Semiconductors

About Nick

Nick leads our Semiconductors Practice in the Americas. He is also a leader in our Operations and High Tech Practices. Based in Silicon Valley, he advises semiconductor, high-tech, media, and private-equity clients on a range of topics, including operational improvement, cost optimization, and strategy.

Some of Nick’s recent projects have involved the following: 

• advising a large wireless chip-set player on its market-entry and product-alignment strategy 
• working with a leading high-tech company on next-generation content, network, and chip-set alignment
• conducting due diligence on revenue “bankability” and operational-improvement potential for software, Internet-enabled-services, and semiconductor companies
• supporting semiconductor and high-tech companies in forming joint ventures and pursuing alliances
• advising tier-one semiconductor and electronic-component companies on value pricing and transactional-pricing improvements
• helping electronic-component companies roll out lean techniques across multiple sites in Japan and the United States

Prior to joining McKinsey, Nick worked as a technical manager at Taconic, a manufacturer of composite materials, and as a manufacturing engineer at Delaware-based manufacturer Arlon. He holds master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois and in strategic management and finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he was a Ford fellow and a Palmer scholar.

Published work

“Finding the next $100 billion in semiconductor revenues,” McKinsey on Semiconductors, Autumn 2012 (PDF–455 KB)

“What will enable alpha growth?” McKinsey on Semiconductors, Autumn 2012 (PDF–378 KB)

“The challenge of China,” McKinsey on Semiconductors, Autumn 2011

“A better way to measure shop floor costs,” McKinsey Quarterly, August 2010 

Past experience

Education