Synopsis · tap to expand
The California commercial team is real but thinly covered above account level, the Global Commercial Director seat has sat open six months, competitors are hiring at pay CCL Design cannot yet match, and the non-compete ban means access is not the constraint, speed and compensation are.
This report answers a market question rather than a shortlist one: who sits in CCL Design's California commercial team today, where the senior gap is, and what has to be true before a structured search can land. The starting point is that three commercial people are confirmed on the West Coast and account coverage is only partly mapped, so the immediate issue is the missing leadership layer above them.
The Global Commercial Director role has been vacant since January 2026, leaving West Coast P&L accountability and direct OEM relationship ownership structurally absent, and every other California hire operating without senior sponsorship until it is filled. Competitors including TE Connectivity, Molex and Henkel are actively hiring comparable roles at visible salary ranges up to $315k base, numbers every approach target can see on LinkedIn, so the compensation position needs resolving before any approach is made.
Access itself is not the barrier. California's absolute non-compete ban under SB 699 means no target candidate faces a legal restriction on moving, and the market is disrupted enough to be workable. The report names more than twenty California commercial professionals against that reality, and is explicit throughout about where coverage is confirmed and where it rests on inference rather than public record.
00 · Executive SummaryCalifornia Commercial Hiring Intelligence, What Matters and What to Do
Four findings, four roles, and the three commitments CCL Design needs to make before any structured search can succeed.
Four Key Findings
Priority Competitor Companies to Target
For each open role, approach these talent pools first| Role | Primary Target Companies | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Global Commercial Director | Avery Dennison ETC · Henkel · Molex | Director GKAM and VP-level with Apple/Cisco OEM accountability and materials commercial P&L exposure |
| VP Business Development | MacDermid Alpha · Indium Corporation · Laird Performance Materials | Closest commercial model, OEM direct + EMS channel dual-track, materials science, design-in cycle |
| Global Account Director (Apple) | Molex (Apple product GAM teams) · Henkel (Director GKAM) · TE Connectivity (AM IV Apple) | Confirmed Apple OEM account management experience in California |
| Field Application Engineer | Henkel (Principal/Senior AE layer) · Molex (FAE Manager) · 3M EMSD | Materials science FAEs with Apple/Cisco design-in process experience, California-based |
Three Market Factors to Weigh Before Approaching Candidates
01 · Company OverviewCCL Design, California Commercial Hiring Intelligence · June 2026
A structured assessment of the West Coast talent market, competitive landscape, and commercial succession risk for CCL Design's California operations. Prepared by Solutions Driven, June 2026.
3930 Freedom Circle, Suite 110
Santa Clara CA 95054Primary commercial hub for Apple, Dell, HP, and Cisco. Anthony Keaney (VP Sales, Michigan) provides the Americas sales leadership layer. California team confirmed: Kate Biagini (GAD · Cisco Systems & Intel Corporation · 22 yrs · fmr Worldmark), Peter Rossi (GAD SF Bay Area · since July 2022 · fmr VP BD JNC America, 11 yrs Japanese electronic specialty chemicals), Alice Chang (Business Manager · 8 yrs). Kate Biagini's confirmed coverage is Cisco Systems and Intel Corporation. Peter Rossi's specific CCL Design account portfolio is not publicly confirmed from available sources, his background (JNC America, Hamamatsu) suggests Japanese OEM relationships. CCL Design holds a confirmed Apple AMP seat. The California commercial structure reports upward through Anthony Keaney (VP Sales, Michigan) and Patrick Thomas (GM NA).
Confirmed Apple AMP partner Dell · HP · CiscoAcquired August 2023 · $27M
Zinc-polymer printed batteryR&D facility 15–40 miles from Apple Cupertino, Cisco San Jose, Dell West Coast offices. European pharma and logistics commercial validation in 2024–2025. No dedicated California commercial resource currently bridges this technology to CCL Design's primary OEM accounts.
$301M market · 25% CAGR ⚠ Zero CA commercial resourceCalifornia Commercial Team (Confirmed)
| Name | Role | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Keaney | VP Sales (Global) | Spring Lake, MI | Active, VP Sales since Aug 2020 |
| Kate Biagini | Global Account Director · Cisco Systems & Intel Corporation · 22 yrs (fmr Worldmark) | Santa Clara, CA | Active |
| Alice Chang | Business Manager · 8 yrs tenure | Santa Clara, CA | Active |
| Peter Rossi | Global Account Director · SF Bay Area · July 2022 · fmr VP BD JNC America (specialty electronic chemicals, 11 yrs) | SF Bay Area, CA | Active, confirmed |
| [VACANT] | Global Commercial Director · West Coast | California | Departed Jan 2026 |
North American Leadership (non-CA)
| Name | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Thomas | GM North America | Strongsville OH |
| Bill Goldsmith | VP & GM | Clinton SC |
| Al Green | VP Technology Development | Clinton SC |
Three consecutive record years, growth requires commercial infrastructure.
CDN$7,664M FY2025 revenue. Two 2026 acquisitions: ALT Technologies (May 2026) and Sleever International ($151M, June 2026). The parent company is in acquisition mode. The California commercial organisation is not keeping pace with either the parent's trajectory or the opportunity in its own market.
Global Commercial Director, 6 months vacant.
Heather Cameron departed January 2026. The California team, Kate Biagini (Cisco Systems and Intel, 22 yrs), Peter Rossi (Bay Area GAD, July 2022), and Alice Chang (Business Manager), has confirmed account coverage for Cisco and Intel. CCL Design holds an Apple AMP seat; the commercial coverage structure for that relationship within the California team is not publicly verifiable. Anthony Keaney (VP Sales, Michigan) provides the Americas-level commercial oversight.
02 · Commercial ContextMarket Context
Four structural forces shaping CCL Design's West Coast opportunity in 2026. AI infrastructure demand, Apple's domestic supplier strategy, near-shoring complexity, and Imprint Energy's commercialisation window create a specific, time-bounded case for investment.
Top 5 Hyperscaler AI Capex ($B)
2022–2028F · Dell'Oro / SIAAI Semiconductors as % of Global Chip Revenue
2022–2029F · GartnerEach AI server rack integrates approximately 20,000 individual semiconductor dies consolidated into 4,500+ packaged chips, each requiring labels, functional materials for EMI shielding and thermal management, brand protection markings, and HMI components. CCL Design's direct product set is in the exact path of this demand cycle.
AI-related semiconductors were 33% of global chip revenue in 2025. Gartner projects 50%+ by 2029. Dell'Oro projects triple-digit full-year 2026 growth. Semiconductor lead times at 40 weeks (March 2026). Preferred supplier relationships are being locked in now.
The window is now.
CCL Design's California commercial structure, 3 confirmed FTEs against a peer benchmark of 8–25, cannot adequately interface with the engineering and procurement teams that are making preferred supplier decisions in real time. The opportunity cost of under-coverage is compounding.
Apple has committed $600 billion to US manufacturing over four years.
The AMP represents the supplier partnership layer. In March 2026, four new AMP partners were announced. CCL Design is an existing Apple-credentialed materials supplier with a confirmed seat, but a 2-person CA team cannot participate in Apple's strategic partnership programme.
$600B Four-Year Commitment
Largest domestic manufacturing commitment in tech history. Shift from cost optimisation to supply chain resilience and domestic partnership depth. CCL Design's Apple AMP seat is the foundation; the commercial team is the mechanism to build on it.
14 AMP Partners, and counting
Include Amkor, Applied Materials, Broadcom, Coherent, Corning, GlobalFoundries, Samsung, TDK, Texas Instruments. Coherent is both AMP partner and active talent competitor, their AMP investment strengthens their EVP against CCL Design in CA hiring.
TSMC Arizona, 100M+ Chips 2026
Amkor $7B packaging facility (Peoria AZ), Apple first and largest customer, production from 2028. Domestic packaging creates material qualification needs aligned with CCL Design's portfolio.
| AMP Partner | Technology Area | CCL Design Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Coherent | Optical components | ⚠ Talent competitor, AMP investment strengthens their hiring EVP in same CA pool |
| Amkor | Advanced packaging (OSAT) | New packaging integration creates material qualification needs aligned with CCL Design's portfolio |
| Corning | Cover glass | Adjacent supply chain, shared qualification processes, potential channel partnership |
| TDK | Sensors (TMR, camera) | 30-year Apple relationship, model for the depth of integration CCL Design should target |
| Bosch + TSMC | Crash Detection ICs (Arizona) | Domestic packaging signals material traceability requirements in CCL Design's product set |
Competitive risk, Coherent receiving strategic Apple investment while recruiting from the same talent pool.
Every month without a VP and a second GAD narrows the window to attract talent that understands Apple OEM selling.
Kearney 2026 Reshoring Index: C&E imports +29% vs domestic output +2.8%.
The narrative of immediate, large-scale electronics nearshoring does not match the data. Advanced packaging is 74% in Asia-Pacific despite CHIPS Act wafer fab investment. The marquee US facility, Amkor Arizona, does not begin production until 2028.
California is the Commercial Coordination Point
Engineering in Cupertino, procurement in California, manufacturing in China and Vietnam. The CA commercial resource must function as supply chain coordination hub. Asia-fluency is operationally necessary.
Track 5 Career Profile, Highest Value
Candidates California-based but with careers managing Samsung/LG/Sony accounts in Asia before transitioning to US OEM roles. Dual-market capability is exactly what CCL Design's commercial model requires. These profiles are rare and always employed.
Mexico Signal, Medium-Term
C&E assembly growing in northern Mexico. CA remains commercial coverage point for Mexican-assembled Apple/Dell products, but supply chain decisions increasingly require physical presence south of border.
Printed Battery Market Share 2025
Estimated · multiple sourcesZinc-Polymer Technology
Non-lithium, flexible, printable, safe. Opens markets lithium cannot address: smart pharmaceutical packaging, child wearables, disposable diagnostics. Validated with European commercial partnerships in 2024–2025.
Recent Deployments
2025, European pharma firm: smart packaging for temperature-sensitive drug delivery.
2024, European logistics: smart shipping labels and asset tracking. Technology proven. CA commercial channel to Apple, Cisco, Dell not yet opened.
Imprint Energy, a commercial opportunity without a commercial bridge.
Imprint Energy R&D in Alameda. Apple wearables/sensing 40 miles away. Cisco IoT in San Jose. No California commercial resource to position it with CCL Design's primary OEM accounts. A second GAD with an Imprint Energy mandate is commercially justified on this basis alone.
06 · Role ArchitectureCalifornia Commercial Roles, Scope & Talent Source
Four roles define CCL Design's California commercial build-out over the next 18–24 months. Each is defined here with its scope, target profile, and the competitor companies whose commercial teams SD recommends approaching first.
Global Commercial Director
VP Business Development · Imprint Energy Mandate
Global Account Director, Apple
Field Application Engineer (FAE)
03 · Competitive IntelligenceCompetitor Landscape
Eleven Tier 1 direct product competitors with confirmed California commercial presence serving Apple, Dell, HP, or Cisco. Combined addressable California commercial pool: approximately 213 individuals.
CCL Design is the only confirmed Apple supplier in this peer group operating with fewer than four California commercial FTEs and a vacant Global Commercial Director position.
| Competitor | Revenue | CA FTEs (est.) | Apple Supplier | Indeed | CCL Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henkel | $24.1B | 8–10 | Confirmed | 3.8/5 | Outgunned |
| TE Connectivity | $17.3B | 15–25 | Confirmed | 3.9/5 | Outgunned |
| Molex | $9.1B | 15–20 | Confirmed | 3.6/5 | Outgunned |
| Avery Dennison | $8.8B | 6–8 | Confirmed | 3.9/5 | Outgunned |
| Nitto Denko | $7.1B | 5–8 | Confirmed | – | Outgunned |
| Boyd Corp | ~$1B | 5–8 (disrupted) | Confirmed | ~3.0/5 | Near parity (disrupted) |
| Rogers Corp | $810M | 4–6 (restructuring) | Partial | 3.5/5 | Comparable |
| Fralock | ~$120M | 3–5 (PE exit risk) | – | – | Outpacing (now) |
| CCL Design ◀ | ~CDN$1.7B | 3 (confirmed) | Confirmed | 3.1/5 | Critical gap |
CA Commercial Headcount Benchmark
Estimated FTEs · verified · June 2026Competitors are actively hiring for the same California commercial talent CCL Design needs
Twelve live CA commercial postings identified across eight companies as at June 2026, via California SB 642 pay transparency disclosures and direct job board monitoring. Each posting competes for talent from the same Tier 1 pool. Salary ranges are publicly visible to every candidate CCL Design approaches, these are the numbers any hire will compare against.
| Competitor | Role | CA Location | Disclosed Range | OEM / Customer Focus | Posted | Relevance to CCL Design Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE Connectivity | Director, Sales, AI Hyperscale & Cloud Infrastructure | California (remote) | $275k–$315k | Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Oracle hyperscalers, 10+ yrs required | Jun 2026 | Sets VP/GCD market rate TE's most senior CA commercial hire. Directly comparable to CCL Design VP/GCD vacancy, any candidate will benchmark against this. |
| TE Connectivity | Account Manager IV (Remote Bay Area, CA) | San Jose Bay Area | $165k–$206k | Top enterprise OEM, Mandarin fluency preferred, US/Asia coordination | May 2026 | Competes for GAD feeder profiles Supporting role under existing GAM. TE growing capacity at this account. |
| TE Connectivity | Senior Account Manager, Hyperscale (Remote Bay Area) | San Jose Bay Area | $165k–$209k | Hyperscale customer, US and Asia coordination, DDN business unit | Oct 2025 | Competes for Bay Area hyperscale AM talent Still active 8+ months after posting, indicates a hard-to-fill profile that overlaps directly with CCL Design's GAD search. |
| Molex | Hyperscale Account Director: Growth & Strategy Lead | San Francisco, CA | $175k–$215k | Hyperscale accounts, cloud, AI datacenter, cross-functional coordination | Jun 2026 | Directly competes for GAD-level talent Account Director with GAM and GM exposure. Exact overlap with CCL Design's GAD search profile. Molex offering variable pay on top. |
| Molex | Account Manager, Hyperscale: Growth & Strategy | Fremont, CA | $150k–$180k | Consumer OEM design wins, hyperscale, Fremont-based | Jun 2026 | Competes for BDM-level profiles AM role growing Molex's CA hyperscale team. Variable pay eligible. |
| Henkel | Sr Key Account Manager, Hyperscalers & Advanced Electronics Materials | Bay Area / Santa Clara | $130k–$165k | NVIDIA, Apple, AWS/Lab126, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Cisco, Arista, OEM and EMS/ODM channel (Foxconn, Flex, Jabil) | Jun 21, 2026 | Nearest direct equivalent to CCL Design's GAD need TIM and electronics materials, same OEM account set, same EMS/ODM channel model. Posted 8 days ago. Henkel is hiring this profile now. |
| Henkel | Global Account Manager, Semiconductor | Bay Area / Irvine / LA | $120k–$140k | Semiconductor packaging customers, B2B technical sales, materials science | 2026 | Competes for technical commercial profiles Semiconductor packaging focus with materials science background, overlaps with CCL Design's FAE/technical commercial layer. |
| Boyd Corporation | Global Account Manager, Tech Solutions Growth | California (remote) | Not disclosed | Industrial, datacenter, semiconductor, thermal and engineered materials | Apr 2026 | Post-carve rebuild signal Boyd Engineered Materials (Goldman Sachs, independent of Eaton) actively rebuilding CA commercial capacity. Confirms ongoing disruption within their team, outbound movement likely. |
| Rogers Corporation | Sales Engineer (Advanced Electronics Solutions) | Remote, US West preferred | $110k–$145k | Electronic materials OEM accounts, AES business unit, PCB/RF materials, Aerospace & Defence, 5G, automotive radar | Mar 2026 | Competes for technical commercial talent Technical OEM sales, 7+ years, global account management experience required. Directly comparable to CCL Design's FAE/technical sales layer. |
| Heraeus | Technical Sales Manager (West Coast) | West Coast / CA preferred | Not disclosed | Advanced materials, coatings, printing, conductive polymers; West Coast OEM territory | 2026 | Competes for materials technical sales 8+ years, polymer chemistry or materials science background, West Coast territory. Heraeus hiring commercially in California across multiple roles. |
| MacDermid Alpha | Key Account Manager, Semiconductor | Remote / N+S California territory | $109k–$164k | Semiconductor focus, specialty chemicals, consultative selling. Customer concentrations in Northern CA, Southern CA, Phoenix AZ | Jun 28, 2026 | Tier 2A talent source actively backfilling MacDermid Alpha hiring a GAM for its California OEM territory. Salary disclosed at $109k–$164k, closest adjacent market benchmark to CCL Design's needs. This role is targeting the same profile CCL Design should be recruiting from MacDermid Alpha. |
| Indium Corporation | Global Account Manager, San Francisco Bay Area | SF Bay Area (remote/field) | Not disclosed | Electronics assembly materials, solder, thermal interface, semiconductor packaging; Bay Area OEM territory | Apr 2026 | Tier 2A talent source actively hiring in Bay Area Indium Corporation building Bay Area GAM capacity. The profile they are hiring from and the profile CCL Design should be recruiting from Indium are the same. Confirms active talent movement in this segment. |
Adjacent market companies competing for the same California commercial talent
These companies are not direct product competitors to CCL Design but recruit from the same California commercial talent pool, account directors and FAEs who sell technical materials, components, or solutions to Apple, Cisco, Dell, and HP. Full candidate profiles are in Section 08. This table gives an at-a-glance view of who else is competing for the same people.
| Company | Scale | Primary CA OEM Customers | Transferability | Named CA Roles Identified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronics Assembly Materials, highest transferability to CCL Design commercial model | ||||
| MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions | $1.3B (Element Solutions) | Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, Intel + Flex, Jabil, Sanmina EMS | Highest Direct commercial model mirror | KAM Semiconductor · CA territory · $109k–$164k posting Jun 2026 |
| Indium Corporation | ~$350M private | Apple, Cisco, Intel, semiconductor packaging, solder, TIM | Highest Same qualification cycle | Global Account Manager · SF Bay Area posting · Apr 2026 |
| Heraeus Electronics | $25B+ parent | Apple, Samsung, Cisco, bonding wires, adhesives, TIMs | Very High | Technical Sales Manager West Coast · CA preferred · 2026 |
| Laird Performance Materials | $465M (DuPont business) | Apple, Cisco, Dell, EMI shielding, thermal pads | High Near-identical product category | BDM · 24 yrs CA-based · Encinitas |
| EMS / Contract Manufacturing, deepest OEM relationship depth | ||||
| Flex | $25B · NASDAQ: FLEX | Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, embedded within OEM engineering and supply chain | High Product knowledge transfers in 90 days | Sr Director GAM · Director GAM · Multiple CA-based |
| Jabil | $28B · NYSE: JBL | Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, full EMS and DMS | High | VP Sales/CSO · Director Sales · CA-based |
| Sanmina | $7.9B · NASDAQ: SANM | Cisco, Dell, HP, Brocade, networking and enterprise | High | Director of Sales · California |
| Test & Measurement, same OEM customers, technical commercial model | ||||
| Keysight Technologies | $5.4B · NYSE: KEYS | Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, test equipment and validation | High Identical OEM account interface | VP Sales Strategic Accounts · VP Global BD · CA-based |
| VIAVI Solutions | $1.1B · NYSE: VIAV · San Jose HQ | Cisco, Apple networking, Dell, optical and network test | High San Jose HQ, same talent pool | VP Worldwide Sales · VP Sales Datacom · Director · CA-based |
| Spirent Communications | £550M · LSE: SPT · Sunnyvale HQ | Cisco, Apple networking infrastructure, hyperscalers | High Sunnyvale HQ | VP Sales Engineering · Director Enterprise Sales · CA HQ |
| Teradyne | $3.3B · NASDAQ: TER | Apple semiconductor supply chain, Cisco, Samsung/SK | Medium-High | VP Global Sales · Director BD · CA-based |
| Connectors, PCB & Passive Components | ||||
| Amphenol | $14.9B · NYSE: APH | Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, connectors and interconnects | Medium-High Confirmed Apple supplier | Sr Director Regional Sales · Sales Director · Director Sales · CA-based |
| TTM Technologies | $2.3B · NASDAQ: TTMI · Milpitas CA HQ | Apple, Cisco, PCB and advanced packaging | Medium-High Milpitas HQ | Sr Director BD Microelectronics · Director Western Sales · CA HQ |
| Vishay Intertechnology | $3.2B · NYSE: VSH | Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, passives on same BOM | Medium | BD Director · Director Sales · California |
04 · Market SignalsM&A & Churn Signals
Six market events in the past six months have displaced or destabilised commercial talent directly relevant to CCL Design's California succession plan. Three require immediate action.
05 · Commercial IntelligenceEmployer Brand & Pay
CCL Design faces a structural challenge: meaningful below-market compensation, sentiment scores trailing every major competitor, and California pay transparency laws that make the gap publicly visible in any job posting.
Employer Sentiment, Competitor Comparison
Aggregated Indeed · June 2026Undermarketed EVP Strengths
- → Apple, Dell, HP, Cisco portfolio, the most prestigious electronics supply chain
- → Three consecutive record revenue years, demonstrable financial stability
- → Imprint Energy growth story, candidate-facing mandate, not inherited book
- → Global scope with lean team, more strategic responsibility per person than TE or Molex
- → TSX-listed parent stability without US mega-cap cultural overhead
Known Friction Points
- → Healthcare "expensive" per employee reviews
- → 401k match below Avery Dennison (max 6.5%)
- → No confirmed vehicle allowance (market standard $700–900/month)
- → Below-market base ranges at GAD level vs TE/Molex live postings
Source methodology, all Bay Area figures from CA SB 1162/642 pay transparency disclosures, Salary.com H-1B data, Glassdoor, PayScale. CCL Design ranges estimated, not confirmed internal data.
| Role | Bay Area Base | Bay Area OTE | National Base | CCL Design Est. | Bay Area Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VP / Global Commercial Director | $275k–$330k TE live: $275k–$315k | $340k–$490k | $170k–$260k | ~$200k–$260k | –$75k–$115k |
| Global Account Director / Sr Director | $165k–$215k Molex live: $175k–$215k | $200k–$280k | $140k–$185k | ~$128k–$165k | –$37k–$50k |
| Business Development Director | $145k–$220k | $180k–$285k | $120k–$175k | Not benchmarked | – |
| Business Development Manager | $120k–$165k | $140k–$205k | $95k–$140k | Not benchmarked | – |
| Key Account Manager | $120k–$165k | $140k–$210k | $90k–$135k | ~$98k est. | –$22k–$67k |
| Field Application Engineer | $110k–$160k | $125k–$185k | $90k–$140k | Not benchmarked | – |
401(k) Match Benchmark
| Company | Max Match | vs CCL |
|---|---|---|
| Avery Dennison | 6.5% | +2.5% vs CCL est. |
| TE Connectivity | 5%+ | +1% vs CCL est. |
| CCL Industries (est.) | ~4–5% | – |
Live CA Pay Transparency Postings
Reference for CCL Design pay decisions| Company | Role | Disclosed Range | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE Connectivity | Director, Sales, AI Hyperscale & Cloud Infra | $275k–$315k | Jun 2026 |
| TE Connectivity | Account Manager IV (Bay Area, CA) | $165k–$206k | May 2026 |
| TE Connectivity | Senior Account Manager, Hyperscale Bay Area | $165k–$209k | Oct 2025 |
| Molex | Account Director, Hyperscale (San Francisco) | $175k–$215k | Jun 2026 |
| Molex | Account Manager, Hyperscale (Fremont) | $150k–$180k | Jun 2026 |
| Henkel | Sr KAM, Hyperscalers & Advanced Electronics Materials | $130k–$165k | Jun 21, 2026 |
| Henkel | Global Account Manager Semiconductor | $120k–$140k | 2026 |
| CoorsTek | Sr Director Global Account, Semiconductor OEM (San Jose) | $200k–$300k | Jun 2026 |
Total package gap at GAD level, approximately $75k–$83k/year vs Bay Area competitor midpoint. At VP/Director Sales level (AI hyperscale focus), TE Connectivity is posting $275k–$315k base in California, the gap to CCL Design's estimated VP compensation of ~$200k–$260k is now confirmed at $75k–$115k base alone.
Including vehicle allowance differential (~$9k/year), 401k delta (~$3k/year on a $150k base), and benefits differential. Before any CA commercial posting, CCL Design should close or explicitly acknowledge this gap with a narrative offset.
SB 1162 (effective January 2023) and SB 642 (effective January 1, 2026): Every California job posting must disclose full compensation including stock, options, and profit sharing. Six-year statute of limitations for equal pay claims.
Any CCL Design CA job posting must publicly show the range. If below market, every candidate comparing postings will see it next to TE Connectivity ($165k–$209k) and Molex ($175k–$215k) simultaneously. There is no quiet route to market in California.
SB 464 Expansion, 2026 reporting cycle (due May 2027).
California employers must classify pay data using 23 SOC categories (up from 10 EEO-1). Greater regulatory exposure if commercial roles are inconsistently compensated by protected class. CCL Design should conduct a pay equity analysis before any CA commercial hiring programme.
07 · Talent IntelligenceTalent Pool, Tier 1
Approximately 213 commercially relevant people across California working at direct product competitors selling to Apple, Dell, HP, and Cisco. Tables below cover priority layers by role level.
About this talent pool, named priority targets, not a full census
The named individuals across these tabs represent a curated priority layer across VP, Global Commercial Director, Global Account Director, Business Development Director, and Field Application Engineer profiles with direct OEM experience selling to Apple, Dell, HP, or Cisco in California. The total addressable Tier 1 pool in California is estimated at ~213 individuals; the combined Tier 1 and Tier 2 pool at ~560–720 following the June 2026 research additions (Parker Hannifin, 3M EMSD, Laird, Amphenol, TTM, Vishay, VIAVI, Spirent, Teradyne). The named candidates here are those assessed as the highest-fit, highest-accessible profiles at this point in time, based on named-candidate research, LinkedIn signal analysis, and market intelligence gathered for this report. The broader pool provides sourcing depth for a structured search; this list is the priority approach target layer.
VP/Global Commercial Director vacancy open since January 2026. Without it, every other CA commercial hire operates without mandate, budget ownership, or senior escalation.
| Priority | Name | Current / Recent Title | Employer | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recently placed | Ryan Yost | President, Materials Group | Avery Dennison | California | Now at Amcor, Division President, Global Flexible Packaging |
| High | Kam P. | VP Business Development | Molex | California | Active |
| High | Elena D. | VP of Sales | Henkel | California | Active |
| High | Emmanuel D. | VP Global Sales, Channel BU | TE Connectivity | California | Active |
| High | Vishwas R. | SVP & GM, Digital Data Networks | TE Connectivity | California | Active |
| Medium | Saba K. | VP, Go-to-Market Strategy | Henkel | California | Active, strategy focus |
| High | Mike Wee | VP of Sales, Datacom | Molex | California | Active, verified Jun 2026 |
| High | Pradeep M. | Director Sales | TE Connectivity | California | Active, verified Jun 2026 |
| High | Xavier C. | Senior Director of Sales | Molex | California | Active, verified May 2026 |
| High | Emily Su | Sales Director | TE Connectivity | California | Active, verified Jun 2026 |
| High | Davy Nakada | VP Global Accounts (fmr VP Head Global Accounts, Henkel Electronics; Sr Director Rogers) | Boston Materials (Irvine CA) | Irvine, CA | Active · 27-person scale-up, likely receptive to a larger platform. Published Henkel speaker on thermal die attach. PCBAA member. Asia-Pacific relationships from Henkel Japan/Korea. Irvine-based. |
| High | Michael D. | VP of Sales and Marketing | Heraeus | California | Active, verified May 2026. VP-level commercial at Heraeus Electronics (bonding wires, adhesives, TIMs, solder materials, direct functional overlap with CCL Design portfolio). |
| 🔄 Watch | Peter Aiello | Sales Director, Global Key Accounts | 3M Electronics Materials Solutions Division (EMSD) | San Jose, CA | 22+ years at 3M electronics materials. BS Biochemistry UC Davis. Sells functional tapes, EMI shielding, TIMs to Apple/Cisco/HP/Dell via converter model, directly overlapping CCL Design commercial territory. |
Confirmed CA GAD: Kate Biagini (single coverage). A second and third GAD is the most impactful hire below VP level. Imprint Energy mandate justifies a dedicated GAD appointment on its own.
| Priority | Name | Current / Recent Title | Employer | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recently placed | Frederic Philippon | Fmr Director, Global Key Accounts (Enterprise & Consumer Electronics) | Boyd Corp | California | Now at Meta, Technical Sourcing, Advanced Datacenter Cooling |
| ⚡ Active | Todd S. | Contract (fmr TE Director Apple + Molex Global Sales Mgr Apple) | Worldmark | California | Between roles, Apple background |
| High | Steven C. | Director, Global KAM, CPU/GPU/SSD Customers | Henkel | California | Active |
| High | Deepak R. | Sr. Director, Optical Connectivity Sales | Molex | California | Active |
| High | Arash M. | Global Sales Director | Molex | Bay Area | Active |
| High | Bob T. | Sr. Director, Global Cloud Sales Leader | TE Connectivity | California | Active |
| High | Thomas C. | Senior Sales Director | Molex | California | Active |
| High | Alejandro C. | Director of Sales, Semiconductor & AI Ecosystems | TE Connectivity | California | Active |
| High | Ram T. | Global Head, Semiconductor Packaging & Strategy | Henkel | California | Active |
| High | Lisa B. | Global Account Director | Avery Dennison | California | Active · Most senior CA commercial profile remaining post-Yost. Background not yet fully mapped, approach to confirm. |
| 🔄 Watch | George Wang | Global Account Director (Aavid), Cupertino CA | Boyd / fmr Aavid Thermalloy | Cupertino, CA | 23 yrs at Aavid→Boyd. GAM from 2003, Director from 2015. Title carries "Aavid", thermal division now under Eaton. Status genuinely uncertain. Deep datacenter/cloud OEM relationships, Silicon Valley-based since 2003. Began career as semiconductor equipment engineer at PerkinElmer. |
| Priority | Name | Current / Recent Title | Employer | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Robert C. | Sr. Global Account Manager Hyperscale | TE Connectivity | Bay Area | Active |
| High | Rafael Y. | Director of Strategy, International BD | Henkel | California | Active |
| High | Dhara P. | BDM, Datacenter and Telecom | Henkel | California | Active |
| High | Wei C. | Lead SDM / GAM / BDE | TE Connectivity | California | Active |
| 🔄 Watch | Alex Cox | Senior Sales Engineer | Rogers Corporation | California | Restructuring · confirmed full name Jun 2026 |
| 🔄 Watch | Jim C. | Strategic Account Manager | Fralock | California | PE exit risk |
| 🔄 Watch | Daniele P. | Business Development Executive | Boyd Corp | California | Post-carve |
| 🔄 Watch | Zen Y. | Business Development | Boyd Corp | California | Post-carve |
| 🔄 Watch | Leslie H. | Business Development | Boyd Corp | California | Post-carve |
| Medium | Nathan P. | District Sales Manager, N. California | Molex | N. California | Active |
| Medium | VJ M. | Global Key Account Manager | Henkel | Bay Area | Active |
| High | Chris An. | Director, Global Key Account Manager, Electronics | Henkel | California | Active · Director-level GKAM. Most senior Henkel CA commercial profile not previously mapped. Electronics-specific account mandate covers Apple/Dell/HP at director accountability level. |
| High | Ashwin Bh. | Global Key Account Manager, Consumer Electronics | Henkel | California | Active · Consumer electronics OEM focus. Apple and Samsung adjacency. Directly relevant to CCL Design's primary account set. |
| High | Tom Si. | Global Key Account Manager, Data/Telecom | Henkel | California | Active · Cisco and datacenter networking OEM focus. Henkel's primary Cisco-facing commercial profile in CA. |
| High | Heejung Ch. | Global Key Account Manager | Henkel | California | Active · Korean OEM relationships highly likely. Asia-Pacific account coverage relevant to CCL Design's CA+Asia coordination model. |
| High | Yoko Li | Sr. Global Key Account Manager | Henkel | California | Active · Senior GKAM. Japan/APAC account background. Bilingual commercial capability aligned with CCL Design's Asia-coordination requirement. |
| High | Sam Fe. | Global Key Account Manager | Henkel | California | Active · verified June 2026. |
| High | Ivan So | Global Key Account Manager | Henkel | California | Active · verified June 2026. |
| High | Sindhuja Ra. | Global Key Account Manager | Henkel | California | Active · verified June 2026. |
| High | John Ha. | Business Development Director | Parker Hannifin | California | Active · Most senior CA commercial profile at Parker Hannifin Chomerics. EMI/thermal portfolio overlaps with CCL Design's engineered parts. verified June 2026. |
| High | Rafal Sr. | Global Account Manager | Parker Hannifin | California | Active · Global Account Manager, OEM account management model mirrors CCL Design's requirements. verified June 2026. |
| High | Chris En. | West Coast Regional Sales Manager | Parker Hannifin | California | Active · West Coast electronics OEM territory. verified June 2026. |
| Medium | Kelly Su. | Business Development Manager | Parker Hannifin | California | Active · BDM at Parker electronics/EMI segment. |
| Medium | Hugo Ar. | Regional Sales Manager | Parker Hannifin | California | Active · Regional sales, California territory. |
| High | Roger Si. | VP Sales | 3M | California | Active · VP Sales CA, covers Transportation & Electronics Business Group including EMSD. verified June 2026. |
| High | Gary Co. | Sales Director, West Region | 3M | California | Active · West Region Sales Director covering CA OEM accounts. verified June 2026. |
| High | Lance Wa. | Key Account Director | 3M | California | Active · Key Account Director, director-level OEM account management at 3M CA. verified June 2026. |
| High | Edward Pan | Director, Strategic Business Development | 3M | California | Active · Strategic BD Director. verified June 2026. |
FAE and technical commercial, 30+ verified CA profiles across primary competitors
FAEs with materials science backgrounds are the hardest CA commercial profiles to find and the most strategically valuable for CCL Design's design-in selling model. Henkel deploys the largest CA FAE/AE team in the peer group, 3 Principal Application Engineers, 4 Senior Application Engineers, and multiple Application Engineers in California. The design-in cycle at Apple, Cisco, and Dell engineering teams requires a technically credible first contact before commercial conversations begin. CCL Design's current CA team has no confirmed FAE/AE equivalent.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Application Engineer, Henkel California | |||||
| High | Prasad Ra. | Principal Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · most senior identified Henkel FAE in CA. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Efren Ji. | Principal Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · Principal AE, materials science background, design-in cycle expertise at Henkel OEM accounts. verified May 2026. |
| High | Tony Li. | Principal Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · Principal AE. Likely Asia-Pacific OEM account background given name profile. verified Jun 2026. |
| Senior Application Engineer, Henkel California | |||||
| High | Frank So. | Senior Application Engineer, Semiconductor | Henkel | California | Active · Semiconductor-specialist Senior AE. Directly relevant to CCL Design's semiconductor packaging material qualification model. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Jerry Ma. | Senior Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · Senior AE at Henkel CA. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Ho-Jeong Ahn | Senior Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · Korean OEM engineering relationships highly likely. Korea/Samsung/SK supply chain experience valuable for CCL Design's Asia-coordinated CA model. verified Apr 2026. |
| High | Hwang Yun | Senior Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · verified May 2026. |
| High | Franky Cu. | Senior Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · verified May 2026. |
| FAE Manager and Field Application Engineers, Molex California | |||||
| High | Abhinav Sh. | FAE Manager | Molex | California | Active · FAE Manager, leads Molex's CA FAE team. Management background makes this a potential Head of Technical Sales hire for CCL Design. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Paul Ul. | Field Application Engineer | Molex | California | Active · verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Dhruv Ch. | Field Application Engineer | Molex | California | Active · verified Jun 2026. |
| Medium | Damon Ch. | Technical Sales Engineer | Molex | California | Active · TSE at Molex CA. verified Jun 2026. |
| Medium | Alexander Au. | Technical Sales Engineer | Molex | California | Active · verified May 2026. |
| Field Application Engineers, TE Connectivity California | |||||
| High | Kevin Hsu | Field Application Engineer | TE Connectivity | California | Active · TE Connectivity FAE in CA. Full name confirmed. verified May 2026. |
| High | Thomas Ma. | Field Application Engineer | TE Connectivity | California | Active · TE Connectivity FAE in CA. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Wonchae Ch. | Field Application Engineer | TE Connectivity | California | Active · Korean name profile, Asia-Pacific OEM engineering relationships. verified Jun 2026. |
| Technical Sales Engineers and FAE, Henkel (additional) | |||||
| Medium | Kayla Jo. | Technical Sales Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · TSE. verified Jun 2026. |
| Medium | Amanda Pa. | Field Application Engineer | Henkel | California | Active · FAE at Henkel CA. verified Jun 2026. |
| Watch, Rogers Corporation California (restructuring) | |||||
| Watch | Alex Cox | Senior Sales Engineer | Rogers Corporation | California | Restructuring · Full name confirmed. verified Jun 2026. |
| Watch | Jerry L. | Sales Engineer | Rogers Corporation | California | Restructuring · displacement risk ongoing. |
08 · Extended Talent UniverseAdjacent Markets, Tier 2
Beyond direct competitors, approximately 250–385 additional California commercial people at adjacent companies, same customers, adjacent products. The organising insight: it is the OEM relationship skill, not the product knowledge, that transfers.
MacDermid Alpha and Indium Corporation commercial people do exactly what CCL Design's California team needs to do.
Sell specialty electronic materials to Apple, Cisco, HP, and Dell directly AND to Flex, Jabil, and Sanmina via the EMS channel simultaneously. Commercial model, qualification process, Asia coordination, OEM+EMS dual-track, all structurally identical. Product knowledge gap closes in 60–90 days.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Template | Scott Lewin ✓ | Director, Technical Business Development (fmr Dir OEM Sales, fmr Dir EMS Sales) | MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions | Gold-standard career template, confirmed. 36 years at MacDermid/Alpha/Cookson since 1990. As Dir OEM Sales: managed Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, Motorola directly. As Dir EMS Sales: managed Flex, Jabil, Sanmina, Celestica, Foxconn, Plexus. Featured in I-Connect007 (2021). Speaker at productronica Munich 2025 (confirmed). Exact dual OEM+EMS commercial model CCL Design needs. |
| High | Keith F. | Commercial Director, USA/Canada | MacDermid Alpha | National commercial director at closest analogue company |
| High | John V. | Senior Director Commercial | MacDermid Alpha | Strong GAD profile, direct commercial model mirror |
| High | Amit P. | Sr. Global Manager, AI & HPC BD | MacDermid Alpha CA | AI/HPC focus maps to Imprint Energy opportunity |
| High | Tim T. | VP Sales, Marketing & Technical Support | Indium Corporation | VP-level at direct analogue |
| High | Brian O. | Director of Global Accounts | Indium Corporation | Global accounts director, strong GAD profile |
| High | Scott P. | Director of Sales | Indium Corporation | California-based, verified May 2026. Second Indium director-level commercial profile confirmed in CA pool |
EMS Account Managers sit inside Apple's, Dell's, and Cisco's procurement and engineering teams daily.
OEM relationship depth is highest of any adjacent pool. Product knowledge gap learnable in 90 days. Strongest for BDM and second-tier GAD roles.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Michelle L. | VP / GM Global Account Management | Flex | California, deepest OEM relationship depth in the pool |
| High | Sam S. | Sr. Director, BD, CEC (Communications, Enterprise & Cloud) | Flex | California, Apple/Dell/Cisco enterprise cloud focus |
| High | Scott T. | Senior Director Business Development | Flex | California, senior BD director calibre |
| High | Vince C. | Senior Director Business Development | Flex | California |
| High | Walter T. | VP Sales / CSO | Jabil | California, VP/CSO level; potential GCD conversation |
| High | Marco B. | Director of Sales | Jabil | Career: Amphenol → Flex GAM → Jabil; strong GAD profile |
| High | Darryl S. | Director of Sales | Sanmina | California, strong BDD/GAD profile |
| High | Ahmed F. | Director, Global Account Management | Flex | California, verified Jun 2026. GAM director with hyperscale OEM coverage |
| High | Howard R. | Sr Director of Sales | Flex | California, verified May 2026. Senior Director of Sales |
| High | John Martin | Senior Director, Global Account Management | Flex | San Jose, CA, Confirmed via LinkedIn June 2026. Sept 2020–present. Deep experience in product introduction, NPI, and global account management across Consumer Technology and Enterprise segments at Flex. P&L management background. |
| High | Ahmed Falol ✓ | Director, Global Account Management | Flex | San Jose, CA, Confirmed via LinkedIn May 2026. 13+ years at Flex. GAM from Oct 2018, Director from Nov 2023. |
Tier 2C, Test & Measurement: Keysight, VIAVI Solutions, Spirent, and Teradyne
T&M companies sell test equipment to the same Apple, Cisco, Dell, and HP engineering teams CCL Design's commercial hires need to serve. The commercial model, long qualification cycles, deep engineering relationships, Asia-Pacific coordination, is structurally identical. VIAVI Solutions (San Jose HQ) and Spirent Communications (Sunnyvale HQ) are California-headquartered, making their CA commercial teams particularly accessible and especially relevant for the technical commercial layer CCL Design currently lacks entirely.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keysight Technologies, Santa Rosa CA ($5.4B) | ||||
| High | Jeffrey C. | VP of Sales, Strategic Accounts | Keysight Technologies | California, VP-level OEM sales depth |
| High | Vince N. | VP of Global Business Development | Keysight Technologies | California, potential VP/GCD profile |
| High | Channappa R. | AI Infrastructure Strategic BD Lead Americas | Keysight Technologies | AI infrastructure focus maps to Imprint Energy opportunity |
| High | Scott B. | VP, Communications Solution Group | Keysight Technologies | Cisco, HP, telecom OEM coverage |
| Medium | Mike A. | Regional Sales Manager, Strategic Accounts | Keysight Technologies | California |
| Medium | Rakhi J. | Global Account Manager | Keysight Technologies | California |
| VIAVI Solutions, San Jose CA HQ (NYSE: VIAV · $1.1B) | ||||
| High | Gary Sa. | VP, Worldwide Sales | VIAVI Solutions | California. VP Worldwide Sales at San Jose HQ. VIAVI sells optical/network test to Cisco, Apple, Dell, HP. Most senior CA commercial profile at a company with identical customer-facing commercial model to what CCL Design needs to build. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Doug Sm. | VP Sales, Datacom | VIAVI Solutions | California. Datacom segment, Cisco, hyperscaler network customers. VP Sales for the segment most aligned with CCL Design's Cisco and Dell account base. verified Mar 2026. |
| High | Bob Em. | Director, Worldwide Sales | VIAVI Solutions | California. Director Worldwide Sales, global account scope, Apple/Cisco/HP OEM engineering interface. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Jason We. | Sr Sales Director | VIAVI Solutions | California. Sr Sales Director at San Jose HQ. verified Jun 2026. |
| Spirent Communications, Sunnyvale CA HQ (LSE: SPT · £550M) | ||||
| High | Gert Br. | VP, Sales Engineering & Field Support | Spirent Communications | California (Sunnyvale HQ). VP at Spirent CA HQ, network test and validation. Spirent's primary customers are Cisco, Apple networking infrastructure, and hyperscalers. VP-level with sales engineering background is strong for CCL Design's technical commercial layer. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Stephen Ne. | Director, Enterprise Sales | Spirent Communications | California. Enterprise Sales Director, Cisco and enterprise networking OEM commercial background. verified Jun 2026. |
| Teradyne, California presence (NASDAQ: TER · $3.3B) | ||||
| High | Ty Ak. | VP of Global Sales | Teradyne | California. VP Global Sales, ATE sold to Apple semiconductor packaging supply chain and Cisco network equipment. Very senior global commercial profile. verified Jun 2026. |
| High | Landon Lee | Director, Business Development (전무) | Teradyne | California. Korean executive title 전무 (Executive Director). Korea/Samsung/SK Hynix testing relationships, highly relevant to CCL Design's Asia-Pacific OEM coordination. verified Jun 2026. |
| Medium | Manish Th. | Director, Business Development | Teradyne | California. verified Jun 2026. |
Note: Coherent is an Apple AMP partner. Candidates may face non-compete or RSU cliff considerations.
The design-in sales process mirrors CCL Design's functional materials qualification model precisely. Approach Coherent candidates with appropriate sensitivity.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Roger Q. | SVP Global Sales/CSO, Laser Segment | Coherent | California, very senior; potential advisor |
| High | Mark N. | Chief Commercial Officer | Coherent | California, CCO of confirmed Apple AMP partner |
| High | Loukas P. | VP BD, Optical AI/ML Infrastructure | Lumentum | California, AI/ML infrastructure focus |
| High | Matt P. | CCO, Industrial Technology Platform | Lumentum | California, VP-level CCO |
| High | Robert H. | VP of Sales | Lumentum | San Jose-based |
Tier 2G, Specialty EMI/Thermal Materials: Laird Performance Materials and DuPont Electronics
Laird Performance Materials ($465M, a DuPont business) makes EMI shielding materials, thermal interface pads, gaskets, and custom board-level shields, products in the same engineering spec-in cycle as CCL Design's engineered parts. DuPont Electronics produces functional films and semiconductor packaging materials. Both companies sell to Apple, Cisco, and Dell engineering and procurement teams in California. Commercial people here understand the design-in model, OEM qualification process, and Asia-Pacific supply chain coordination that CCL Design's commercial hires must master.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Background & Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Rick Johnson | Business Development Manager | Laird Performance Materials | Encinitas CA. 24 years at Laird. BD Manager since Oct 2001. Products: EMI absorbers, CoolZorb hybrid absorber/thermal material, custom shielding, all in the same engineering review cycle as CCL Design's functional materials. Likely manages West Coast OEM accounts. Longevity signals deep customer relationships that transfer with the person. |
| High | Richard La. | Sr Director, Business Development | DuPont (Electronics) | California. verified June 2026. Senior Director BD at DuPont Electronics division, functional films, semiconductor packaging materials. DuPont Electronics customers overlap with CCL Design's primary OEM base (Apple, Cisco, semiconductor packaging chain). |
| Medium | Gary Bl. | Sales Director | Dow (Electronics) | California. verified June 2026. Sales Director at Dow Electronics division, specialty polymer and materials. Adjacency to CCL Design's functional materials portfolio. |
Tier 2H, Connectors, Advanced Interconnect, and PCB: Amphenol and TTM Technologies
Amphenol ($14.9B, NYSE: APH) is one of the world's largest connector manufacturers. Their CA sales team manages Apple (iPhone/Mac interconnects), Cisco (network equipment connectors), and Dell (server connectors) at engineering and procurement level. TTM Technologies ($2.3B, Milpitas CA HQ, NASDAQ: TTMI) is a major Apple and Cisco PCB supplier with a significant California commercial team, Anup Singh (Sr Director BD, Microelectronics Solutions) is focused on advanced packaging and microelectronics integration, directly adjacent to CCL Design's engineered components business.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Background & Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Tim Sp. | Sr Director of Regional Sales | Amphenol | California. verified June 2026. Senior Director Regional Sales, manages Amphenol's West Coast territory including the Silicon Valley OEM base. Apple, Cisco, Dell connector account management background. |
| High | Andrew Yen | Sales Director | Amphenol | California. verified June 2026. Sales Director, Amphenol CA. Asian-language capability indicated by name profile, Asia-Pacific supply chain coordination highly likely. |
| High | Hooijin Te. | Director of Sales | Amphenol | California. verified June 2026. Director of Sales, Amphenol CA. Korean or East Asian OEM account relationships strongly likely given name profile. Amphenol is a confirmed Apple supplier. |
| High | Anup Si. | Senior Director, Business Development, Microelectronics Solutions | TTM Technologies | California. verified May 2026. Microelectronics Solutions BD, directly adjacent to CCL Design's advanced packaging and engineered components commercial model. TTM is a confirmed Apple and Cisco PCB supplier; Anup's microelectronics mandate mirrors CCL Design's OEM qualification cycle. |
| High | Rick Ga. | Director, Western Regional Sales | TTM Technologies | California. verified June 2026. Western Regional Sales Director at TTM (Milpitas CA HQ), covers Apple and Cisco accounts in Silicon Valley. OEM-facing commercial model directly transferable to CCL Design's engineered parts business. |
Tier 2I, Passive Components: Vishay Intertechnology
Vishay Intertechnology ($3.2B, NYSE: VSH, Malvern PA) manufactures resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, and transistors, components that are specified alongside CCL Design's functional materials in the same Apple, Cisco, Dell, and HP BOM review cycles. Vishay has a well-staffed CA commercial team with director-level coverage of the Bay Area OEM base. The transfer proposition: same customers, same spec-in process, adjacent products. Knowledge gap is narrow.
| Priority | Name | Title | Employer | Background & Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Johnson Hu. | Business Development Director | Vishay Intertechnology | California. verified May 2026. BD Director, Vishay CA. Sells passive components to Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP engineering and procurement teams. Same OEM account management model as CCL Design's commercial requirements. |
| High | Jagbir Ka. | Director of Sales | Vishay Intertechnology | California. verified June 2026. Director of Sales, Vishay CA. Director-level OEM commercial background. South Asian name profile suggests potential India/Asia supply chain relationships, relevant to CCL Design's Imprint Energy commercialisation into IoT and smart packaging OEMs. |
Prioritise Tier 2A first. Product knowledge gap closes in 60–90 days.
Use Tier 2B (Flex, Sanmina, Jabil) as primary feeder for BDM layer. Use Tier 2C (Keysight) for FAE and technical commercial layer.
| Category | CA Pool | Key Companies | Transferability | Best Fit Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2A, Electronics Materials | ~40–60 | MacDermid Alpha, Indium, Heraeus | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highest | VP, GAD, BDD |
| 2B, EMS / Contract Mfg | ~75–115 | Flex, Sanmina, Jabil | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | BDM, GAD (2nd) |
| 2C, Test & Measurement | ~50–70 | Keysight Technologies | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | FAE, BDM |
| 2D, Photonics & Optical | ~25–40 | Coherent, Lumentum | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium-High | VP, GAD (Apple OEM) |
| 2E, Semiconductor Materials | ~20–30 | Entegris | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | FAE |
| 2F, Japanese/Korean Components | ~40–70 | Alps Alpine, TDK, Murata | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | GAD (Track 5) |
| Total Tier 1 + Tier 2 | ~560–720 | – | – | Full succession scope |
09 · SD FindingsAssessment & Recommended Actions
Three actions are time-critical and must be actioned within the next two weeks. The broader commercial investment case reflects what CCL Design's scale and customer profile actually require in the California market.
Actions 1 and 2 are not planning items, they are two-week execution items.
Ryan Y. has been available for 16 days. Frederic P. has been available for 6 months. Every week of delay materially reduces the probability of a successful approach.
CCL Design California, Succession State, June 2026
| Role | Current Holder | Status | Succession Depth | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VP Sales (Americas) | Anthony Keaney · Spring Lake, MI | Active, Aug 2020 | 31-yr CCL/Worldmark career | Filled |
| Global Commercial Director · West Coast | Vacant (H. Cameron departed Jan 2026) | VACANT, 6 months | None identified | Critical |
| Global Account Director · California | Kate Biagini (Cisco/Intel) · Peter Rossi (Japanese specialty OEM · Bay Area) | Active · Cisco/Intel confirmed · Apple coverage unverified from public sources | Alice Chang (Business Manager, limited step-up) | High, Apple gap |
| Business Development Director | Not confirmed | Not in structure | None | Critical |
| Business Development Manager | Not confirmed | Not in structure | None | High |
| Field Application Engineer | Not confirmed | Unknown | Unknown | Medium-High |
| Imprint Energy Commercial Lead | None | Not in structure | None | Critical, growth unmonetised |
CA Commercial Headcount, Now vs 18-Month Target vs Peer Median
1. AI hardware tailwind is structural, not cyclical. +116% YoY Q1 2026. 56.3% CAGR through 2028. Apple, Dell, HP, and Cisco are qualifying preferred suppliers now. The opportunity cost of under-coverage is compounding daily.
2. Apple is building deeper domestic supplier relationships. The AMP represents Apple's explicit intent to know its domestic supply chain partners beyond transactional procurement. CCL Design has a confirmed seat, but a 2-person CA team cannot participate.
3. Imprint Energy is a commercially underexploited asset. $27M acquisition. 20–25% CAGR market. Technology validated with European commercial partnerships. No resource to exploit it with customers 15–40 miles from the Alameda R&D facility.
4. CCL Design's California commercial coverage is below the peer group benchmark. Henkel has 20+ confirmed CA commercial people (named-candidate research, June 2026). TE Connectivity and Molex have 15–25 estimated. CCL Design has three confirmed. The specific verifiable gaps are Cisco/Intel single-coverage (Kate Biagini), a West Coast senior commercial leadership vacancy, and no confirmed Imprint Energy commercial mandate within the existing team.
5. The talent market is more accessible than usual. Boyd carve, Rogers restructuring, Ryan Y. departure, Fralock PE exit signal, six displacement events in 6 months, Boyd carve, Rogers restructuring, Fralock PE exit signal, Avery Dennison leadership change, creating addressable movement across the California talent pool.
6. Pay transparency legislation has made delay costly. SB 642 means below-market CA job posting ranges are publicly visible against TE and Molex postings. The longer CCL Design delays a compensation adjustment, the harder hiring becomes.
| Role | Target Headcount (18–24mo) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VP / Global Commercial Director | 1 | Priority 1, mandate for all other hires |
| Global Account Director | 2–3 | Including Imprint Energy-dedicated mandate |
| Business Development Director | 1 | California + national |
| Business Development Manager | 2 | California |
| Field Application Engineer | 2 | Materials science, near Cupertino |
| Total | 8–11 FTEs | Lower end of peer group benchmark |
10 · Structural IntelligenceWhy California Commercial Hiring Has Been Hard, and How to Fix It
This section addresses CCL Design's specific CA hiring challenges directly. Three structural barriers explain most of the difficulty. Two of them are resolvable within the next search cycle. One, compensation, requires a board-level decision before any CA posting goes live.
Structural Advantage: California's Non-Compete Ban
California Business and Professions Code §16600, reinforced by SB 699 and AB 1076 (effective January 1, 2024), makes all employment non-compete agreements void and unenforceable, regardless of where the agreement was signed or where the employee is based. AB 2288 (effective January 2024) imposes civil penalties of at least $10,000 per violation if an employer even threatens to enforce a void non-compete.
In practice: any Steven C. at Henkel, any Deepak R. at Molex, any Bob T. at TE Connectivity, every named candidate in this report, faces zero legal barrier to joining CCL Design. The same is not true if CCL Design tried to recruit from California into a role in Texas, Ohio, or South Carolina, where their employer's non-compete may be enforceable. CCL Design is recruiting in the most candidate-friendly jurisdiction in the United States and should be using that fact explicitly in every approach conversation. With Anthony Keaney in post as Americas VP Sales, incoming candidates have a clear senior reporting line, this is a genuine EVP improvement over the "no senior leadership" narrative that has likely complicated previous searches.
All CCL Design approaches are legally clean, no non-compete exposureSpeed-to-Hire: The Gap Between Process and Market
Ryan Yost was committed to Amcor within 3 days of leaving Avery Dennison. Frederic Philippon was committed to Meta before his Boyd departure was formally registered. These are not outliers, they reflect standard behaviour for VP and Director-level commercial candidates in the California electronics materials market who have been pre-positioned and who receive multiple simultaneous approaches.
The realistic move window for a VP-level CA commercial hire is 4–8 weeks from departure to offer acceptance. A process that involves three internal approval stages, compensation benchmarking, and two rounds of executive interviews cannot compete in this market. Solutions Driven's recommendation: decide the role, budget, and compensation framework before the search begins, not during it.
RSU Vesting Timing, The Correct Approach Window
RSU (Restricted Stock Unit) vesting is the most underappreciated structural barrier in CA electronics materials commercial hiring. A candidate with $80k–$200k in unvested equity at TE Connectivity or Avery Dennison will not move unless the total offer compensates the forfeiture or approaches them immediately after a vest event. Standard 4-year RSU schedules vest 25% annually.
| Competitor | Fiscal Year End | Typical Annual RSU Cliff | Optimal Approach Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE Connectivity | September 30 | February / March | March – May |
| Avery Dennison | December 31 | February / March | March – May |
| Henkel | December 31 | February / March | March – May |
| Molex (Koch, private) | December 31 | Annual bonus tied to calendar year | February – March |
| Coherent | June 30 | August / September | September – November |
| Rogers Corporation | December 31 | March | March – May |
RSU buyout or approach timing, one of these must be addressed
CCL Design must either (a) offer RSU buyout provisions to cover unvested equity at the time of joining, or (b) discipline its search calendar to approach primary targets in March–May when annual vest events have just cleared. A mid-year approach to a TE or Avery candidate who vested in February and received a new grant in March faces a 2-year golden handcuff. The same candidate approached in April of that same year, before the new grant materialises, faces no golden handcuff at all.
Industry Conference Presence, CCL Design's Visibility Gap
Where the talent market CCL Design needs to hire from is physically presentThe commercial talent at the VP, GAD, and BDD level that CCL Design needs to hire attends these events. Competitors use them for relationship-building and informal sourcing. CCL Design's absence from the exhibit floor is a compounding disadvantage, it limits both outbound sourcing intelligence and inbound candidate awareness of CCL Design as a commercial operator of scale.
| Event | Location / Date | Scale 2026 | Relevance to CCL Design | Confirmed Competitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APEX EXPO 2026 (Global Electronics Association) | Anaheim Convention Center · March 16–19, 2026 | 416 exhibitors · sold out · 5,000+ attendees | Critical Materials, assembly, advanced packaging, the full CCL Design supply chain. OEM engineering and procurement teams attend. Largest electronics event in North America. | Henkel, TE Connectivity, Molex, Heraeus Electronics confirmed exhibitors |
| SEMICON West 2026 (SEMI) | Moscone Center, San Francisco · October 13–15, 2026 | 632+ exhibitors · semiconductor supply chain | Critical Flagship West Coast semiconductor event. Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP procurement and engineering all present. The single most important CA-based event for building relationships with the OEM teams CCL Design's commercial hires need to serve. | All major semiconductor materials suppliers |
| ECTC 2026 (IEEE Electronics Packaging Society) | JW Marriott Orlando · May 26–29, 2026 | 100+ exhibitors · 2,500+ attendees · record-setting | High Advanced packaging, materials for integration, heterogeneous integration, the technical community that specifies materials like CCL Design's. Special session: Innovative Materials for Advanced Packaging (TSMC, Brewer Science, Ajinomoto, IMEC). | Heraeus Electronics confirmed exhibitor; Resonac, Ajinomoto, Brewer Science presenting |
| PCB West 2026 | Silicon Valley · Autumn 2026 | 100+ exhibitors · 2,000+ attendees | Medium Bay Area PCB design and fabrication community. OEM product engineering interface. Rogers Corporation regular exhibitor. Panasonic Industry (Electronic Materials) exhibitor. | Rogers Corporation, Panasonic Electronic Materials, Sanmina |
Data Defensibility Statement
What is sourced, what is estimated, and how to verify| Data Category | Source Methodology | Confidence | How to Verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation benchmarks | California SB 1162 / SB 642 pay transparency disclosures pulled directly from live job postings (TE Connectivity, Molex, Henkel, CoorsTek, all June 2026) | Fully verifiable | Search each company's active CA postings on LinkedIn Jobs or Indeed. Ranges are legally mandated disclosures. |
| Named talent pool, current roles and locations | Named-candidate research database, refreshed within 90 days of report date (June 2026). All named individuals verified as current at stated employer. | verified | Cross-reference with LinkedIn. This draws from LinkedIn, company websites, and third-party data partners. |
| Competitor CA FTE estimates | LinkedIn Sales Navigator headcount analysis + organisation data. FTE ranges are estimates derived from identified profiles, not confirmed internal headcount. | Proxy estimate | Cannot be independently verified without internal HR data. Ranges (e.g. "8–10 at Henkel") represent identifiable profiles, not total commercial headcount. |
| CCL Industries financial data | CCL Industries 2024 Annual Report (TSX: CCL.B). FY2025 figures from Q4 2025 earnings releases (March 2026). | Fully verifiable | SEDAR+ filing (SEDAR.com) and investor.cclind.com |
| Market sizing (AI hardware, printed batteries) | AI hardware: Dell'Oro Group June 2026; Gartner semiconductor forecasts; SIA data. Printed battery: multiple analyst sources ($301M 2025, ~25% CAGR). CoorsTek salary posting via LinkedIn Jobs. | Third-party sourced | Dell'Oro and Gartner reports are behind paywall but figures are widely cited in industry press. Battery market figures are proxied from multiple analyst estimates. |
| M&A and executive movement | LinkedIn announcements, press releases, company investor pages. Ryan Yost / Amcor: confirmed via Amcor press release June 15, 2026. Frederic Philippon / Meta: confirmed via LinkedIn profile update. | Fully verifiable | Amcor investor relations (amcor.com). Frederic Philippon LinkedIn profile (linkedin.com/in/fredericphilippon). |
| California employment law | California Business and Professions Code §16600; SB 699; AB 1076; AB 2288. Cited to primary legislative text and Paul Weiss / Latham & Watkins client alerts. | Fully verifiable | leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and any CA employment law firm's 2024 client alert on §16600 amendments. |