Technology >> CEO Interviews >> June 17, 2002
KEN KANNAPPAN serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of
Plantronics, Inc., and has been a member of the Board since 1999. He
joined Plantronics in February 1995 as Vice President of Sales,
responsible for OEM Sales and the Asia Pacific/Latin America markets.
Mr. Kannappan was promoted to Vice President of Sales, responsible for
the United States and Asia Pacific/Latin America markets in September
1995. Mr. Kannappan was promoted to Managing Director of our Plantronics
Limited subsidiary in England in March 1996. In March 1997, Mr.
Kannappan returned from England and was promoted to Senior Vice
President responsible for Plantronics' Worldwide Operations,
Plantronics' Mobile and Walker Equipment Divisions and Plantronics
Limited. In March 1998, Mr. Kannappan was promoted to President and
Chief Operating Officer. In January 1999, Mr. Kannappan was promoted to
Chief Executive Officer and appointed to the Board of Directors. Prior
to joining Plantronics, Mr. Kannappan was Senior Vice President of
Investment Banking for Kidder, Peabody & Co. Incorporated, where he was
employed from August 1985 through January 1995. Mr. Kannappan has a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Yale University and a Master's
of Business Administration from Stanford University. Mr. Kannappan is
also a Director of Mattson Technology, Inc., a supplier of advanced
process equipment for the semiconductor industry, and Integrated Device
Technology, Inc., a manufacturer of communications integrated circuits. Profile
picture of what you're doing at the present time?
Mr. Kannappan: Plantronics was founded 41 years ago, and we invented
