Shari Liss is a global workforce strategist operating at the intersection of industry demand, education systems, and public policy. As Vice President of Global Workforce Development and Initiatives at SEMI, she leads the workforce agenda for the worldwide microelectronics ecosystem, spanning the United States, Europe, China, Taiwan, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, and supporting more than 4,000 member companies. Her mandate is direct and consequential: ensure the semiconductor industry has the skilled, prepared, and future-ready workforce required to sustain innovation, scale advanced manufacturing, and remain globally competitive. Under her leadership, the SEMI Foundation has evolved into a comprehensive global platform, now operating more than 50 initiatives aligned tightly to industry demand signals.
Shari has led the design and execution of workforce strategies that translate ambition into infrastructure. Her work has secured major public and private investment, established industry-aligned apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship models, and built durable partnerships that connect employers with education systems, workforce agencies, nonprofits, and policymakers. She has developed practical workforce roadmaps and employer toolkits, advanced veteran engagement strategies, and played a visible role in shaping national dialogue, including testimony before Congress on the future of microelectronics talent. She approaches workforce development as core economic infrastructure. In her view, talent strategy is inseparable from industrial policy, supply chain resilience, and national competitiveness. That perspective informs her work to align training systems with real world hiring demand and to create clear, accessible pathways into high-impact careers. Prior to SEMI, Shari served as CEO of Ignited (formerly IISME), where she led one of the nation’s most recognized STEM teacher professional development organizations. Her leadership expanded partnerships between Silicon Valley companies and classrooms, ultimately reaching more than 3.2 million students and strengthening early exposure to technology careers at scale.
She began her career in the classroom as a teacher and curriculum developer, including work with NASA and alternative education programs serving at-risk youth. That foundation continues to shape her long-term view: industry strength is built early, through exposure, preparation, and clear pathways that connect learning to opportunity. Shari’s work is grounded in execution and oriented toward scale. She continues to partner with leaders across industry, education, and government to build the systems required for a modern, resilient semiconductor workforce.