Granite River Labs Overview

As CEO, Johnson’s main goal is to help customer navigate a world where connectivity solutions continue to get faster, proliferate, and get harder to implement. Johnson was previously VP & GM of the USB and Networking Business Units at SMSC, a fabless semiconductor company focused on connectivity solutions. Through his experiences developing, adopting and selling connectivity technologies, Johnson takes a very customer centric view on GRL’s service model and offerings. He holds a BS and MS in EECS from MIT, and MBA from Harvard Business School.

Quintin runs operations at GRL and focuses on creating superior customer experiences through extraordinary levels of customer service. Since 2015, Quintin has served on the Board of Directors of the HDMI Forum, whose purpose is to to guide the future direction of HDMI technology, develop new versions of the HDMI Specification, and foster broader global adoption and interoperability. Prior to co-founding GRL, Quintin held leadership positions with Deloitte Consulting on three continents and has extensive experience in operations, finance, and general management. He earned a BS with highest honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

Vamshi brings to GRL a strong track record of success with over 20 years’ experience in the semiconductor industry. Prior to GRL, Vamshi was the head of Symmetricom’s Global Embedded Solutions Division responsible for global marketing, product management, technical management and business creation; and held leadership positions with Applied Micro, MosChip Semiconductor, and Standard Microsystems (SMSC). Vamshi holds a B.E. in Instrumentation Engineering and an MBA.

Holger brings over 25 years of experience in TIC. Prior to GRL, Holger has held various roles with TÜV Rheinland (TÜVR), a global leader in the Testing, Inspection, Certification (TIC) industry. He oversaw tremendous growth and margin expansion through various organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions. Holger has developed and implemented global processes for project management utilizing excellent quality management. Solid multi-disciplinary background with years of experience from data privacy to sales and HR. He has a proven track record of turning around businesses, achieving double digit growth, straddling short term results and long-term strategy execution.

Responsible for delivering state-of-the-art test solution products and driving the development of new product offerings. In addition to managing the Solution Business Unit’s P&L, he is also in charge of implementing business strategy and guiding investments, which include M&A activity. Mr. Sun holds an M.S. in Mechanical and Electronic Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and an M.B.A. Concentration in Finance & Entrepreneurship from The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

Alan manages all aspects needed for Greater China business growth in corporate regional business strategy. Solid technical background combined with 15 years of multi-disciplinary experience, from business vision to hands-on product development in electrical and electronic testing and instrumentation industry. Prior to GRL, Alan worked in Agilent and Rigol as Channel sales, Business development manager, Regional sales manager. He holds an MS in Electrophysics from National Chiao Tung University.

Cyan brings 16 years of experience on SI/PI Validation. Expertise in TBT, USB, PCIe, SATA, DisplayPort/DisplayHDR certification program and is USB-IF Certified Engineer. Cyan manages the daily operations of GRL Shanghai, including allocating budget resources, formulating policies, coordinating business operations, monitoring and motivating staff. She is also responsible for managing operational costs, ensuring good customer service, improving administration processes, engaging with vendors and identifying business opportunities.

Annie Tao is the General Manager for Granite River Labs’s in Dongguan. An industry veteran with a decade of experience in Mainland China’s IT market, she has been in charge of the GRL lab since it was launched in 2018, developing sales strategies and achieving revenue targets. She is responsible for enhancing and expanding the laboratory’s capabilities and testing capacity, which includes USB cable and connectors, DP1.2 and 1.4, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2, Power Delivery and Quick Charge.

Kristof is responsible for leading GRL's expansion across Europe and focuses on creating superior customer experiences for customers across the region. He has extensive experience in high-speed serial data and charging technologies. Prior to joining GRL, Kristof spent over 17 years at Eurofins Digital Testing where he expanded the company’s digital test services portfolio and customer base. Kristof earned a Bachelor of Electronics in Hardware Design and a Master of Electronics in Information Technology.

As General Manager for Germany, Lutz Menzfeld is responsible for leading GRLs’ expansion in Europe. He is a manufacturing veteran with decades of experience in shaping organizations as they adapt to new business structures, embrace new processes and implement new production technologies. In addition to an in-depth understanding in sourcing, logistic and supply chain management, Menzfeld is an expert in quality management systems and processes. He held leadership positions with TÜV Rheinland where he led the global continuous improvement team. He has also held senior management positions in Europe and Asia Pacific, with manufacturers of sophisticated, precision-engineered products.

Jee-Woong is the General Manager for Granite River Labs Korea, as well as Vice President for Regional Large Accounts. In addition to launching GRL’s first point of presence internationally important Korean market, he is responsible for growing the organization’s business across a broad range of sectors, including semiconductor, automotive and consumer electronics. Prior to GRL, Jee-Woong was Sales Vice President, APAC for TUV Rheinland Korea. During his 15-year tenure at TUV, he ran the organization’s business in Korea and was responsible for sales in 9 APAC locations. Jee-Wong has worked for some of the biggest names in the tech sector, such as Motorola Networks Inc., where he was the Key Account Manager/PM for Korea Telecom PowerTel and Network infrastructure equipment sales, and Maxon Telecom. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Kyung-Hee University.

Ken oversees the management of GRL Japan’s operations as General Manager. He has spent over 11 years at Arm Japan as the Regional Segment Marketing Director covering Automotives, Embedded, Smartphone, Gaming, and Digital Consumer product segments. Working deeply with major Japanese OEMs, particularly in digital consumers, game consoles, and LSI companies, Ken has comprehensive knowledge in Machine Learning, GPU, and CPU-based system architecture for digital consumer products.

Besides serving as the Vice President of Market Access Services for Granite River Labs globally, Kalyan Varma is also the General Manager for Services in India. Along with supporting IoT and digital-connected technologies strategy, he is also responsible for developing GRL India Services and Laboratories and the establishment of Market Services globally. During his 21 years with TUV Rheinland Group, Kalyan established various labs and services globally, managed the profit and loss of 20 countries, and strategized and directed the global wireless strategy as the Director, Global Wireless Program and Vice President, Global Business Field Electrical. An expert in various fields, including safety, electromagnetic compatibility, and wireless, he also serves on a number of national and international forums and working groups dedicated to developing and implementing conformity assessment services in the areas of international regulations, market access, cybersecurity, and various IoT alliances. He holds an Executive MBA in General Management in addition to a background in Electronics and Communication engineering.