ON'r. That's the name of the ON Semiconductor mascot perched on CEO Steve Hanson's shoulder. It's also the essence of the man and his company's workforce.

Phonetically, the nickname evokes notions of 'honor.' Visually, it implies a constant state of being 'on' and perpetually active. Both concepts are undeniably appropriate when considering how Hanson has lead ON Semiconductor from its past state as a division of Motorola, to its current status as one of the world's largest suppliers of analog, logic, and discrete components.

Debunking the assumption that CEOs should hail from outside the firm, Hanson rose through Motorola's ranks after joining the company in 1971. Over the years, he led the construction and staffing of more than one fab, managed the company's logic division, and presided over high-speed emitter-coupled logic (ECL) products. His career took him from Arizona to Scotland and back again. At various times, he also held top spots in the company's bipolar analog division, its RF division, and its European arm. By 1997, Hanson had advanced to senior vice president and general manager of the Semiconductor Components Group (SCG) for the Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector.

But March 1998 brought a shift in Motorola's strategy, a change that didn't encompass the low-end commodity chip market served by the SCG. As the parent company sought to spin off his division, Hanson faced the unenviable task of maintaining morale while simultaneously reorganizing the product line and workforce.

Last August, Texas Pacific Group announced its acquisition of the unit and unveiled ON Semiconductor as the world's largest electronic component supplier. Hanson was named president of the new company and charged with building its leadership position in standard discrete, logic, and analog semiconductor products. Five months later, he was elected CEO.

Meanwhile, Hanson has been busy building his leadership team and expanding the ON empire. Reinforcing the company's commitment to the European market, ON Semiconductor opened a production facility in Piestany, Slovakia, to produce metal-gate CMOS logic components. To complement ON Semiconductor's roster of analog ICs and to advance Hanson's goal of positioning ON as a leading manufacturer of power management analog chips, this April the company finalized its acquisition of Cherry Semiconductor.

Technologically, ON expanded its high-speed logic portfolio by introducing the ECLinPS Plus series, which boasts faster throughput and higher accuracy rates than competing ECL logic families. Then, building upon a product line twice as broad as any competitor's, ON extended its single-gate CMOS component portfolio for high-density applications, based on Advanced High Speed CMOS (AHC) and Very High Speed CMOS (VHC) technologies.

'I spend a lot of walk-around time with as many people as possible,' Hanson says. 'Everyone has good ideas and perceptions of what can be done. I temper the selection of the right ideas--especially those that are truly different--by focusing on how they impact our customers and employees. Both of these groups must benefit if a new approach is going to succeed.'

This year, Hanson will log 29 years as an engineer and executive. While others might be dreaming of retirement, he sincerely looks forward to maintaining his frantic pace of 14-hour workdays. His dedication is reflected in April's successful IPO. Launched at $16 per share, the company's stock now trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol 'ONNN.'

In less than a year, Hanson has led his fledgling corporation to impressive results. ON Semiconductor shattered its 1999 sales projections by shipping 19 billion units, for net revenue of $1.6 billion. The outcome represents a 10.3 percent increase over 1998's performance.

However, Hanson is no workaholic. He's also a family man who makes a point of setting aside time for golfing, fishing, camping, and even bungee jumping (once) with his son. It's a matter of priorities, and Hanson meticulously keeps his straight. He would no sooner neglect his family than he would his company or his employees.