• National Renewable Energy Lab Solar Technology Review Panel (TRP) member. Established by the U.S. Department of Energy, this panel will provide a means of maintaining NREL's relevance as the energy policy and market landscape changes and advises NREL executives on key strategic questions.
• Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center Board Member. This nonprofit organization focuses on facilitating the commercialization of nanomaterials technologies.
• Etcetera Edutainment (EE) Board Member. EE specializes in adapting the techniques and technologies of the videogame industry to simulations for training and educational purposes.
• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA) Advisory Board (nominated in 2008, to be confirmed in 2009). The PRA is a partnership of more than 50 private and public sector leaders and economic development professionals from across the region to attract capital investment and create jobs in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
• Charter Member of TiE (Pittsburgh Chapter). TiE is a global organization that focuses on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.

He spent fourteen years at ATMI in several sales and marketing roles where most recently he led the $95 million business unit providing specialty chemicals for semiconductor ion implantation processes.

Jim holds an Executive Masters in Technology Management from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University.
Return to top


Troy D. Hammond, Ph.D.
Vice President of Products

Troy joined Plextronics in early 2004. He leads product strategy and manages product commercialization while also contributing to joint development, partnership, and corporate development activities.

Previously, Troy was an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Co., the global management consulting firm. With McKinsey, Troy led a broad spectrum of strategy, operations, sales and marketing, and risk management engagements for senior executive clients. While based primarily in the U.S., Troy's client service extended to the Asia-Pacific region where he helped launch the Auckland, New Zealand, office.

Prior to McKinsey, Troy conducted experimental atomic physics research at MIT. His research group made fundamental breakthroughs in atom interferometry, which is an extremely sensitive measuring device for navigation, exploration and the study of fundamental physical properties. The group's research was highlighted broadly in the popular science press.

Troy holds a Ph.D. in physics from MIT, a B.S. in physics from Georgia Tech, and a B.S. in mathematics from Milligan College, where he is also Adjunct Professor of Business in the MBA program.

Sean joined Plextronics in 2006 from Ariba, a $300 million company focused on Spend Management software and services. He was most recently Ariba's VP and Controller, and led the merger integration of financial activities after the acquisition of FreeMarkets.

Sean held several senior level positions at FreeMarkets, including CFO the year prior to its merger with Ariba. He also led all financial activities related to FreeMarkets' IPO in December 1999. Early in his career, Sean spent six years with Coopers & Lybrand. During that time, he worked with technology and real estate clients, including merger and acquisition advisory and equity and debt offerings.

At Plextronics, Sean is responsible for financial, legal, human resources and treasury operations, as well as manages bank and investor relations. He has helped raise $35 million from venture capital firms and strategic corporate investors in Plextronics' Series A and Series B equity rounds. Sean has built the financial and human resources infrastructure to provide for more than 3x growth over the past two years, and secured $12 million in low-cost debt financing from banks and government agencies.

Sean holds a B.S. in Accounting and Economics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to that, Glenn was the Director of Corporate Development for PPG where he guided Business Units through the strategic planning process with a focus on growth through acquisition. In this role, he identified, evaluated and effected acquisitions that brought strategic improvement to the business units. Glenn also worked for ICI, PLC — a U.K.-based, global manufacturer of coatings and chemicals — where he held a number of strategic planning, marketing and technical positions. 

Glenn has a B.S. in Chemistry from Westminster College, and has completed course work for a Master of Polymer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.
Return to top


Shawn P. Williams, Ph.D.
Vice President of Technology

Since 2004, Shawn has been leading technical product development and the growth of the intellectual property portfolio at Plextronics. He has assembled a first-rate team that includes synthetic and formulation chemists, device physicists and engineers, as well as patent/IP experts who have created and are commercializing world-leading organic photovoltaic, lighting, and circuitry-based technology via a customer-focused product development process. Shawn has also been working to build a network of academic and industrial partnerships to drive broader-scope technology development.

Shawn joined Plextronics from W.R. Grace & Co. - the world's largest specialty chemicals company - where, most recently, he was the Manager of Global Applications Development for Grace's Chromatography Business. In his nine years with Grace, Shawn worked in product development, research management and customer technical service for diverse global markets such pharmaceutical and bio-separations, structural waterproofing and concrete additives.

As a graduate student Shawn conducted research on the synthesis and properties of regioregular poly (3-substituted) thiophenes and was the first to characterize the electrochemical and optical properties of these materials as well as demonstrate their utility as sensors.

Shawn has a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Geneva College (1989) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University (1996).