AIM Photonics Announces New CEO

AIM Photonics, a program of NY CREATES, announced the appointment of Michael J. Cumbo as CEO, effective July 6, 2020. Cumbo succeeds Michael Liehr in the role.

Before joining AIM Photonics, Cumbo was vice president of optics for ZYGO Corp. He is the founder and chairman of Sandia Electro-Optics Corp., Albuquerque, N.M., an employee-owned incubator for measurement instruments in the life science and environmental sensing markets.

Throughout his career, Cumbo has managed photonic technology development around the globe, in roles that include president, IDEX Optics & Photonics; executive vice president and general manager, Coherent Inc.; vice president and general manager, Uniphase Commercial Laser Division; and vice president of R&D and chief technical officer, OCLI. Cumbo holds a doctoral degree in optics from the University of Rochester and 11 patents.

“I am excited to be joining the talented team at AIM Photonics, the nation’s premier integrated photonic manufacturing institute,” Cumbo said. “The recent innovations and applications demonstrated by AIM Photonics are already changing the world as we know it. I’m honored to continue the efforts and look forward to expanding the technological opportunities in my hometown of Rochester, N.Y., as well as within the state of New York and across the nation.”

The American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics) recently celebrated five years of success as the world’s first open-access integrated photonic manufacturing ecosystem. AIM services include a process design kit (PDK), multiproject wafer (MPW), and test, assembly, and packaging (TAP) facility.

“The AIM Photonics executive team is pleased to welcome Dr. Cumbo, a highly experienced and accomplished technology executive, as the next leader of this important manufacturing institute,” Douglas Grose, president of NY CREATES, said. “Mike brings valuable experience to AIM Photonics as a results-oriented, customer-centric, technology business leader, in addition to his proven ability to move technology and teams ‘from lab to fab,’ and transforming new technologies into profitable businesses.”