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Omkaram Nalamasu
Omkaram Nalamasu
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Omkaram Nalamasu

Applied Materials

Santa Clara, CA USA

"A career in science and technology is a learning career. Every day, you get paid to learn. That is the beauty of being able to work in this industry."

Career Roadmap

Omkaram's work combines: Engineering, Technology, and Problem Solving

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Day In The Life

Chief Technology Officer & Senior Vice President

I work with peers to build products and services and enable new markets in the semiconductor industry.

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Day In The Life Of A Chief Technology Officer In The Semiconductor Industry

My Day to Day

A typical day involves technology reviews, product reviews, and customer calls. I also attend presentations both internally and externally. A lot of my time is spent meeting with colleagues and peers. We also have a lot of brainstorming sessions. I'd say that about 60% of my time is spent traveling to attend conferences, meet with customers and suppliers, or attend board meetings for any of the boards I serve on.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Osmania University

  • Graduate Degree

    Chemistry, General

    University of Hyderabad

  • Doctorate

    Chemistry, General

    University of British Columbia

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    I was born in rural India.

  • 2.

    As a student, I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in science and technology.

  • 3.

    After high school, I studied biology and chemistry, then molecular biophysics, and finally earned my Ph.D. in solid-state chemistry from the University of British Columbia in Canada.

  • 4.

    Upon completing my doctorate, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the semiconductor industry—I joined Bell Labs, where I applied fundamental science and technology to solve industrial problems.

  • 5.

    After 17 years with Bell Labs, I wanted to try something different, so I went back to academia and served as a tenured professor and vice chancellor for research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

  • 6.

    After a few years, I got the opportunity to join Applied Materials and apply materials engineering on an industrial scale to solve major problems for humanity.

  • 7.

    I currently work as the chief technology officer and senior vice president for Applied Materials.

  • 8.

    I’m also the president of Applied Ventures—the venture arm of Applied Materials—where we find and invest in entrepreneurs who are translating an idea into a product to solve high value problems.