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Cadence has strengthened its corporate governance with the appointment of a leading figure from the semiconductor research world. The company has named Dr. Luc Van den hove, the President and CEO of the renowned research hub imec, to its board of directors, effective at the start of 2026.
Cadence appoints Dr. Luc Van den hove to its board of directors, effective January 1, 2026.
Dr. Van den hove is the President and CEO of imec, a world-leading nanoelectronics research organization.
The appointment brings deep technical expertise and ecosystem relationships to guide Cadence's AI-driven strategy.
Dr. Van den hove will transition to the role of Chair of imec's board in April 2026.
This move aims to provide invaluable insights as AI continues to reshape semiconductor design.
Cadence's board gains a respected industry perspective to help accelerate innovation and shareholder value.
The appointment brings a veteran of the semiconductor research and innovation landscape to Cadence's leadership table. Dr. Van den hove's extensive career at imec, spanning from its founding in 1984 to his long tenure as CEO, provides him with unparalleled technical expertise and trusted relationships across the global semiconductor ecosystem. This perspective is deemed critical as Cadence advances its Intelligent System Design strategy and AI-driven design solutions.
Cadence's leadership highlighted the strategic value of this addition. “We are honored to welcome Luc to our board of directors,” said ML Krakauer, chair of the board, Cadence. “As AI continues to reshape semiconductor and system design, our AI-driven design solutions are empowering customers to achieve extraordinary breakthroughs. Luc’s deep technical expertise, trusted ecosystem relationships and broad industry perspective will bring invaluable insights as we continue advancing our strategy, accelerating innovation and delivering enduring value to our shareholders.”
Dr. Van den hove's credentials are deeply rooted in the industry. He has held numerous roles at imec, progressing from a manager in the micro-patterning group to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer before becoming President and CEO in 2009. He holds a PhD in electrical engineering and will continue to lead imec until the end of March 2026, after which he will transition to the role of Chair of imec's board of directors.
About Cadence
Cadence is a market leader in AI and digital twins, pioneering the application of computational software to accelerate innovation in the engineering design of silicon to systems. Our design solutions, based on Cadence’s Intelligent System Design™ strategy, are essential for the world’s leading semiconductor and systems companies to build their next-generation products from chips to full electromechanical systems that serve a wide range of markets, including hyperscale computing, mobile communications, automotive, aerospace, industrial, life sciences and robotics. In 2024, Cadence was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the world’s top 100 best-managed companies.
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