OSLO, NORWAY: Nordic Semiconductor, a global leader in connectivity solutions, has announced that Vegard Wollan will take over as the new CEO of the company from January 1, 2024.
Wollan is a serial entrepreneur and a co-inventor of the AVR microcontroller technology, which he developed into a billion-dollar business at Atmel and later at Microchip Technology. He is currently the CEO of TouchNetix, a touch technology innovator.
Wollan will replace Svenn-Tore Larsen, who is stepping down after more than two decades of leading Nordic Semiconductor from a small consulting firm to a global semiconductor giant with revenues of USD 777 million and around 1,500 employees.
Larsen has been instrumental in establishing Nordic as a recognized leader in both the Bluetooth low energy market and the emerging cellular IoT market.
The Board of Directors of Nordic Semiconductor expressed its gratitude to Larsen for his invaluable contributions and praised Wollan as an accomplished leader with an exceptional background in the global semiconductor industry.
The appointment of Vegard Wollan comes after a comprehensive international search as part of a management succession program that was initiated in 2021 to safeguard the long-term strategic development of the company.