James Shih joins Velo3D as vice president of supply chain
February 2, 2022
Velo3D, Inc, headquartered in Campbell, California, USA, has announced that James Shih has joined the company as vice president of supply chain management. The new role will focus on building strong supply chains for the company’s Sapphire Additive Manufacturing machines, including mechanical parts, electronics, and materials to help ensure the company can meet growing demand for its end-to-end metal AM solutions.
“Companies are continuing to rethink how they set up their supply chain ecosystems to ensure they have contingency plans to secure necessary materials through multiple trusted suppliers,” stated Benny Buller, CEO and founder, Velo3D. “We’re fortunate to have James join us with twenty years of experience in the electronics, technology, and energy sectors, as well as a history of working with suppliers around the world. By bringing him on to lead our supply chain efforts, we can poise ourselves for growth by building healthy, sustainable supply chains.”
In his new role, Shih will focus on directing, planning, and advocating all aspects of Velo3D’s supply chain, including strategies, objectives, policies, and other initiatives. He will be responsible for ensuring healthy inventories across the company’s multiple manufacturing locations and distribution centres. Shih will also work with customers to understand their needs, resolve problems, and support the company’s broader customer satisfaction effort.
Shih’s experience includes strategic sourcing, price/cost analysis, quantifying value-added manufacturing, and contract review. He has worked with successful companies to help avoid disruptions within their supply chain ecosystems and capture market share. Shih has also worked in large-scale manufacturing environments to maximise throughput and lower costs.
Prior to joining Velo3D, Shih was a director of supply chain management at Bloom Energy, a company focused on making affordable green energy. He also worked at Logitech’s and Foxconn’s production facilities in supply-chain, programme management and business development-related roles. Shih has a bachelor’s degree in business from The University of Queensland, Australia.
“Companies that are doubling or tripling their growth in a single calendar year encounter a unique set of supply chain challenges that require progressive, strategic solutions,” added Shih. “We estimate the current addressable market for Additive Manufacturing is more than $2 billion and that will expand as machine and production costs decrease due to economies of scale. For Velo3D to make a significant impact in the market, and to meet its growth targets, we will need strong supply chain partners and I look forward to addressing these challenges.”
