About Cutwater

Chris has 30 years of operational experience as a senior technology executive in the semiconductor equipment and materials industry worldwide.  His forte is helping companies improve their operational and commercial performance by quickly assessing market, product, and technology conditions where his diverse global experience in capital process equipment, chemicals, gasses, components, and consumables is broadly applicable.  Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris is a sought-after strategic advisor to financial institutions, startups, and private/public companies.

Prior to establishing Cutwater Consulting, Chris was President and CEO of Intermolecular, a NASDAQ company, where he led a company-saving turnaround culminating in the acquisition by Merck KGaA at the end of 2019.  Chris took Intermolecular from loss to profitability while running a strategic search for an acquirer in parallel.  He restructured Intermolecular and reengineered its business model, creating a value-add service provider for advanced materials innovation within the semiconductor industry. Along the way, Chris transformed Intermolecular’s failing culture - raising morale and initiating a new values system - that created a rallying point for all employees during a period of transition.

Prior to Intermolecular, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Entegris where Chris was tasked with upgrading the company’s sales and marketing capabilities, yielding improved customer relationships, increased revenues, and overall company valuation following the acquisition of ATMI in 2014.  In 2010, Chris was Senior Vice President of Materials Solutions at ATMI, where he was responsible for the company’s ion implant gas and liquid storage / delivery systems businesses.  Promoted to manage all ATMI’s microelectronics materials business as its General Manager, Chris led six diverse business units including global sales, marketing, R&D and five global manufacturing sites.  Prior to ATMI, Chris was Vice President, Global Strategic Account Management, for Tokyo Electron America, where he was responsible for developing and maximizing strategic business and technology relationships with IBM and their alliance partners.

Chris holds a B.S. degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer for seven years after receiving his degree and commission.