Applied Materials Elects Acer Chairman Stan Shih to Board of Directors
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2000--Applied Materials, Inc. announced today that Stan Shih, chairman and chief executive officer of the Acer Group, has been elected to serve as a new member of Applied Materials' Board of Directors. Mr. Shih's election is effective immediately.
A co-founder of the Acer Group in 1976, Shih was instrumental in Acer's introduction of microprocessor technology in Taiwan and helped to make Acer one of the world's largest PC manufacturers. The Acer Group is based in Hsichih, Taiwan.
"We welcome the tremendous industry and global management experience that Stan Shih brings to our board," said James C. Morgan, chairman and chief executive officer of Applied Materials. "Mr. Shih's remarkable expertise in commercializing, manufacturing and marketing new technology to customers throughout the world will be a great asset to Applied Materials' global management team."
Starting his career at Unitron Industrial Corporation in 1971, Shih designed, developed and commercialized Taiwan's first desktop calculator. In 1972, he helped establish Qualitron Industrial Corporation, where he led the team that designed the world's first pen watch. In June of 1976, together with four partners, Shih co-founded Multitech International Corporation, which later became Acer.
Shih serves on the boards and committees of several organizations and institutions. He is currently an advisor to the Republic of China (ROC) Presidential office, a National Advisor of Malaysia's "Multimedia-Super Corridor," one of the five members on the ROC Space Program Steering Committee and a governor of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).
Applied Materials, Inc. is a Fortune 500 global growth company and the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication systems and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "AMAT." Applied Materials' website is http://www.appliedmaterials.com.
CONTACT: Applied Materials, Inc. Jeff Lettes, 408/563-5161 (editorial/media) Carolyn Schwartz, 408/748-5227 (financial community)