Rick Wallace: From Bursley to the Boardroom

KLA-Tencor is a $2 billion company with headquarters in Silicon Valley. It employs 5 thousand people worldwide.
The life of Richard “Rick” Wallace is a stimulating tale of challenge, innovation, collaboration, risk and remarkable success that’s led him to his current position as president and CEO of KLA-Tencor, a dynamic corporation with a reputation as “one of Silicon Valley’s best-managed companies.”

Mr. Wallace will give a presentation on his professional journey and discuss key challenges faced along the way. He will share his thoughts regarding professional growth, development, and advancement in the business sector, as well as the technical development and operational challenges in today’s global market.

Come prepared with questions – this presentation is intended to generate dialogue and help drive a better understanding of what challenges engineering and business students may face upon graduation.

Richard (Rick) P. Wallace currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer KLA-Tencor Corporation®. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), an industry trade association and Beckman Coulter®, an Orange-County based biomedical company.

Mr. Wallace earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and his master’s degree in engineering management from Santa Clara University, where he taught strategic marketing and global competitiveness courses after his graduation.