Earnings

POET Technologies Replaces Its Decade-Long CFO With Silicon Labs Finance Director Giovanni Pacelli

POET also plans quarterly earnings calls, starting with fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results, and reports third-quarter results November 16.

Matteo Parrino Jonathan Ponciano

Matteo Parrino, Jonathan Ponciano

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POET Technologies Replaces Its Decade-Long CFO With Silicon Labs Finance Director Giovanni Pacelli

POET Technologies, which makes optical engines and light source products for AI systems and hyperscale data centers, appointed Giovanni Pacelli as chief financial officer effective Monday, succeeding Thomas Mika, the company said in a release. Pacelli, previously a senior director of finance at Silicon Labs, takes over as POET moves toward volume production and prepares to hold regular earnings calls.

A new CFO from a larger chipmaker

Mika had been CFO for the past ten years and will stay through December 2, 2026 to support the handoff. Pacelli carries the title of senior vice president and CFO, and will oversee financial operations and strategy, working with the executive team and board on capital allocation and long-term value creation.

At Silicon Labs, Pacelli spent more than eight years in financial analysis, strategic planning and investor relations. He led planning for the last two Analyst Day events, expanded the company's sell-side coverage and represented it at investor conferences. Earlier, at Freescale Semiconductor and NXP, he worked on finance workstreams for major transactions, including the Freescale–NXP merger.

He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas and holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Pacelli received 384,615 restricted share units, which vest one-third at a time on the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant under the 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

Credit for Mika, a push for investors

Chairman and CEO Suresh Venkatesan said Mika helped turn POET from a small company on a lean budget into a well-funded commercial enterprise that has raised more than $800 million in capital.

Of Pacelli, Venkatesan said the company needs his "semiconductor industry depth, public-company capital markets experience and operating discipline" as it moves into volume production. He added that Pacelli "has run the earnings process and led investor engagement at a larger public semiconductor company."

POET's Optical Interposer platform puts electronic and photonic devices onto a single chip. Pacelli said his focus will be on "disciplined financial execution and clear, consistent communication with our shareholders as we scale."

Earnings calls begin with the fourth quarter

POET reports third-quarter 2026 results on Monday, November 16. Starting with its fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 report, the company intends to host an earnings conference call every quarter, with Pacelli joining the executive team.

POET shares traded at $5.18 in Monday trading, down 0.38% from the prior close of $5.20, giving the company a market value of about $900 million.

The first test of the new finance chief comes with third-quarter results on November 16; the first earnings call follows with fourth-quarter numbers.

Sources

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