The Supervisory Board of SUSS MicroTec AG has appointed Dr. Franz Richter (61) as a new member of the management board of SUSS MicroTec AG. His contract will run for a period of three years. Richter accepted the appointment to the management board as of today and he will assume his position as new CEO on September 7, 2016. Richter on the one hand stands for continuity in the strategic orientation of the SUSS MicroTec Group and on the other hand for innovation and technological leadership.
Following his professional activities as a scientist at the Carl Zeiss Group and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, he spent 14 years working for SUSS MicroTec, the last six of them as its CEO until 2004. During this time, the IPO took place and revenue grew beyond 200 million Euro. After serving as President of Semiconductor Equipment Division at Unaxis (now OC Oerlikon) in Pfäffikon, Switzerland, he set up Thin Materials AG and became its CEO in 2007. The company is engaged in the process development for the 3D chip integration and was successfully sold to Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.,Tokyo, in 2013. Today Richter serves as a member of the supervisory board of the stock listed Siltronic AG, Munich, Germany, the administrative board of Meyer Burger Technology AG, Gwatt, Switzerland and the COMET Holding AG, Flamatt, Switzerland.
During his career, Richter has gained a lot of international expertise in technology management topics, especially in the semiconductor industry, where he is considered as being a leading expert. In all these years, he remained closely linked to SUSS MicroTec
"We are delighted that in Richter we could win a proven expert familiar with the company as well as the industry and an internationally experienced manager for the position as CEO, who stands for continuity and at the same time for innovative solutions.", says Stefan Reineck, chairman of the supervisory board of SUSS MicroTec AG.
"I look forward to the exciting challenge as CEO in this high-technology company. SUSS MicroTec has an enormous potential in rapidly changing markets. I am convinced that the management board and the supervisory board together will shape the successful future of the company. ", says Richter.