Priya Almelkar

Senior Vice President of IT & Chief Information Officer, Wolfspeed

Search every verified Priya Almelkar interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. At the MESI 4.0 Summit on September 17, 2024, Priya Almelkar, Senior Vice President of IT and Chief Information Officer at Wolfspeed, discussed the company's efforts to build and operate the world's first fully automated 200mm silicon carbide (SiC) factory. Almelkar stated that Wolfspeed is focused on raising $6.5 billion in investments to continue its manufacturing journey and noted that the company produces more than 60 percent of the world's silicon carbide. She said the factory, which she described as being in charge of, was announced in 2020 and is currently ramping production, with a planned revenue of about $2 billion when fully operational. Almelkar highlighted the company's decision to invest in an Industry 4.0 architecture to drive accelerated advantage, despite the cost, and emphasized the importance of building a strong cybersecurity governance framework combining OT and IT security. She mentioned that Wolfspeed is conducting a proof of concept with large language model AI to collect data for building solutions. Almelkar also noted the company's joint ventures with BorgWarner and ZF, as well as its involvement with the Jaguar TCS Formula E team. She attributed the company's collaborative culture to CEO Greg Lowe, stating that IT and Fab leaders presenting together reflects a "one pack" approach.