FSA Names New Chairman of the Board

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2005) – The Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA), the voice of the global fabless business model, announces Dr. Sanjay Jha, executive vice president of QUALCOMM Incorporated and group president of QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies (QCT), has been named chairman of the Association’s board of directors. Dr. Jha succeeds Wim Roelandts, president, chief executive officer and chairman of Xilinx, Inc., who has held the FSA chairman role since 2000.

“Wim Roelandts has served on the FSA board for more than four years and has been an instrumental influence in our growth and global expansion efforts. During his tenure, the FSA membership has grown to just under 500 corporate members; we have expanded our reach into Asia and Europe; and we have seen our industry contribution increase through launching new reports and working committees that provide reliable data and standards to the industry,” said Jodi Shelton, co-founder and executive director of the FSA. “We have been fortunate to have had the time and leadership Wim dedicated on our behalf to help make the FSA what is it today.”

“This has been a rewarding experience, working closely with a great team to spread the message about the fabless model, urging closer relationships between fabless companies and suppliers and championing the FSA’s global expansion,” said Roelandts. “I will continue to be involved with and supportive of the Association.”

In his role as chairman of the FSA board, Dr. Jha will help set the Association’s strategic direction, working closely with the FSA’s executive management team to execute the Association’s vision. Additionally, he will act as a global representative of the FSA, speaking at Association and partner events.

"The fabless semiconductor industry has grown from humble beginnings to support over 10 $1B revenue fabless companies," said Dr. Sanjay K. Jha, president of QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies. "This is a particularly exciting time in the fabless industry, with growth for the fabless sector predicted at twice the growth of the semiconductor industry in general. It is therefore an honor to be asked to chair the FSA, and I look forward to working with the board and member companies to advance the global impact of the fabless industry."

Dr. Jha oversees QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies, the chipset and system software division of QUALCOMM. The FSA has named QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies as the best financially managed fabless semiconductor company for the past three years. Dr. Jha joined QUALCOMM in 1994 as a senior engineer and has since been involved in five generations of modem and cell site chipsets.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jha as our new chairman of the board and look forward to his continued contribution and leadership to support the FSA, the fabless business model and the semiconductor industry as a whole,” said Shelton.

Dr. Dwight Decker, chairman and chief executive officer of Conexant Systems, Inc., will continue as the vice chairman of the Association’s board of directors, supporting Dr. Jha and providing strategic counsel on Association initiatives.

About the Fabless Semiconductor Association:
The FSA is the voice of the global fabless business model. Incorporated in 1994, the Association positively impacts the growth and return on invested capital of this business model to enhance the environment for innovation. The FSA provides a platform for meaningful global collaboration between fabless companies and their partners; provides members with timely research and resources; and identifies, debates, and discusses business and technical issues. FSA members include fabless companies and their supply chain and service partners and represent more than 21 countries spanning North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. www.fsa.org