SEMI Announces Election of Tien Wu, ASE CEO, as International Board Chair

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SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today announced that its International Board of Directors has elected Dr. Tien Wu, CEO of Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (ASE), as its new chair, and Benjamin Loh, Chair of Comet AG, as its new vice chair, effective immediately, in accordance with the association's by-laws.

Wu and Loh will lead the SEMI International Board of Directors Executive Committee in evolving the association’s operations, programs and services worldwide to support industry growth and its member companies. Wu previously served as vice chair of the board, while Loh served as a board member.

“We congratulate Tien and Benjamin on their election and look forward to working with them both in their new roles on the SEMI International Board Executive Committee,” said SEMI president and CEO Ajit Manocha. “Both have demonstrated their passion for tackling challenges facing the global semiconductor industry and accelerating its growth in their prior roles on the board. In their new leadership roles, we will collaborate to increase member value across all of our regions and raise SEMI’s standing as a trusted partner to key governments on policies to advance the industry’s crucial role in technology innovation.”

Wu concurrently serves as Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Directors at ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. Prior to joining ASE, he held a range of leadership roles at IBM, spanning R&D, manufacturing, and sales across the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. He was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his contributions to sustainable electronics manufacturing and advancements in the high-volume production of semiconductor packaging. Wu holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University, and he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Loh most recently served as chairman of the management board, president, and CEO for ASM International, as well as a non-executive director of ASMPT. Earlier in his career, Loh held non-executive director positions at Schneeberger, Schweiter Technologies AG, and Liteq BV. He also served in executive leadership positions at Oerlikon Corporations, Veeco Instruments, FEI and VAT Vacuum Valves. Loh holds a degree in electronic engineering from the Tohoku University in Japan.

Wu replaces Mary Puma, executive advisor at Axcelis Technologies, Inc. and its former CEO and executive chairperson, as chair of the SEMI International Board Executive Committee. 

“We thank Mary for her unwavering commitment through her 22 years of dedicated service on the SEMI International Board,” Manocha said. “Mary helped guide the expansion of key SEMI programs to advance the global semiconductor industry such as Advocacy, Sustainability, and especially Workforce Development, in her additional role as SEMI Foundation Board Chair advising on this vital program. I deeply appreciate her partnership and passionate commitment to developing talent, rooted in our shared belief that the future of our industry depends not just on innovation, but on the people behind it.”

Wu has also taken on the role of chair of the SEMI Foundation Board. As the non-profit arm of SEMI, the SEMI Foundation drives the SEMI Workforce Development program.

The 18 voting directors and 11 emeritus directors on the SEMI International Board reflect the global scope of the association’s activities. SEMI directors are elected by the general membership as voting members of the Board and can serve a total of five three-year terms.