Hans Olson

June 17, 2026 Francois Martin

Hans Olson leads the development of Laser Thermal’s thin-film and semiconductor wafer metrology platform, taking instruments from initial concept through to working tools that operate reliably in the field.
He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia, where he conducted extensive research in the characterization of thermal properties of bulk and thin-film materials while building state-of-the-art optical measurement systems. He joined Laser Thermal directly following his PhD to lead the translation of the company’s core thermoreflectance method from academic prototype to commercial instrument.
At Laser Thermal, Hans owns the full development cycle across optical, mechanical, electrical, and software engineering. He leads product definition, system integration, and manufacturing, and works directly with customers through installation and training. His breadth across engineering disciplines allows Laser Thermal to bring measurement capabilities to market that are not only scientifically rigorous but practically deployable. He is passionate about developing tools that advance thermal conductivity measurements at both commercial and academic scales.
In his spare time, Hans enjoys climbing, fly fishing, and skiing.

Francois Martin

Francois Martin

Francois Martin is Marketing Manager at Laser Thermal. The company makes precision instruments for non-contact, non-destructive thermal conductivity measurement, serving the semiconductor, power electronics and thermal management industries. He oversees how Laser Thermal tells its story, from technical content and sales collateral to video production, webinars and trade show presence. The goal is to make the company's science clear and useful to the engineers and researchers who rely on accurate thermal data. Francois brings more than 25 years of marketing and executive leadership experience. He was VP of Marketing at Nelson Miller Group, an outsourced manufacturing provider for OEMs. Before that, he spent more than two decades at WorldStrides, rising from Marketing Director to Senior Vice President in the Office of the CEO. He is adjunct faculty in the MBA program at James Madison University's College of Business, where he teaches Project Management. Francois holds an MBA in Marketing from George Washington University and a Graduate Certificate in Project Management from the University of Virginia.