Nickolas Szmania
CTO
Nickolas Szmania leads technical development and engineering strategy at Applied Physics, supporting product advancement, systems integration, and long-term innovation across the company’s technology platforms.
The Applied Physics leadership team brings together experience in manufacturing, engineering, sales, operations, business development, and strategic leadership across pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and medical markets.
Led by James R. Ward, President and CEO, Applied Physics continues to expand its capabilities in cleanroom foggers, particle standards, and advanced metrology solutions for highly technical and regulated industries.
Our leadership team is focused on operational excellence, technical credibility, market expansion, disciplined execution, and delivering solutions that meet the high standards of regulated environments.
Learn more in our leadership announcement, visit the James R. Ward profile page, or explore more at JamesRWard.pro.
President & CEO
James R. Ward is the President and CEO of Applied Physics Inc., a global manufacturer specializing in cleanroom foggers, particle standards, and metrology equipment for pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and medical industries.
As an entrepreneur, author, and operator, Ward leads the company with a focus on manufacturing excellence, technical authority, strategic growth, automation, and long-term market positioning. Under his leadership, Applied Physics is expanding in-house capabilities, strengthening distribution relationships, and accelerating innovation across multiple product lines.
Ward’s approach to leadership is execution-driven. He is focused on building scalable systems, reducing operational friction, improving responsiveness, and positioning Applied Physics as a trusted authority in regulated and precision-driven markets.
Learn more on the James R. Ward leadership profile, visit JamesRWard.pro, connect on LinkedIn, or read the official leadership announcement.
The Applied Physics leadership team combines technical knowledge, commercial experience, operational coordination, and values-based leadership to support customers, partners, and long-term organizational growth.
CTO
Nickolas Szmania leads technical development and engineering strategy at Applied Physics, supporting product advancement, systems integration, and long-term innovation across the company’s technology platforms.
Global Director of Sales
Giordano Siton oversees sales strategy, team development, and commercial growth initiatives, helping Applied Physics expand customer relationships and strengthen its position in domestic and international markets.
Business Development Director
Adil Khan supports strategic growth, partnership development, and business expansion initiatives, helping align opportunities, operations, and leadership priorities across the organization.
Business Development Manager
Sundas Naz helps coordinate business development efforts, internal execution, and cross-functional communication, supporting growth initiatives and keeping operational priorities aligned.
Sales Manager
Adrienne Shippert supports sales coordination, customer communication, and commercial follow-through, helping maintain sales process continuity and client responsiveness.
Chief Spiritual Officer
Doc Farris serves as Chief Spiritual Officer, providing spiritual counsel, values-based leadership support, and guidance that helps strengthen the culture, integrity, and long-term vision of Applied Physics and its companies.
Applied Physics has formally appointed Doc Farris as Chief Spiritual Officer. In this role, he serves as a trusted advisor providing spiritual counsel, leadership perspective, and guidance rooted in integrity, wisdom, and purpose.
This role reflects Applied Physics’ commitment to leadership that is not only technically capable and commercially effective, but also anchored in character, accountability, and long-term stewardship.
Doc Farris has served as a mentor to the organization through the SacredCEO movement and now supports Applied Physics in a formal leadership capacity as part of the company’s broader vision for values-driven leadership.
At Applied Physics, leadership is directly tied to engineering execution, manufacturing improvement, commercial positioning, customer trust, and organizational culture.
The company’s leadership team is focused on strengthening Applied Physics across key areas including cleanroom airflow visualization, particle standards, metrology solutions, internal process improvement, long-term scalability, and values-based leadership.
Explore more about Applied Physics Inc., browse our blog, read the leadership announcement, or visit the James R. Ward page.
James R. Ward is the President and CEO of Applied Physics Inc., where he leads strategy, growth, operations, and long-term market positioning.
The Applied Physics leadership team includes James R. Ward, Nickolas Szmania, Giordano Siton, Adil Khan, Sundas Naz, Adrienne Shippert, and Doc Farris.
The leadership team focuses on engineering, manufacturing, commercial growth, customer support, business development, operational execution, and values-based leadership across regulated technical markets.
At Applied Physics, the Chief Spiritual Officer provides spiritual counsel and leadership guidance that helps support culture, integrity, purpose, and values-based decision-making across the organization.
You can learn more about James R. Ward on the James R. Ward page, JamesRWard.pro, his LinkedIn profile, and the official Applied Physics announcement.