1998-03-02 , ESC-9859

Philips Semiconductors today named Hein van der Zeeuw as the company's new Business Unit Manager for Telecom Terminal ICs, with effect from 1 March 1998.

In his new role Mr van der Zeeuw, aged 43, will have worldwide responsibility for Philips Semiconductors' communications products including the company's leading chipset for mobile digital communications. Based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, he will report directly to Arthur van der Poel, Philips Semiconductors' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr van der Poel explained, "As the global sales of our communication ICs have tripled over the past three years, we have chosen to reflect our commitment to this expanding market by creating a new Telecom Terminals Business Unit. We are delighted Mr van der Zeeuw is to head the new Unit, as his wealth of experience in consumer and programmable logic ICs extends our leadership position in worldwide communications."

Mr van der Zeeuw added, "Philips Semiconductors' broad product portfolio of industry- standard components and chipsets offers reliable, cost-effective and highly integrated solutions to the wireless, mobile telephone and data communications markets. As the worldwide communications business is rapidly changing, the new Business Unit places us in an excellent position to satisfy our customers and distributors needs."

Mr van der Zeeuw joined Philips in 1982, where he worked in various positions for the Components division. He joined Philips Semiconductors in 1990 as project manager for Solid State Image Sensors and in 1992, moved to the USA to assume the position of Product Group Manager Programmable Logic. In 1995 he became responsible for the Consumer IC Group in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Prior to this, Mr van der Zeeuw worked in research at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, where he also attained a PhD in physics.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Philips Electronics NV, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the ninth largest semiconductor supplier in the world. Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world, and are supported by regional customer application labs.