Executive Leadership Team

Christine was appointed Senior Vice President of Global Sales in November 2021. With over two decades of experience working with multinational tech companies in the semiconductor industry, Christine has the expertise required to lead the execution of IQE’s global sales strategy, further capitalizing on the Group’s position as the scaled global epitaxy leader.

Christine joined IQE from the executive team at GlobalFoundries Inc. (‘’GF’’), a New York headquartered semiconductor manufacturer. Christine joined GF in 2015 as Vice President of Product Management upon GF’s acquisition of IBM’s Microelectronics Division, where she was responsible for the Specialty Foundry Business. She led the transition of this business and client base into the GF Radio Frequency (RF) portfolio, establishing the foundation for GF’s industry leadership in this area. Christine was also an executive sponsor of the GlobalWomen employee resource group.

Christine graduated from Cornell University in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering and has held various engineering, technical management, and executive positions throughout her career. These roles span many disciplines – including leadership roles in Sales, Business Development, Semiconductor Manufacturing Operations, Photomask Manufacturing & Development and Quality & Device Characterization. In 2018 she was nominated for the Global Semiconductor Alliance’s (GSA) “Rising Woman of Influence” award.

Dr Mark J. Furlong is the Executive Vice President of Global Business Development, Photonics. His career in compound semiconductors commenced in the late 1990’s at Epitaxial Products International following which he held various commercial and technical marketing roles within IQE, which included responsibility for APAC business development. He previously worked for the CRNS in Paris on the development of semiconductor materials for next generation solar cell technology and was awarded an Industrial Fellowship from the Royal Society in London to pursue this work. He holds a Ph.D. degree in semiconductor science and technology from the University of Bath and a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in Chemistry from the University of London. He also holds a Diploma in Management with Distinction from the Open University, UK.

FREng, CEng, CSci, MIET, FIChemE

Dr. Rodney Pelzel has over 24 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, with deep expertise in semiconductor materials engineering and the epitaxial growth of compound semiconductors.  He is widely published and is the inventor of 30+ patents.  Dr. Pelzel is a thought leader in compound semiconductors and is frequently interviewed to provide insight on market and technology trends.

Dr. Pelzel joined IQE as a Production Engineer in 2000. For the first twelve years of his career with IQE, he held various engineering and operational management roles focusing on scaling leading edge epitaxial technology for volume manufacturing for wireless applications. In 2012, he was appointed as the head of R&D for the IQE Group and was tasked with creating unique materials solutions that enable IQE’s customers and provide them with a competitive edge. Throughout his career, he has been involved in numerous new product introductions including IQE’s highly successful launch of 6” VCSELs for consumer applications.

Dr. Pelzel is a chemical engineer by training, holding a BS (High Distinction) from the University of Colorado (1995) and a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2000).  He is a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Scientist as well as a Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

Tom joined IQE in February 2020 and the Executive Leadership Team in January 2022.  Tom oversees IQE's people, legal, compliance and corporate matters. Tom is also Company Secretary to the IQE plc Board of Directors. Tom has been responsible for a number of functions during his time at IQE, having recently also been the lead for IQE’s Government Affairs, Health, Safety & Environment and Quality functions. Before joining IQE, Tom held senior roles at Inchcape plc, a FTSE 250 automotive retail group, and at UK consumer technology giant Dyson. Tom is a qualified solicitor and holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics.