Pierre Bricaud Joins Synopsys to Lead European IP Efforts

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 17, 2002 - Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), the technology leader for complex integrated circuit (IC) design, today announced that it has hired intellectual property (IP) expert Pierre Bricaud as director of research and development for its Intellectual Property and Systems business unit. His responsibilities include driving the company's growing IP business in Europe and working closely with European customers to ensure that Synopsys' IP solutions solve their design challenges.

"Pierre Bricaud brings years of intellectual property and design reuse experience to our team of IP experts," said John Chilton, senior vice president and general manager, Intellectual Property and Systems business unit at Synopsys. "His expertise will contribute greatly to our worldwide leadership position in IP and design reuse."

Pierre Bricaud comes to Synopsys from Mentor Graphics where he started Mentor's IP Factory in Sophia Antipolis, France in 1997. Later he became responsible for system-on-chip (SoC) European strategic relationships. He holds an engineering degree from the Institut Superieur d'Electronique de Paris (ISEP) with a major in computer science.

Additionally, Pierre Bricaud and Michael Keating, vice president of engineering of Synopsys' IP and Systems business unit, have recently published the third edition of Reuse Methodology Manual for System-On-A-Chip Designs, available from Kluwer Academic Publishers, which continues to be the leading design reuse reference manual for the SoC design community.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), headquartered in Mountain View, California, creates leading electronic design automation (EDA) tools for the global electronics market. The company delivers advanced design technologies and solutions to developers of complex integrated circuits, electronic systems and systems on a chip. Synopsys also provides consulting and support services to simplify the overall IC design process and accelerate time to market for its customers. Visit Synopsys at http://www.synopsys.com.