Technology >> CEO Interviews >> September 15, 1997
MICHAEL L. HACKWORTH is Chairman and CEO of Cirrus Logic Inc. He has
served as CEO since January 1985. Under his leadership, the company has
grown from a start-up venture to a major supplier of advanced integrated
circuits. Cirrus Logic is today a billion dollar enterprise with
approximately 2,000 employees worldwide. In managing Cirrus Logic's
growth, Hackworth has overseen the expansion of the company's product
portfolio, which today includes software-rich "systems in silicon" for
mass storage, communications, and multimedia applications. During fiscal
1995, he led his company into a joint manufacturing venture with IBM to
form MiCRUS, a world-class wafer fabrication operation based in East
Fishkill, New York. He subsequently forged a similar joint venture with
Lucent Technologies to form Cirent Semiconductor in Orlando, Florida.
Before joining Cirrus Logic, Hackworth spent 14 years at Signetics
Corp., a subsidiary of N.V. Philips, where he held various management
positions, his last one being Senior Vice President. Prior to joining
Signetics (now Philips Semiconductors), he served in a number of general
management, and marketing and sales management positions at Motorola and
Fairchild Semiconductor. All together, Hackworth has been working in the
semiconductor industry for about 30 years. A native of "Silicon Valley,"
Hackworth attended Serra High School in San Mateo and holds a degree in
engineering from Santa Clara University. His management acumen was
recognized by Ernst & Young in 1990 when he was named Semiconductor
Entrepreneur of the Year. He was honored again as a nominee for this
recognition 1994. Hackworth is personally active in several community
activities, including University of Santa Clara Engineering Advisory
Board and The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at the University of
Santa Clara, Junior Achievement, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and the
San Jose Symphony. He has also led Cirrus Logic to sponsor such programs
as the San Jose Children's Shelter, the Second Harvest Food Bank, and
Joint Venture Silicon Valley. Hackworth resides in Saratoga, California
with his wife, Joan, who is also an active volunteer in community
programs. Profile
Mr. Hackworth: Cirrus Logic is today about a $1 billion semiconductor
company, the fastest semiconductor company, I believe, to reach
