AST Names Industry Veteran Jacob Stephen as Chief Operating Officer

Stephen to lead company-wide execution, strengthening AST’s Executive Leadership Team

Tacoma, WA — August 6, 2025 — AST is pleased to announce that Jacob Stephen will be joining the AST Team as Chief Operations Officer at the Tacoma-headquartered drug product equipment manufacturing company. Stephen joins AST from IPS, where he most recently served as Head of Operations for the Americas. With more than two decades of experience leading large-scale initiatives, Stephen brings a deep expertise in strategic process development, efficient project execution, and cross-functional team leadership. His proven ability to drive operational excellence and deliver complex programs will further strengthen AST’s position as a leader in the drug product equipment manufacturing industry.

“The hiring of Jacob is the culmination of a multi-year effort to find the right individual that not only brings exceptional leadership skills and experience to AST, but equally important someone that fits the AST culture. The fact that Jacob is known and recognized in our industry as a trusted leader with uncompromising integrity is a tremendous plus,” said Joe Hoff, CEO of AST. “As we continue to strategically grow AST here in the United States as well as abroad, Jacob’s experience will be instrumental in scaling our operations while maintaining the exceptional quality and customer trust we work so hard to maintain. I couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to AST.”

“I am excited to be joining AST, where the core values of mutual respect, trust, and integrity perfectly align with my own. It’s an honor to contribute to AST’s vision of becoming the most trusted partner in drug product manufacturing. I look forward to growing with such a dedicated team, working together to deliver reliable, high-quality solutions that truly make a difference for our customers.”

Stephen’s hiring represents the latest step in AST’s ongoing growth of its executive leadership team, affirming the company’s unwavering commitment to operational excellence while staying true to its core mission, values, and purpose—principles that continue to guide its evolution, while we continue to drive strategic growth.