Bill Miller CEO, Veeco

Veeco Instruments Inc. announced that John Peeler, chairman and CEO, will transition to the role of executive chairman, effective October 1, 2018.

William J. Miller, currently president, will become CEO and will join the company’s board of directors bringing the size of the board to eight.

Additionally, Shubham (Sam) Maheshwari will be named COO and will continue in his role as CFO.

Peeler joined Veeco in 2007 as CEO and became COB in 2012. As executive chairman, he will work with Miller and the board to ensure an effective transition of management.

“With his impressive background and track record of notable achievements across strategic, product development and operational assignments, there is no one better suited than Bill to take over the helm as Veeco looks forward to its next chapter,” stated Peeler. “Bill and the executive team have the industry experience to execute Veeco’s vision while remaining committed to enabling tomorrow’s technology breakthroughs.”

Over the last 16 years, Bill Miller has held a variety of roles within Veeco. He became president in 2016, overseeing all of Veeco’s global business units. Previously, he guided the strategic direction and product development for the company’s MOCVD and Ion Beam product lines and was responsible for the company’s global operations organization. Prior to joining Veeco, he held enginering and operations leadership roles with Advanced Energy and Exxon Corporation. He holds BS, MS and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

“Veeco has built a reputation of helping customers overcome their most difficult technical challenges. This inspires us-along with our commitment to customer satisfaction,” he noted. “I want to thank John for his guidance and building such a strong leadership team. I intend to build on this legacy while discovering new opportunities to leverage the company’s outstanding technology and unmatched talent. I also appreciate the confidence the board has placed in me.”

Richard D’Amore, Veeco’s lead independent director, added: “When John joined the company in 2007, Veeco was considered a storage and metrology company. John’s vision and focus on execution transformed Veeco to be on the leading edge of the compound semiconductor and advanced packaging markets. The board appreciates all that John has contributed to the success of the company and we have every confidence that Bill will build upon his progress, taking Veeco to the next level of performance.”

Sam Maheshwari joined Veeco in 2014 with more than 20 years of experience in finance. He previously held senior and executive level positions in the semiconductor industry at KLA-Tencor, Spansion and OnCore. He holds BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.