Company
Management Team
A key competitive advantage for Pixtronix is its uniquely qualified team. The company’s founder and employees are leaders in the fields of displays, optics and MEMS technologies and have proven track records in developing and commercializing leading-edge technologies in high volume, cost sensitive markets.
Nesbitt W. Hagood, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
As Founder and CEO, Dr. Hagood is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of Pixtronix. A seasoned entrepreneur with proven success in both corporate and academic pursuits, Dr. Hagood brings over 20 years experience in the management of complex systems integration to the company. Prior to founding Pixtronix, he was Founder, Director and Chief Technology Officer of Continuum Photonics, Inc., where he established the company's technology strategy and led the development of its corresponding product platforms in the optical telecommunications and testing markets.
Dr. Hagood is also a former tenured professor in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT and is internationally recognized for his work in systems, actuation, and control technologies. While at MIT, he was also the Founder and Director of the MIT Active Materials & Structures Lab, growing this lab from initial concept into one of the largest interdepartmental labs at MIT. Dr. Hagood holds a Ph.D., MS, and BS from MIT, and is the winner of numerous awards including the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Technology.
Richard R. Payne, Ph.D., Vice President of Microfabrication
As Vice President of Microfabrication, Dr. Payne is recognized as one the leading worldwide experts in MEMS commercialization, bringing over 20 years of direct experience to Pixtronix. Prior to joining the team, he was the Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing at Polychromix, Inc., where he coordinated the development and manufacturing of wavelength management products. Prior to this, Dr. Payne was Chief Scientist and General Manager of East Coast Operations at Optical Micro Machines. Dr. Payne was also the Product Line Director and Director of Manufacturing at the MicroMachined Products Division of Analog Devices, where he developed the ADI MEMS accelerometer, a MEMS device with cumulative production shipments of now close to 1 billion units.
Dr. Payne holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Yale University and a BA in Physics from Dartmouth College. He received the 1992 J.J. Ebers Award from the IEEE for Contributions to CMOS IC Technology, is a fellow of the IEEE, and holds over 20 patents in a variety of fields of device and process technology.
Van H. Potter, Vice President of Business Development
As Vice President of Business Development, Mr. Potter brings over 20 years experience in business development and general management in the small form factor LCD supply chain to Pixtronix. Prior to joining the team, he was Senior Vice President of Marketing at International Display Works and held multiple Senior Vice President positions at Three-Five Systems Corporation where he led the small form factor LCD and manufacturing services businesses. Prior to this, Mr. Potter also held management positions at Rogers Corporation and Durel Corporation.
Mr. Potter holds a MBA from Arizona State University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University.
Mark D. Halfman, Vice President of Marketing
As Vice President of Marketing, Mr. Halfman, with over 15 years of technology marketing and business management experience, brings to Pixtronix a proven track record in introducing and managing innovative, high-volume products. Prior to joining the team, he held a variety of positions at industry leading semiconductor companies Xilinx, Inc. and Intel Corporation. Most recently, he was the Director of Marketing and Applications at Xilinx, where he developed and led the company’s worldwide strategy and market penetration into portable consumer electronics.
Mr. Halfman holds a MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a BA in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego.
John Fijol, Ph.D., Vice President of Module Integration
As Vice President of Module Integration, Dr. Fijol brings over 15 years of experience in the development, fabrication and manufacturing of MEMS and micro fabricated electro-optical components. Prior to joining the team, Dr. Fijol was Vice President of Component Technologies at Confluent Photonics where he was responsible for the development of enabling micro fabricated components. Prior to this he held high level engineering roles at Standard MEMS, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, focusing on MEMS, liquid crystal electro-optic devices and wafer processing.
Mr. Fijol holds a Ph.D. and a MS in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Western New England College.
