GT Advanced Technologies has appointed Linda Reinhard as vice president, new business development and product management for the company's sapphire, DSS and HiCz products.

Reinhard will report to Dan Squiller, GT's chief operating officer.

She will be responsible for leading GT's growth into new market segments and driving the product roadmap to capitalise on these new opportunities including sapphire for cover and touch screen applications.

"Linda brings deep experience and a proven track record in both product management and new business development," says Dan Squiller, GT's chief operating officer. "Linda's initial focus will be on growing our sapphire material and ASF equipment business, particularly new opportunities in the cover and touch screen markets. She has extensive experience in Asia as well as in the mobile device segment which we believe could be a significant area of opportunity for our sapphire business. Linda will also drive our product management and new business development for HiCz and our traditional PV business."

GT's Advanced Sapphire Growth Furnaces (ASF) is a production proven furnace that produces high quality sapphire material for the LED industry.

Reinhard received her BSEE from University of Illinois and an MBA from The Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She has over 20 years of experience with leading technology companies including Motorola, Cisco, Nokia, and H-P holding senior level positions in new business development, marketing, sales, and product management. She has lived in Asia and has extensive experience in China and Asia Pacific introducing new products to major OEMs.

Reinhard will be located in GT's headquarters in Merrimack, New Hampshire.

"Our goal for the show is to continue educating the market about the unique properties of GT's ASF-grown sapphire material for cover and touch screen applications," says Linda Reinhard, GT's vice president of business development and product management.

"ASF-grown sapphire's durability and resistance to scratching makes it ideally suited for a wide range of cover and touch screen applications from ruggedised phones, camera covers, point of sale devices and smartphone and touch screen devices. Other reinforced glass and cover screen technologies try to emulate what ASF-grown sapphire does naturally."