Japan’s Advantest Taps American Lefever to Become Next CEO
- Tokyo-based firm supplies chip testing tools to Nvidia and AMD
- Rising chip complexity requires more investment, Lefever says
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Advantest Corp. said it will promote Douglas Lefever to chief executive officer as of April 1, a rare example of a foreign citizen taking the helm of a major Japanese corporation.
Lefever, a 53-year-old American, will take over the semiconductor testing company after working there since 1998, most recently as chief operating officer and chief strategy officer. Lefever was instrumental in Advantest’s acquisition of smaller rival Verigy Ltd. in 2011, according to outgoing CEO Yoshiaki Yoshida. Yoshida will serve as chairman.