Pradeep Dharane

Senior Director Engineering & Centre Head @ Ampere

About

Summary An innovative global leader with 28+ years of technical and business leadership experience across the US, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India. Proven track record in diverse roles across engineering, research, innovation, and organisational management. Adept at building high-performing teams and mentoring leaders capable of delivering on the global stage. Worked on server and network product development, focusing on RTL design, design verification, SoC integration, physical design, pre/post-Si validation, and functional characterisation across multiple product generations. Managed relationships with design houses, IP vendors, package design teams, foundries, and test houses, contributing to multiple successful tape-outs from 250 nm to advanced 3 nm technology nodes. Successfully led and managed global teams of over 300 professionals in chip design, driving the transformation of product development from traditional waterfall to agile methodologies. Oversaw the complete development lifecycle—from architecture through to working silicon—delivered from India-based design centers. Bachelor and Master in Electronics Engineering; Executive MBA in Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship; Certificate program in Leadership with AI (Artificial Intelligence) from leading schools in India. Advisory Roles: - Independent Director at Fidel Softech: https://www.fidelsoftech.com/ - Co-founder and Director at Volta Diagnostics: https://www.voltadiagno.com/ - Executive Council (EC) Member of Indian Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA), 2011-2013. - Executive Council (EC) Member of the Software Export Association of Pune (SEAP) 2014 to 2016. - Co-General Chair of the VLSI Design and Embedded Systems International Conference in 2013. Core Competencies: - Building, mentoring, and retaining top engineering talent while fostering global team collaboration. - Strategic planning, project management, risk mitigation, and stakeholder alignment. - Cross-functional collaboration across executive, hardware frontend, backend, software, firmware, and validation. - Customer-centric delivery, aligning product roadmaps with business goals and market demands.

Country

India

City

Maharashtra

Industry

Semiconductors

Skill

Time Management, Teamwork, Technical Skills ( Chip Design), Business Operations, Strategy & Planning , Leadership Management, Engineering, Strategy, Leadership, Management, Team Leadership, Team Building, Site Management, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Six Sigma, Software Industry, Marketing, System on a Chip (SoC), Project Management, new product development, Business Development

Experience

Senior Director Engineering & Centre Head

Ampere

2021-6 - Present · 5 yrs 4 mos

India

- Spearheaded the setup of Ampere’s Pune site, focusing on next-generation cloud-native ARM-based server processors. - Built a high-tech engineering team and state-of-the-art validation lab for cutting-edge server products.

Vice President & Managing Director

SimpleMachines, Inc.

2019-3 - 2021-4 · 2 yrs 2 mos

India

- Led the development of the AI Accelerator SoC "Mozart," a CGRA-based solution for datacenter AI/ML workloads. The system consists of a 400+ mm² die in 16 6nm technology mounted on a silicon interposer with 2 HBM2 memories. - Delivered first-pass silicon with exceptional performance across multiple AI applications.

Managing Director & Country Head

MACOM

2016-11 - 2018-7 · 1 yr 9 mos

Pune Area, India

- Directed the acquisition and integration of Applied Micro (AMCC) into Macom. - Orchestrated the divestment of the processor business unit, enabling the creation of Ampere Computing. - Managed R&D teams across India and the US, focusing on differentiated networking products.

AVP Engineering & Managing Director

AppliedMicro

2008-10 - 2018-7 · 9 yrs 10 mos

Pune Area, India

- Established and expanded design centers in Pune and Bangalore, scaling operations to 300+ engineers. - Delivered the industry’s first ARM-based server SoC solution, the "X-Gene Family," redefining the market landscape. - Fostered strategic partnerships with government, academia, and industry bodies to support growth and innovation.

Director Engineering & Site Head

Marvell Technology

2006-1 - 2008-10 · 2 yrs 10 mos

Pune Area, India

- Through the acquisition of the printer division of Avago Technology, it became part of Marvell and got the responsibility of building the design team in Pune. - Built a 150+ engineer team for wireless connectivity and storage product software development. - Established the largest wireless product testing lab outside the US, delivering numerous successful BT and Wi-Fi solutions.

Product Engineering Manager

Avago Technologies

2005-9 - 2005-12 · 4 mos

Gurgaon, India

- Become a part of Avago Technologies after the acquisition of Agilent Technologies Semiconductor Products Group, This was a very short stay in the company; it was sold to Marvell Semiconductor. - Learned many operation processes and set up a new office in India.

Sr. Design Engineer to Sr. Manager Engineering ( Many different Roles)

Agilent Technologies

1996-6 - 2005-9 · 9 yrs 4 mos

United States

- Worked on groundbreaking product innovations, including image sensors, optical sensors, and optical mouse components from RTL design to program management. - Contributed to the design and development of optical mouse sensors, which sold over 400 million units worldwide. - Developed multiple ASICs for LaserJet and inkjet multifunction printers.

Co-founder and Director engineering

Visual Soft, India.

1991-8 - 1996-5 · 4 yrs 10 mos

Mumbai Area, India

- Led software training and development initiatives, driving automation projects. - Developed innovative office automation systems, enhancing operational efficiency.