Fumihide “Humi” Esaka will Join Transphorm as CEO Starting July 1

Transphorm Inc. announced that Fumihide "Humi" Esaka will join the company as its new CEO starting July 1, 2013. Esaka is expected to play a pivotal role in Transphorm's expansion as a worldwide leader providing GaN-based power conversion in power supplies and adapters, motor drives, solar panels, and electric vehicles.

Esaka is currently CEO of Nihon Inter Electronics Corporation (NIEC), a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company and is also the former Vice President – Japan Sales of NYSE-listed International Rectifier (IR). He has significant leadership experience in both U.S and international businesses and markets, having contributed to IR's significant revenue expansion in Asia, and revitalizing NIEC, a Japanese-based power solutions manufacturer with more than $300 million in revenues.

“When launching in 2007, we started with a breakthrough technology and ambitions to redefine energy efficiency,” said Transphorm Co-founder and CEO Umesh Mishra. “Since then, we’ve eliminated every daunting technical obstacle that’s stood in our way and just released the world’s first qualified GaN on Silicon product. I’m proud to hand over the reins to someone as accomplished as Humi, and continue to work with him and Primit Parikh (Co-Founder and President) in my capacity as Chairman and CTO to help make GaN the industry standard in electric power conversion.”

“Without question, Transphorm has assembled the most impressive GaN technical and engineering talent on the planet and produced solutions that satisfy customer demands for better form factor and efficiency,” said incoming Transphorm CEO Humi Esaka. “The mission is meaningful: use Transphorm’s technology to cut total world electrical energy waste by more than 50 percent. I am eager to engage with the entire team to build a lasting and memorable company.”

“After solving technical problems that have confounded the industry to qualify the world’s most energy efficient power conversion products, Transphorm is ready to move its business to another level,” said Randy Komisar, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. “Humi Esaka is the right leader to drive GaN and its incredible benefits to mainstream ubiquity.”