Scott Cohn develops in-depth features and special reports for CNBC and CNBC.com, including the influential annual series “America’s Top States for Business,” which he created in 2007.

He also covers breaking news for CNBC and NBC News, and he is a contributor to the popular public radio program Marketplace. A sought-after public speaker and the owner of a Northern California-based production company, Cohn serves as a consultant to national media organizations, and is a producer and special correspondent for the true financial crime series “American Greed.”

Cohn assumed his current role after more than 25 years as a CNBC reporter. He helped launch CNBC in 1989, eventually rising to Senior Correspondent. He established the CNBC Chicago bureau as well as the network’s investigative unit. Along the way, he reported on many of the most important business and financial stories in CNBC’s first quarter century. They include the Enron and WorldCom scandals, the technology bubble, the 2008 financial crisis, and the human and economic devastation of Hurricane Katrina. He has traveled to all 50 states, reported from more than a dozen countries, and interviewed the famous and infamous, from Warren Buffett to Bernie Madoff.

Cohn is a three-time national Emmy nominee—all for investigative reporting—as well as a two-time CableACE nominee.

He has reported some of CNBC’s most acclaimed documentaries, including “Billions Behind Bars: Inside America’s Prison Industry,” which received a 2012 Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). His groundbreaking documentary, “Remington Under Fire: A CNBC Investigation,” received a 2011 Gerald Loeb Award—the highest honor in business journalism—as well as top honors from IRE, the national organization of Investigative Reporters and Editors. The program helped lead America’s oldest gun manufacturer to agree to replace millions of allegedly defective triggers on its most popular rifle.

Before joining CNBC, Cohn was an anchor and reporter for ABC affiliate WZZM in Grand Rapids, Mich. He has also worked as an anchor and reporter for NBC affiliate WEAU in Eau Claire, Wis., and for Wisconsin Public Radio and Television. A native of Chicago, Cohn holds a degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin, where he currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the School of Journalism. He was also a founding board member of the Center for Journalism Ethics. In 2005, the University honored him with its annual award for Distinguished Service to Journalism.

John T.C. Lee, Ph.D. has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of MKS Instruments, Inc. since January 2020.

Prior to that, Dr. Lee was their President and Chief Operating Officer from May 2018 to December 2019, and their Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from November 2016 to May 2018. Upon joining MKS in 2007 through October 2016, he served in leadership roles managing various business units, culminating to Senior Vice President of Business Units. 

Prior to joining MKS, Dr. Lee served as the Managing Director of Factory Technology and Projects within the Solar Business Group at Applied Materials, Inc., from February 2007 until October 2007. From 2002 until 2007, he served as General Manager of the Cleans Product Group and the Maydan Technology Center for Applied Materials. Prior to Applied Materials, Dr. Lee served from 1997 until 2002 as Research Director of the Silicon Fabrication Research Department at Lucent Technologies, Inc., a voice, data, and video communications provider. From 1991 until 1997, he was a Member of the Technical Staff in the Plasma Processing Research Group within Bell Labs. 

He currently serves on the MKS Board of Directors (since 2020) and as Vice Chair and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts High Technology Council (since 2021). Dr. Lee was appointed a Director of Cognex, a leader in machine vision systems, software, and sensors on May 4, 2022, and serves on the Audit and Compensation Committees. Dr. Lee holds a BS from Princeton University and both an MSCEP and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all in Chemical Engineering.

Christopher R. Anderson is president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, Inc. Before becoming president in January 2001, he served as vice president and general counsel for the Council.

He joined the Council in 1984 and is responsible to the Board of Directors for the successful development and implementation of public policy programs and initiatives in Massachusetts and in Washington, D.C. that help make Massachusetts the world’s most attractive place to create, operate, and expand technology businesses.

Mr. Anderson is directly involved in resolving conflicts and advocating positions on a broad range of state and federal public policy, legislative and regulatory issues. Those issues include tax and fiscal policy, energy, education, workforce training, environment, and health care.

In January 2006, Mr. Anderson was appointed to serve as a member of the state Board of Education (BOE), the nine-member panel that oversees state K-12 education policy. From November 2006 through August 2007, he served as Chairman of the BOE, an appointment designated by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

In December 2003, he became president of the Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative, a public-private partnership that led the Commonwealth’s successful efforts to preserve Hanscom Air Force Base
and Natick Soldier Systems Center through the U.S. Defense Department’s 2005 Base Closing process.

In January 2009, Mr. Anderson was named to the Hanscom Air Force Base Honorary Commander program, which is designed to create deeper ties between the Air Force and the New England region and to increase public understanding of the Hanscom AFB and Air Force missions. The honorary
commander program pairs community leaders with center and wing leaders to forge relationships and uses creative, unique activities to immerse honorary commanders into the wings; Mr. Anderson will serve as the honorary commander for Hanscom’s 653rd Electronic Systems Wing until 2011.

Mr. Anderson graduated from Lexington High School in Lexington, MA. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame, and a law degree from Suffolk University School of Law.