Following his year as vice chairman, Richard (Rick) P. Wallace will officially take the reins today of SEMI’s International Board of Directors. The rest of the elected officials, announced yesterday by SEMI, will also take office today at the annual SEMI membership meeting during SEMICON West.
Wallace, president and CEO of KLA-Tencor Corp., succeeds J.C. Kim, representative director and chairman of Edwards Korea Ltd., who served as SEMI chairman for the past year. Taking over from Wallace as vice chairman is Douglas Neugold, CEO and president of ATMI, who was appointed by SEMI’s executive committee.
Also newly elected to the association board were Tetsuo (Tom) Tsuneishi, vice chairman of the board for Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), and Yong Han Lee, chairman of the Wonik Group.
“On behalf of SEMI and its members, I am pleased to welcome Tsuneishi-san and Yong Han Lee to the SEMI International Board of Directors,” said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. “We are also fortunate to confirm Rick Wallace and Doug Neugold as the new chair and vice chair. Their industry leadership and strategic insight will benefit SEMI, our worldwide membership and the industries we serve.”
In a release issued by SEMI yesterday, Wallace referred to the almost 40 years that the association has served to advance the semiconductor industry’s collective agenda. “Today, our industry has reached a critical juncture, and it will be increasingly important for SEMI to evolve,” he said. “SEMI must continue to meet the historical needs of the industry but must also look forward to address the emerging challenges and opportunities. It’s a very exciting time to be part of this critical organization.”
In accordance with the association’s bylaws, the following board members were re-elected: Wallace; Toshio Maruyama, chairman, Advantest Corp.; Osamu Nakamura, vice president and executive officer, Hitachi High-Technologies Corp.; Steve Newberry, president and CEO, Lam Research Corp.; and Eicke Weber, director, Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems.
Elected to a first term as ex-officio members were Kim; Robert Akins, chairman and CEO, Cymer Inc.; and Kosei Nomiya, chairman, Ultratech KK. Franz Richter, president and CEO, Thin Materials AG, was elected to a third term as an ex-officio member of the board.
SEMI’s 18 voting directors, four non-voting ex-officio members and nine emeritus directors represent companies from Europe, China, Japan, Korea, North America and Taiwan, reflecting the global scope of the association’s activities. The SEMI charter stipulates that individuals may be elected by the general membership as voting members of the board for a total of four two-year terms and non-voting ex-officio members for a total of three one-year terms.
— Aaron Hand, SEMICON West Daily News