Texas Instruments Chairman Rich Templeton Elected Chair of SIA

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The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced Texas Instruments Chairman of the Board Rich Templeton has been elected Chair of the SIA Board of Directors and Western Digital CEO David Goeckeler has been elected SIA Vice Chair. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome our new leadership team for the year ahead, Rich Templeton of Texas Instruments and David Goeckeler of Western Digital,” said John Neuffer, SIA President and CEO. “Rich is extremely knowledgeable about the challenges we face as an industry and how we can overcome them, and David is a seasoned industry veteran and a highly effective champion for SIA’s priorities. Together, they will make an outstanding team as leaders of the SIA Board of Directors in 2024.

Templeton became Chairman of Texas Instruments in April 2008 and was President and CEO from May 2004 through March 2023. From April 2000 through April 2004, Templeton was Chief Operating Officer of TI. He was Executive Vice President of the company and President of TI’s semiconductor business from June 1996 through April 2004. As CEO, Templeton maintained the company’s strategic investments in R&D and manufacturing, while expanding the size of the sales and applications engineering team to better serve TI customers. Under his leadership, TI emerged stronger, with better technological and product positions in both its core businesses. Templeton joined the company in 1980 after earning a B.S. in electrical engineering from Union College in New York.

“Semiconductor technology is making the world smarter, greener, more efficient, and better connected, and effective government policies are needed to help the industry continue to grow and innovate,” said Templeton. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues on the SIA Board to advocate for industry priorities in Washington and capitals around the world.”

Since joining Western Digital in March 2020, Goeckeler has focused on the company’s transformation as the leading data storage producer in the industry. Before becoming CEO, he was Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cisco’s Networking and Security Business, with responsibility for more than $34 billion of the company’s global technology franchise. He led a worldwide team of more than 25,000 engineers and oversaw Cisco’s networking and security strategy and market acceleration, including development operations for the company’s expansive technology portfolio and strategic acquisitions.