The Board of , today announced the appointment of Dr. David N.K. Wang as an Executive Director of the Board and the President and CEO of SMSemiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC" or "the Group"; NYSE: SMI and SEHK: 0981.HK)IC effective immediately. Dr. Richard Chang has resigned to pursue other personal interests.
Dr. Wang is a well known executive with extensive experience in the global semiconductor industry. Dr. Wang was the CEO of Huahong (Group) Co., Ltd. and Chairman of Huahong NEC, a subsidiary of Huahong Group between September 2005 and June 2007. Prior to joining Huahong Group, Dr. Wang was the Executive Vice President of Applied Materials and President of Applied Materials Asia. Dr. Wang was responsible for Applied Materials' business strategy, planning and execution throughout Asia with a particular focus on building infrastructure worldwide. Prior to joining Applied Materials, Dr. Wang conducted research and made a number of key breakthroughs in semiconductor technology at Bell Laboratories. Dr. Wang is a well recognized and respected innovator with more than 100 patents under his name. Dr. Wang received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Jiang Shang Zhou, Chairman of the Board of Directors said, "We are pleased to have Dr. Wang as our new leader at SMIC. The wealth of experience and knowledge in the semiconductor industry he brings with him will help foster further growth of SMIC in China and the world. Also, I want to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Chang for his invaluable contribution to the founding and growth of SMIC over the years, helping SMIC to grow into a leading player in the semiconductor industry. Today, we have reached a new milestone and are ready to start a new chapter. I am confident that with Dr. Wang being on board, SMIC is embarking on a new initiative to better serve its customers, broaden its product portfolios, and advance the technology front."