TI veteran takes CEO seat at ST-Ericsson

With the appointment of Gilles Delfassy as CEO, Alain Dutheil, who led the company during its formation and integration, will resume his previous role as ST's COO.

By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 9/2/2009

Gilles Delfassy is taking the helm at ST-Ericsson, the joint wireless venture of STMicroelectronics and Ericsson, as president and CEO of the company as of November 2.

With the appointment, Alain Dutheil, who led the company during its formation and integration, will resume his previous role as ST's COO. Dutheil will also join the ST-Ericsson board.

Delfassy, 54, spent 28 years at Texas Instruments, where he is credited with building what would become during those years one of the largest wireless semiconductor businesses. After his retirement from Texas Instruments in 2007, Delfassy became an advisor to many high-tech companies and has served on several corporate boards.

Meanwhile, Dutheil is credited with moving the fabless company through two mergers. Originally ST-NXP Wireless, the company represented the merged wireless businesses of STMicroelectronics and NXP. ST bought out NXP's 20% stake in the wireless company in February and announced it would merge in EMP (Ericsson Mobile Platforms) as part of the joint venture. Later that month, ST-NXP changed its name to ST-Ericsson.

"Putting together three separate companies to create a formidable wireless business is a challenging undertaking, especially in the current macro-economic environment," Carl-Henric Svanberg, previously chairman of ST-Ericsson's board, and Carlo Bozotti, vice-chairman, said in a statement. "Alain has done an extraordinary job in building a strong team and a solid foundation from which ST-Ericsson can grow."

Dutheil added: "Together, we have already come a long way in reshaping and integrating the company. Now, with Gilles joining us with his decades of wireless expertise and outstanding track record, the team will be even stronger and well positioned to achieve long term, profitable growth."
 
In addition to the CEO changes, Hans Vestberg, CFO and incoming CEO of Ericsson, and a member of the board of ST-Ericsson, has become chairman of the board of ST-Ericsson, succeeding Svanberg.