James C. Morgan

Through his visionary leadership, James C. Morgan has had a major impact on the advancement of semiconductors, while helping to bring the Information Age to people around the world. Chief Executive Officer of Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Calif., since 1977, and chairman of the Board since 1987, he has led the company as it introduced numerous products and processes across a wide range of semiconductor manufacturing technologies. Since he joined the company, it has been issued approximately 2000 patents worldwide. Nearly every new chip made in the world today passes through a piece of manufacturing equipment produced by Applied Materials.

As president, director and director emeritus, Mr. Morgan has helped guide Semiconductor Equipment Materials International into becoming a global industry voice for setting standards. He also was a founder and board member of SEMI/SEMATECH, a collaboration between the semiconductor and equipment industries. Serving as an advisor to the U.S. government, he was appointed to the Commission on United States-Pacific Trade and Investment Policy by President Bill Clinton, and the National Advisory Committee on Semiconductors by President George H.W. Bush.

Mr. Morgan was awarded the 1996 U.S. National Medal of Technology, and was named one of the five best CEOs in America by Worth magazine. He serves on a number of boards including those of Cisco Systems, the Congressional Economic Leadership Institute, the National Center for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the California Nature Conservancy. He is co-author of the book Cracking the Japanese Market: Strategies for Success in the New Global Economy.