Haviv Ilan, chief operating officer of Texas Instruments, was named its next president and CEO. He will take the helm of the analog chip giant on April 1.
He succeeds current president and CEO Rich Templeton, who served in the role for more than 18 years. Templeton will transition out of these roles in the coming months but will remain the chairman of TI’s board.
Ilan has been at TI for 24 years, where he arrived after achieving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Tel Aviv University. He’s risen through the ranks over the last decade, holding a number of leadership roles. In 2014, he was promoted to senior vice president of TI’s analog signal chain business, which is one of its largest. He also was head of TI’s high-performance analog unit and vice president in TI’s embedded processing business, leading its wireless connectivity efforts.
Ilan was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2020, where he’s been responsible for overseeing the company’s business and sales units as well as its technology and manufacturing operations. He was elected to the board of directors back in 2021.
Challenges lay ahead for the new CEO. He’s taking over as the chip sector grapples with a slump in demand due to the weakening state of the global economy, and its customers struggle to get through a glut of inventory. The situation could get worse in 2023 before it gets better.
"Haviv is an inspiring leader who is widely respected amongst our customers, employees and shareholders," said Templeton in a press release. "He has a proven track record of delivering results, an intense focus on innovation and a passion to win, all of which make him an exceptional leader. The board and I are confident that Haviv is the right person to serve as TI’s next CEO and further strengthen the company for the long-term."
The Templeton Years
Templeton started at TI in 1980 after earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Union College in New York, and became CEO in 2004. Prior to his promotion, he served as head of the company’s semiconductor business from 1996 to mid-2004.
As CEO, he helped reshape the company by putting more stock in its core businesses of analog and embedded processing. Templeton was at the helm for the company’s $6.5 billion deal to buy National Semiconductor in 2011, and he also was responsible for winding down its wireless operations. Under his leadership, TI became the top player in the analog semiconductor market, accounting for more than 19% of the $73.9 billion market in 2021.
Templeton first stepped down in 2018 when Brian Crutcher was appointed CEO, but he resumed the role a month and a half later when Crutcher resigned due to violating the company's code of conduct.
In recent years, he’s helped the company navigate a global deficiency of chips that started during the pandemic, with the most acute shortages affecting the analog, power-management, and other legacy chips where TI competes. Based on technology nodes that are years behind the state-of-the-art, these chips have become a severe bottleneck for virtually every electronics maker in the world from Apple to Ford.
Over that time, TI has become one of the most important cogs in the electronics industry and, in the process, transformed into one of the most valuable chipmakers in the U.S. The company’s market value currently stands at $154 billion, exceeding the likes of even Intel and Qualcomm.
Templeton also has helped oversee a construction boom at TI. The company is investing aggressively in adding more production capacity to stay ahead of demand long-term and assume more control over its supply chain.
Last year alone, TI started production of analog and other chips at two new 300-mm facilities, including at its “RFAB2” site outside of Dallas, Texas, and its “LFAB” fab located in Lehi, Utah.
On top of that, the company started building one of the U.S.'s largest chip manufacturing facilities in Sherman, Texas, with production scheduled as early as 2025. The new site, large enough to fit four 300-mm factories, will provide the capacity its customers will need for decades to come. Potential investment at the site could grow to approximately $30 billion, according to TI.
“The company is well-positioned for growth thanks to Rich’s vision and leadership during his 18-year tenure as CEO,” said Pam Patsley, who serves on TI’s board and helped plan the transition. “He leaves an incredible legacy at TI and across the industry.”