MnD appoints Ian Walsh as CEO

Paris, France – 8 March 2006 -- Ian Walsh, who has over 20 years’ experience in the semiconductor and embedded software industries, has been appointed as CEO of French fabless semiconductor company, MnD.
 
Using its own proprietary and highly innovative development system, Paris-based MnD specialises in ultra quick development and sales of high performance video codecs (from MPEG2 to H.264) and multiprocessor SoC devices for broadband communications and multimedia applications. MnD’s achievements include high end ASIC & FPGA designs for tier one customers around the world.
 
Ian’s appointment is to lead the company through its operational and business development growth plans and to IPO within three to five years.
 
“I am looking forward to taking MnD forward and leveraging its highly experienced design team and groundbreaking products to become a world class semiconductor company,” said Ian.  “The team has already proven itself with market leaders and was awarded the Best Innovative Project by the French Ministry of Industry and Research for its design process, which significantly slashes design times, and its innovative video codec technology.”
 
Ian Walsh joined Fairchild Semiconductors in 1985 and has subsequently held senior and executive sales, marketing and business development management positions with Rockwell International’s Semiconductor Products Division, Alcatel Microelectronics, MIPS Technologies and telecoms OEM, Westell Ltd.  Ian also started his own embedded software licensing and services company, DIVA Communications Technology Ltd. that he ran for 8 years until its acquisition by Alcatel Microelectronics in 1999.  Prior to joining Fairchild, Ian spent eight years at Marconi Space & Defence Systems Ltd in communications, microelectronics, aerospace and defence electronics design and project management.  Ian holds a MSc. degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Portsmouth Polytechnic.
 
Further information can be obtained from Ian Walsh, MnD, 12 Avenue des Prés, 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France.  Tel: +33 1 30 57 61 90  Fax: +33 1 30 57 14 75    www.mnd.fr