The Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) announced the winner of the 2016 Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award: President and CEO of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. and Founder and Chairman of Walden International, Mr. Lip-Bu Tan. He will be presented with this achievement award during the GSA Awards Dinner Celebration on Thursday, December 8, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif.
“Lip-Bu Tan epitomizes what the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award encompasses,” said Jodi Shelton, president of GSA. “We are honored to present this year’s award to someone who is a true global technology visionary that first helped pioneer the concept of venture capitalism worldwide and then lead Cadence Design Systems to the success, growth and strong customer focus that it enjoys today. Tan’s contribution to GSA and the entire semiconductor industry has and will continue to make a lasting impact.”
Established in 1999, the first GSA “Exemplary Leadership Award” was given to Dr. Morris Chang, chairman and chief executive officer of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC). Today, the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award recognizes individuals for their exceptional contributions, exemplifying how their vision and global leadership have transformed and elevated the entire semiconductor industry.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award named after my close friend and role model Morris Chang, and which has been bestowed earlier on many amazing pioneers in our industry,” said Lip-Bu Tan. “I have learned so much from my peers in the global semiconductor industry and it has been my privilege to contribute in some way to their success through investments by Walden and collaboration by Cadence, leading to the delivery of some truly inspiring end products.”
Tan has served as President and CEO of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. since January 2009 and has been a member of the Cadence Board of Directors since February 2004. In 2015 and 2016, Cadence was named to FORTUNE’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For”. Tan founded Walden International in 1987 and currently serves as Chairman. Tan has been active in the venture capital industry for more than two decades. He specializes in cross border & early-stage technology investment. Prior to Walden International, he was Vice President at Chappell & Co. and held management positions at EDS Nuclear and ECHO Energy.
Tan is Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance) and serves on the board of Global Semiconductor Association (GSA), as well as the boards of Ambarella Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. He also serves on the Board of Trustees and the School of Engineering Dean’s Council at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
Tan holds an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.B.A. from the University of San Francisco, and a B.S. in Physics from Nanyang University in Singapore.
Each year the GSA recognizes companies that have demonstrated excellence through their vision, strategy, execution and future opportunity. The celebration honors the achievements of semiconductor companies in several categories ranging from outstanding leadership to financial accomplishments, as well as overall respect within the industry. The Awards Dinner Celebration will start at 5:00 p.m. with a networking reception, followed by dinner at 6:15 p.m. To make reservations to attend the Awards Dinner, visit the event website.