Global Electronics Association Announces New Board Members at APEX EXPO 2026

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At the 69^th Global Electronics Association Annual Meeting on March 17, held in conjunction with APEX EXPO 2026, the Association’s Board of Directors announced new officers and first-term members. Board officers serve a two-year term; board members serve a three-year term, and the student board member serves a one-year term.

The Association’s new Board Members:

• Ben Gliklich, CEO, Element Solutions
• Lynn Torrel, Vice President, Sales Enablement, Arrow Electronics
• Gao Lan, Chief Human Resources Officer, Senior Vice President, Lenovo

Student Board member:

• Aubrey Smith, Chapter President, University of Georgia, participant in the Association’s Emerging Engineer Program

The newly elected Board Officers:

• Board Chair: Peter Cleveland, Senior Vice President, TSMC
• Board Vice-Chair: Paul Baldassari, President, Manufacturing and Services, Flex
• Board Secretary and Treasurer: Greg Maxwell, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems

“The electronics ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and our Board helps ensure we stay tightly aligned with that pace of change,” said John W. Mitchell, president and CEO of the Global Electronics Association.  “Their perspective informs how we support innovation across the value chain, supporting our programs, standards, and training that deliver tangible value to our members.”

Newly appointed Board Chair Peter Cleveland of TSMC emphasized the importance of collective leadership at a pivotal moment for the industry. “This is a time when resilience, collaboration, and innovation across the electronics supply chain have never been more critical,” he said. “I look forward to working with this Board to strengthen our global ecosystem, support our members, and help shape the future of electronics manufacturing.”

In addition to Board election announcements, the Association honored the contributions of three outgoing Board Members:

•  Bob Neves, Chairman/CTO, Reliability Assessment Solutions, Inc., for 14 years of board service. Neves is a recipient of the Hall of Fame, the President's, and the Deiter Bergman Awards. He has chaired dozens of committees, including those focused on Rigid Boards and HDI.
• Tom Edman, the former CEO of TTM Technologies, now on the Board for TTM and Jabil, served the Association for 10 years and was instrumental in expanding its global foundation for standards development while also strengthening key areas such as workforce development, policy representation, sustainability, and design. He remains on the Global Electronics Association Executive Committee as Immediate Past Chair.
• Emily Daley, a May 2026 graduate candidate at Michigan Technological University. In addition to serving as the Student Board Member, she participated in the Association’s Emerging Engineer Program.  

John Mitchell stated, "The Association extends its heartfelt gratitude to Bob and Emily for their dedicated service to the Board and the industry. We thank them for their invaluable guidance, which has enabled us to better serve our members and the global electronics community.”