturing sustainable, high-performance, functional materials, components, and systems. The company’s technology platform enables leading global brands to deliver breakthrough products to their customers in consumer electronics, 5G communications, health and wellness, aerospace, automotive, and clean energy.
Proven Search Consultants
With a primary focus on technology, consumer, industrial, and the life science sectors, ON Partners recruits C-level and board talent for public and private companies, as well as venture capital and private equity firms. Founded in 2006, the firm’s consultants work from offices in Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Dallas; Menlo Park, CA; Minneapolis. MN; San Francisco; and New York. ON Partners was named one of the fastest growing search firms this year by Hunt Scanlon Media. The firm is now ranked as one of the 20 largest search firms in the nation.
ON Partners Recruits CFO for Achronix Semiconductor Corp.
ON Partners has helped to place semiconductor industry veteran Mahesh Karanth as the new CFO of Achronix Semiconductor Corp., a leader in high-performance FPGAs and eFPGA IP. He will take over for Howard Brodsky, who is retiring after 16 years at Achronix. The assignment was spearheaded by Brad Westveld, the search firm’s co-founder and partner. “Mahesh is a proven operational executive with an impressive track record of delivering strong results across multiple financial disciplines and industries,” said Robert Blake, president and CEO of Achronix. “Mahesh’s success and financial expertise as a chief financial officer, especially at the critical IPO stage, combined with his outstanding leadership qualities are invaluable additions to the Achronix team as we position the company for our next phase of growth.”
Mr. Lynch has over 20 years experience in the global technology market based in Silicon Valley. He recruits CEO, C-level and board executives in engineering and operationally-driven environments. Mr. Lynch serves traditional sectors that produce physical goods with high technology content (semiconductors, electronic components, capital equipment, additive manufacturing, and higher education / primary research), and sectors that are increasingly turning to cutting edge technologies to drive innovation and differentiation (e.g., renewable energy, autonomous vehicles, aerospace & defense, medical devices). He focuses on public, private, and high-growth companies producing physical assets.
Recent Assignment
Tim Conti of ON Partners recently assisted in the recruitment of Jennifer Moses as CFO of Investors Management Corp. (IMC) in Raleigh, NC. Ms. Moses was most recently CFO of G1 Therapeutics. In this position, she was responsible for SEC reporting, financing planning and analysis, and treasury. Previously, Ms. Moses was a partner at Rankin McKenzie LLC, where she served as acting chief financial officer and controller for venture-backed companies.
Established in 1971, Investors Management Corp. is a private equity investment firm. The firm focuses on companies in the automotive aftermarket, food and beverage, healthcare, and building materials and lumber industries.
Related: ON Partners Recruits CFO for ClearStar
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
