SEMI enhances global advocacy focus with addition of public policy veteran Mike Russo

SEMI, the global industry association serving the electronics manufacturing supply chain, today announced that Mike Russo has joined SEMI as vice president of Global Industry Advocacy, based in the company’s Washington D.C. office. Reporting to SEMI President and CEO Ajit Manocha, Russo oversees SEMI’s government relations program and advocacy efforts worldwide, leading the development and execution of strategies to strengthen SEMI’s public policy program and the association’s initiatives addressing the broader semiconductor industry’s talent gap, a top SEMI priority.

“In light of the changing geopolitical dynamics around the world seriously impacting our industry, we are thrilled to welcome government affairs veteran Mike to SEMI,” said Manocha. “His arrival at SEMI to support SEMI’s Global Advocacy mission is very timely. Mike is a high-impact leader with rich public policy experience in the semiconductor industry and an invaluable asset to SEMI and our members as we advocate for the industry across trade, tax, technology and talent. Already, Mike is broadening the scope of SEMI’s advocacy work with global programs that address the industry’s critical need to build the workforce of the future.”

Russo’s experience as a government affairs executive in the semiconductor industry includes spearheading strategic initiatives in supply chain innovation, infrastructure development, education and workforce development. Most recently, he served as president of Entregar Consulting Group, a firm focused on strategic, public-private partnerships in manufacturing and technology.

For nearly a decade, Russo led the U.S. corporate office of government affairs for GLOBALFOUNDRIES, the nation’s largest global contract semiconductor chipmaker. In that role, Russo oversaw government relations, regulatory affairs and strategic initiatives.

In government, Russo served as a senior staff member in both the Senate and House and has served in various capacities as an advisor to the U.S. government on manufacturing industrial base policy, including leading the national advisory group for the former National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), now Manufacturing USA, under the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology  for Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP).