AZ Electronic Materials announces the appointment of a new Chief Executive
Embargo: Immediate Release
Media contact: Emma Thorpe, emma.thorpe@carlyle.com ; +44 (0) 20 7894 1630
Luxembourg – 19 January 2010 – AZ Electronic Materials, the global supplier of electronic materials to the semiconductor and flat panel display industries, today announces the appointment of Mr. Geoff Wild as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Wild will succeed Mr. Thomas von Krannichfeldt who, after five successful years at the helm of AZ Electronic Materials, is to retire as CEO but remain on the Board of the company. Mr. Wild, who will be based in Hong Kong, will be appointed to the Board and assume the role of CEO effective on 15 February 2010.
Mr. Wild has most recently been president and chief executive officer of Cascade Microtech based in Portland Oregon, USA, a provider of design, development and manufacturing of advanced wafer probing solutions. He was previously CEO of Nikon Precision Inc., the provider of photolithographic equipment, and held general management positions of increasing responsibility at Johnson Matthey and AlliedSignal Electronic Materials. Mr. Wild has worked for a substantial period of his career in Asia and holds a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.
Franck Falezan, Managing Director at The Carlyle Group and AZ board member, commented, “Tom von Krannichfeldt has done a terrific job at AZ, transforming a spin off from Clariant into a vibrant, independent company with a strong and promising product portfolio. On behalf of the Board, I would like to sincerely thank him for a job well done. We are delighted that Geoff Wild has agreed to join AZ; his experience of the sector and AZ’s major markets will help propel the business to the next phase of growth.”
Jean Francois Felix, Chairman of AZ Electronic Materials and Managing Director at Vestar Capital Partners Europe said, “Geoff Wild brings to AZ a wealth of sales and marketing, technical and general management experience. He has experience as CEO of a public company, a strong background in chemicals and deep expertise in photolithography, in particular as CEO of Nikon Precision Inc. and at Allied Signal. His leadership and background, particularly in Asian markets, will help AZ continue to grow and prosper. He is an outstanding person to add to our already strong and seasoned management team.”
“AZ has great technology strengths, large and expanding market opportunities and a dedicated group of employees worldwide,” said Geoff Wild. “I am looking forward to building on that foundation and working with the existing team to continue operating improvements, take advantage of our great potential and create growth opportunities for our employees.”
About AZ Electronic Materials
AZ Electronic Materials is a leading provider of electronic materials to the flat panel displays, integrated circuits and devices, and photolithographic printing industries. The business is headquartered is in Luxembourg with plants in Taiwan, Korea, China, Japan, France , Germany and the US. AZ Electronic Materials is owned by the global private equity firms The Carlyle Group and Vestar Capital along with company management.