About Us

David Briggs

Chief Executive Officer

David Briggs has 34 years of semiconductor industry experience ranging from design to global business management. Mr. Briggs spent 20 years at Texas Instruments where he held various technical and business roles starting as an analog designer and finishing his career at Texas Instrument as the General Manager of the Analog Wireless Infrastructure Business Unit, driving 300% revenue growth over a 5-year period.  Upon his departure from Texas Instruments, Mr. Briggs lead several startups until joining Active-Semi, Inc. as the General Manager and VP of Sales and Marketing.  His leadership at Active-Semi, Inc. resulted in 300% revenue growth over a 5-year period and was instrumental in driving the company’s successful acquisition by Qorvo.  David received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Clarkson University and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas, Austin.  David has 12 patents issued in the areas of semiconductor devices, ESD structures, and circuits.

Brett Smith

Director Engineering

Brett Smith joined Apogee Semiconductor in 2024 as the Director of Engineering. Mr. Smith has more than 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry focused on the design and development of highly integrated mixed signal and power products for consumer and automotive applications.  Before joining Apogee, Brett was the Engineering Director for Active-Semi Inc., a programmable analog power and motor drive IC semiconductor company purchased by Qorvo in May 2019 where he continued in that role for 3 additional years.  In Brett’s 6 years at Active-Semi he grew and developed the engineering team to improve execution and increase quantity and quality of the product designs, helping grow Active-Semi revenue 500%.  Prior to Active-Semi, Brett worked at Texas Instruments where he was the design manager for Custom Mixed Signal and Power products, growing the team and enabling revenue to growth of 10x.  Brett holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Iowa State University and has 35 issued US patents.

Mark Hamlyn

General Manager Product Line

Mark Hamlyn, a co-founder and a driving force behind Apogee Semiconductor for over seven years, brings 18 years of industry experience with deep expertise in space electronics.  As Apogee’s General Manager, Mr. Hamlyn shapes the company’s strategic direction and growth.  From Apogee’s inception, Mr. Hamlyn has played a key role in delivering growth from start to present day, demonstrating a strong commitment to business process, product development, and strategy.  Prior to Apogee, Mark spent over 10 years at Texas Instruments (TI), where he collaborated closely with systems and marketing teams to shape TI’s space power roadmap, aligning product innovations with market needs.  With a foundational five-years of service in the U.S. Navy’s Trident Submarine Program, Mark brings a unique perspective on reliability and mission-critical applications. Mark holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University, graduating magna cum laude.

David Grant

Lead Architect

David has 39 years of professional electronic engineering experience, with the last 28 years being in the semiconductor industry, including digital and analog R&D and testing. Before joining Apogee, he worked at Texas Instruments where he designed and led designs for LDOs, PCMCIA switches, POL buck controllers, integrated FET buck converters, integrated IF transceivers and a re-configurable, mixed signal power control IC platform. He was also an active participant in the development of BCD silicon processes at TI for feature sizes from 2um through 130nm. He is one of the co-inventors of the foundational isolated drain LDMOS structure used extensively in integrated FET switching converters. At FINsix, David recruited and managed the IC designed department, while also performing the role of technical lead on the custom ASICs required by the company. He also acted as the main contact with silicon foundries and packaging companies. At Apogee Semiconductor, he is lead architect. David has 34 issued US patents and a legacy of dozens of successful products. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, UK.

Felicia James

Director Operations

Felicia James joined Apogee Semiconductor in 2022 after serving as an advisor to the company since its founding. Ms. James extensive experience in the semiconductor industry includes 18 years at Texas Instruments in a variety of analog and mixed-signal design and EDA methodology management roles, followed by 5 years as a Vice President and General Manager at Cadence Design Systems.  Felicia co-founded and was CEO of Zipalog, a company focused on chip level verification for complex analog mixed-signal integrated circuits. Prior to Zipalog, Felicia was the Analog Strategy Director at Dongbu HiTek’s Analog Foundry Business Unit (AFBU).  Felicia holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia (B.J. Thomas Scholarship, Echols Scholar, Intermediate Honors) and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas (Outstanding Scholar of EMBA Class of 2000). Felicia has 15 patents.

Chris Jones

Director Worldwide Sales

Chris Jones is the Director of Worldwide Sales for Apogee Semiconductor with over 25 years of sales experience both as an individual contributor and as a sales leader.  Mr. Jones brings a tremendous track record of sales success to Apogee. Chris’s ability to understand customer needs and the technology available today, allows him to exceed customer expectations and provide continuous excellent service.    Chris’s experience spans multiple industries and companies including Johnson & Johnson, DHL, Brambles, USPack and Merletti Gonzales International.  In these roles Chris was responsible for topline growth and customer retention.  Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX.

D’Audrey (Dee) Hunter

Director Human Resources

D’Audrey (Dee) Hunter is the Personnel Director for Apogee Semiconductor with over 40 years of experience in Human Resources.  Prior to Apogee, Mrs. Hunter worked at Texas Instruments supporting various organizations for over 33 years and Active Semiconductor as the VP of Human Resources for over 6 years.  In these roles, Dee’s responsibilities included working with leaders developing strategy, employee relations, performance management, benefits, and training.  Dee holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Southern University, Baton Rouge, and a master’s degree in human resources from Houston Christian University.  Dee has a passion for working with people at all levels and enjoys flower and vegetable gardening.