Meet 14 energy gamers main TSMC, the world’s greatest chipmaker that is taken heart stage because the AI wars warmth up

Born in China, Morris Chang grew up throughout the Sino-Japanese War and World War II in Asia earlier than transferring to the US to attend Harvard at age 18. He later transferred to MIT and obtained his bachelor’s and grasp’s levels in mechanical engineering earlier than becoming a member of Sylvania to work in semiconductors. Chang later accomplished a Ph.D. at Stanford and rose by means of the ranks at Texas Instruments for 25 years, the place he managed the corporate’s microchips enterprise. After he left Texas Instruments, he grew to become the COO of General Instrument.

Ultimately, Taiwan’s authorities requested that he develop the island’s semiconductor business, which led him to depart his company govt positions to go the ITRI, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute, and later begin TSMC. His deal with beginning a pure-play foundry mannequin led to the speedy progress of Taiwan’s semiconductor business.

“I at all times considered my job as one in all transferring R&D outcomes to financial good points for the corporate,” Chang beforehand mentioned in an interview with Semi.

C.C. Wei has been TSMC’s CEO since 2018 and have become the brand new chairman of its board in June 2024. Nikkei Asia reported that Wei had “quietly steered” the administration aspect of the corporate, whereas former chairman Mark Liu had extra public conferences with the likes of President Joe Biden. Wei has held varied roles in TSMC that unfold throughout analysis, manufacturing, operations, and enterprise improvement, a proven fact that founder Morris Chang as soon as famous will make him “well-prepared” as a pacesetter.

Lora Ho serves because the senior vice chairman of human sources and ESG committee chairperson at TSMC and has taken on varied roles prior to now. She beforehand served as a company controller earlier than taking up the position of chief monetary officer and spokesperson, a job many identified was vital provided that Ho had by no means studied overseas like lots of her engineering counterparts.

Ho is at present the highest-ranking feminine govt at TSMC. She oversees human sources and has additionally spoken in regards to the office cultural variations between Taiwan and TSMC’s abroad enlargement.

“The means we handle in Taiwan can’t be completely transferred [to other countries]. In the US, we’ve to regulate to native tradition,” she instructed CNN.

Y.J. Mii is an govt vice chairman heading analysis and improvement and was appointed co-COO in February. He started on the firm as a fab supervisor in 1994 earlier than switching to the R&D unit and ultimately changing into vice chairman of that division.

According to the corporate’s web site, Mii helped spearhead the event of applied sciences which have made TSMC aggressive, together with 16 nm, 7 nm, 5 nm, and three nm. Mii can also be a self-professed physics fanatic.

Y.P. Chyn is an govt vice chairman and co-COO at TSMC, particularly specializing in the operations and administration of the corporate’s home and abroad fabs.

Chyn joined TSMC when it was based in 1987 and directed the primary foundry manufacturing facility on the Taiwan authorities’s Industrial Technology Research Institute in Hsinchu. Local media shops say that he and different co-COOs are presumably being tapped as the following “third-gen” CEO.

Cliff Hou is a senior vice chairman at TSMC who heads Europe and Asia gross sales and company analysis. He’s a deputy below COO Y.P. Chyn and a deputy co-COO appointed after former chairman Mark Liu introduced his retirement. He beforehand served as a vice chairman of the event of TSMC’s course of era instruments.

As the chairman of the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association, Hou has spoken in regards to the “golden age” of AI and the way TSMC must leverage inexperienced power and meet Taiwan’s dedication to web zero by 2050 as this business explodes.

“The provide of net-zero power at present lags the demand of our whole semiconductor business. We hope that the federal government can pace up the tempo of creating new power sources,” Hou mentioned of the Taiwanese authorities.

Kevin Zhang is the senior vice chairman of enterprise improvement and world gross sales and co-COO at TSMC below COO Y.J. Mii. He additionally co-leads buyer engagement and is accountable for outlining companywide enterprise technique.

Zhang has helped take the lead on new product bulletins such because the A16 nodes and the Super Power Rail community. Prior to becoming a member of TSMC in 2016, he labored at Intel because the vice chairman of the expertise and manufacturing group.

When TSMC needed to launch its Arizona fab, the corporate seemed to Rick Cassidy, a former US Army officer, to guide its efforts. Cassidy first joined TSMC North America in 1997 as vice chairman of account administration earlier than changing into the department’s president and CEO in 2005. He additionally beforehand served in varied govt positions at Fairchild Semiconductor, later acquired by National Semiconductor

While helping TSMC’s enlargement, Cassidy met with senators after the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, the place TSMC acquired $6.6 billion in funding for its new amenities within the US. He additionally oversaw the cultural integration of American factories into TSMC’s bigger material. Hundreds of Arizona’s new plant staff spend one to 2 years in Taiwan studying TSMC’s superior manufacturing processes, whereas others are introduced over from Taiwan on contract, with cultural variations typically inflicting clashes.

Dave Keller serves because the president and CEO of TSMC North America. The area accounted for greater than 70% of its world gross sales. The Silicon Valley-based govt began because the director of account administration for North America in 1997 earlier than rising up within the ranks on the North American subsidiary.

Keller beforehand was a advertising and gross sales govt at National Semiconductor.

Castanares was promoted to TSMC Arizona president in October since Brian Harrison, who beforehand held the position, is retiring. A veteran of the chips business for greater than 30 years, she beforehand labored at National Semiconductor, Chartered Semiconductor, and Siliconix. She beforehand led enterprise administration at TSMC North America, the place she was accountable for gross sales and providers for fabless prospects within the US.

She will oversee a progress interval at TSMC Arizona because the fabs begin high-volume manufacturing in 2025.

“While our first fab will begin quantity manufacturing quickly, I’m additionally eager about what we have to ramp our second and third fabs deliberate in Phoenix,” Castanares mentioned in a launched assertion to the Phoenix Business Journal. “Shaping our workforce pipeline packages and constructing a powerful, various, and inclusive office are a few of my high priorities.”

Sylvia Fang is TSMC’s vice chairman and basic counsel and the company governance officer of the corporate’s board of administrators. She joined the corporate in 1995 and has spearheaded high-profile company transactions, mental property, and commerce secret litigations.

Given that TSMC’s income comes from finishing up the design requests of firms like Nvidia and Apple, in addition to balancing the wants of companions within the US and China, Fang has performed a job in defending TSMC’s pursuits in difficult geopolitical conditions.

Wendell Huang is the senior vice chairman of finance and CFO of TSMC. He has led quite a few company acquisitions, together with of TASMC and WSMC. He additionally leads funding administration, international change, and threat administration.

Huang beforehand labored for ING Barings, Chase Manhattan Bank, Bankers Trust Company, Chemical Bank, and Bank of Boston.

J.Ok. Lin was one in all TSMC’s first staff in 1987. He serves because the senior vice chairman of company technique improvement and chief data safety officer, spearheading the corporate’s efforts towards AI use in sensible manufacturing and bettering productiveness.

Lin additionally helps handle provide chain dangers and resilience.

In the previous couple of years, TSMC has rapidly developed its lobbying efforts and presence in Washington, DC, amid the rising tensions between the US and China. It employed former Intel lobbyist Peter Cleveland as a senior vice chairman within the authorized division. Cleveland beforehand served because the vice chairman of worldwide authorities affairs at TSMC and helps the corporate with coverage, legislative, and regulatory issues.

Cleveland has labored on Capitol Hill for lawmakers within the Senate’s finance and international relations committees and served as chief of workers for former California senator Dianne Feinstein.