1999-03-01 , SSC-9901
Business News From Philips Semiconductors

Industry veteran to drive company's growth and brand in North America

Philips Semiconductors has appointed Rick Goeld as senior vice president of the company's MultiMarket Products Business Unit. Bringing nearly 30 years of global semiconductor experience to Philips Semiconductors' management team, Goeld will report to Arthur van der Poel, chairman and chief executive officer of Philips Semiconductors, and will direct the Sunnyvale-based MultiMarket Products Business Unit - which consists of the Programmable Logic, Microcontroller, Logic, Automotive and Linear business lines. At the helm of this diverse business unit, Goeld will be responsible for driving the company's MultiMarket business strategy, sales model and brand awareness for Philips Semiconductors worldwide.

"Philips Semiconductors' growth plans for multi-market products will benefit from Rick's extensive, multi-national management background," said Arthur van der Poel. "Rick's previous success in strategic business development and product innovation will offer a distinct advantage to our key customers, and provide the company with an even stronger level of momentum."

As a result of Philips Semiconductors' growth, industry research firm Dataquest increased the company's revenue ranking among worldwide semiconductor suppliers to number 8 in 1998 (according to Dataquest's preliminary 1998 ranking by sale). This upward move was especially significant given the overall market challenges in the semiconductor industry last year. Philips Semiconductors achieved its growth by being well positioned as a global player in key growth markets, including telecommunications, audio and automotive.

"I'm pleased to join Philips Semiconductors during such an exciting time for both the company and the industry," said Rick Goeld. "The MultiMarket Products Business is integral to Philips Semiconductors' portfolio. I look forward to expanding our offerings in these product lines to fully maximize market opportunities."

Prior to joining Philips Semiconductors, Rick Goeld was vice president of strategic business research for Motorola Semiconductor. He spent the majority of his career at Motorola and held several key positions including vice president and general manager for the Analog IC Division, vice president and director of the Asia Pacific Microprocessor, Memory and ASIC Operations and manager of the European Microprocessor Operations. Mr. Goeld has a master's degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the eighth largest semiconductor supplier in the world (according to Dataquest's preliminary 1998 ranking by sales). 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 systems labs.