Wine Down Friday with Polar Semiconductor’s Surya Iyer
In this episode of Wine Down Friday, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Surya Iyer, President and COO of Polar Semiconductor. Surya shared his remarkable journey from Applied Materials and Cypress Semiconductor to leading Polar through its defining transformation—becoming the only U.S.-owned pure-play foundry dedicated to power semiconductors, high-voltage devices, and sensors. We discussed Polar’s values, the balance between innovation and execution in fabs, and how AI, data, and new materials are shaping the industry’s future. Beyond semiconductors, Surya recharges through golf and good comedy. He closed with a powerful reminder: “Do not look at the negative of people. Look at the positive of people always, and that will make you successful in your life.”