GigOptix Inc., a leading supplier of electronic and electro-optic semiconductor products for fiber-optic communications systems, today announced the appointment of Frank W. Schneider to the GigOptix Board of Directors, replacing Dr. Joseph J. Vallner, who is retiring from the board. Mr. Schneider will serve as an independent director and member of the Audit and Compensation Committees.
Mr. Schneider brings with him over 40 years of electronics and semiconductor industry experience, serving on the boards and executive management teams of both privately held and publicly traded companies. He recently retired from MKS Instruments, Inc., where he was Vice President and General Manager, and continues to provide consulting services. He is currently on the Board of Directors for Micrel, Inc.
Previously, Mr. Schneider served as President and CEO at ION Systems, a privately held maker of electrostatic management systems. He also served at GHz Technology, a privately held manufacturer of RF power transistors that was merged into Advanced Power Technology, Inc., where he was COO of the RF Products Group. Mr. Schneider was also a member of the technical advisory board of Neomagic, and was on the board of GMT Microelectronics. He began his career at Corning Electronics, moving to Philips Semiconductor, then known as Signetics Corporation. He was also a group vice president at Sharp Electronics.
Mr. Schneider received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University, and an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. He also completed executive post graduate programs at Stanford University and the Wharton School of Business.
GigOptix Chairman, President, and CEO, Dr. Avi Katz, said of the appointment, “I am very pleased to welcome Frank Schneider to our Board of Directors. In addition to strengthening our Board with his extensive industry knowledge and executive management experience, Mr. Schneider brings a unique international perspective to GigOptix, having resided in Japan for five years. With Mr. Schneider’s appointment, we now have a board comprised of four independent directors whose diverse experience and exceptional strategic counsel will be key factors in the achievement of our goals and vision going forward.”
For more information on the company, please visit www.GigOptix.com.
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