Joe Pon

Joe Pon is corporate vice president of Applied Materials, whose technology is used to produce virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. Since he began his career at Applied, the Silicon Valley company has grown nearly 60-fold, and has diversified and accessed new markets to win the #1 global position in its industry—while earning recognition as a most-admired company, a best place to work, and a leading corporate citizen delivering results on sustainability. From 2009 to 2012, he served as vice president of programs at the James Irvine Foundation. He currently serves on the Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Leadership Council. A third-generation Californian, he has a BA in Russian/Soviet studies from Claremont McKenna College and an MS in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.