TOKYO, Japan - March 20, 2007 - DISCO Corporation today announced the appointment of DISCO Honorary
Chairman, Kenichi Sekiya to the position of director emeritus of the International Board of Directors of Semiconductor Equipment
and Materials International (SEMI).
Director Emeritus of the SEMI Board is a lifetime position, and the candidates are nominated and appointed by the Executive
Committee of the SEMI Board in recognition of significant and long-standing contributions to SEMI and the industry it serves.
As non-voting members, they attend Board meetings as needed and provide expert consultation. Currently, the SEMI Board of
Directors has seven Directors Emeritus, including two from Japan - Mr. Shigeo Takayama, chairman of Hakuto Co., Ltd. and
Mr. Shoichiro Yoshida, advisor of Nikon Corporation.
"During his 13-year tenure on the SEMI Board of Directors, Sekiya-san has been an influential advocate of the industry, He also helped drive our strategic planning and focus toward improved service to our members," said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "We are honored that he has accepted this distinguished emeritus board position and pleased that he will continue to help guide SEMI in the years to come."
Kenichi Sekiya’s distinguished career spans 43 years, from his appointment as director at DISCO until his retirement as chairman and CEO in 2006. In addition to his role at DISCO, he served on the SEMI International Board of Directors beginning in 1994 as a voting board member until 2002, and then as an ex-officio (non-voting) member through 2004. He served as the chairman of the SEMI Board in 2001-2002. His appointment as Director Emeritus was made in recognition for his outstanding contributions to the industry, including ongoing high-level strategic guidance and support to SEMI staff for well over a decade.
"It is truly an honor to be appointed as Director Emeritus of the SEMI Board of Directors," said Kenichi Sekiya, honorary chairman of DISCO Corporation. "SEMI is a unique industry association with more than 2,000 member companies around the world. It has a global mission which rarely exists in any other industry association, and under that mission, it has developed activities in a fair manner, beyond national borders."
"SEMI would not have grown to be what it is today if it only responded to the large voices of the large companies," said Sekiya. "DISCO is not a large company, but all through my tenure of office, my opinion was fully respected by other SEMI Board members. SEMI is truly a fair organization, and it is my pleasure to serve SEMI as Director Emeritus sharing my own views with others and continuing to make contributions to the further development of SEMI and the industry as a whole in the future."
About SEMI
SEMI is a global industry association serving companies that provide equipment, materials and services used to manufacture
semiconductors, displays, nano-scaled structures, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and related technologies. SEMI maintains
offices in Austin, Beijing, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose (Calif.), Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington,
D.C. For more information, visit http://www.semi.org.
About SEMI Board of Directors
The SEMI Board of Directors is composed of executives from equipment and materials companies serving the global semiconductor and related industries. The Board governs the policies and activities of the association on behalf of its international membership. Directors are elected by the membership to two-year terms and may be re-elected to a maximum of four terms. In addition, board members may be elected as ex-officio (non-voting) members for up to three one-year periods. Directors Emeritus are nominated by the Executive Committee of the SEMI Board in recognition of outstanding achievements on behalf of the association and the industry.
About DISCO
DISCO Corporation (TYO: 6146), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global provider
of cutting, grinding and polishing technologies. DISCO manufactures dicing saws and laser saws to cut semiconductor
silicon wafers and other materials; grinders to process silicon and compound semiconductor wafers to ultra-thin
levels; and polishing machines to remove the grinding damage layer from the wafer back-side and to increase
chip strength. For more information, visit http://www.disco.co.jp.
See Editors Note for additional biographical information.
Editors Note: Additional biographical information about Kenichi Sekiya follows:
DISCO
April, 1960
Joined Dai-ichi Seitosho Company, Ltd. (predecessor of DISCO Corporation)
March, 1963
Director
May, 1964
Executive Director
April, 1970
Executive Vice President
April, 1984
Executive Vice President & CEO
March, 1985
President & CEO
July, 1998
Chairman, President & CEO
June, 2001
Chairman & CEO
June, 2006
Honorary Chairman
Other organizations
May, 1994
Director, Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation, Tokyo Branch
July, 1994
Director, SEMI（Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International）
July, 1997
Director, Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ)
November, 1997
Councilor, Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
November, 1999
Vice Chairman, Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ota Chapter
May, 2000
Executive Director, Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation, Tokyo Branch
July, 2000
Vice Chairman of SEMI
November, 2000
Chairman, Technological Development Committee,
Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
May, 2001
Executive Director, SEAJ
July, 2001
Chairman, SEMI
July, 2002
Ex-Officio, SEMI
November, 2004
Vice Chairman, Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Special Advisor, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Chairman, Manufacturing Promotion Committee,
Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Awards
April, 1994
Awarded by the Director-General of Science and Technology Agency of Japan for dedication to Japan’s scientific and technological development
April, 1997
Honored with a Blue Ribbon Medal of Merit from the Emperor of Japan
Contact: Aya Osumi
DISCO Corporation
Marketing Communications Team,
Marketing Communications Department,
Corporate Strategy Division
E-Mail:
Phone: 81-3-4590-1090
