The third edition of Semiconductor Women’s Forum that comprises of industry leaders and partners is back, on 9 March 2023.

It has always been SSIA’s on-going endeavour to inspire and attract more female talents to join and thrive in the semiconductor industry; with the support of companies embarking on the culture of inclusivity and diversity. This platform plays an integral role to develop, grow and sustain the semiconductor talent pool which has also been one of SSIA’s key mandates in the last 4 years.

The Semiconductor Women’s Forum brings together female industry leaders and entrepreneurs who have excelled in this industry to share their personal experiences and career journey. In the same token to demonstrate the concept of equity, the forum also features prominent male industry leaders who have been strong advocates of D&I, as well as youth, who will be the future leaders of our industry.

Guest Of Honour

Mdm Rahayu Mahzam
Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health & Ministry of Law

About Mdm Rahayu Mahzam

Mdm Rahayu Mahzam is the Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Law. She has been a Member of Parliament representing the Jurong GRC since September 2015. Prior to her appointment as Parliamentary Secretary in September 2020, Mdm Rahayu was a lawyer, specialising in family law.

Mdm Rahayu is passionate about supporting residents in need and developing opportunities for people to come together to help one another. She has introduced many social programmes in Bukit Batok East, to help families, support students and uplift women.

In Parliament, Mdm Rahayu has championed the interests of the special needs’ community, youth development, as well as efforts to empower women and preserve a strong, multi-racial and multi-religious community.

As Deputy Chairperson of the REACH Supervisory Panel, Rahayu is closely involved to get  feedback from the public on national policies and issues. She also contributes nationally through other committees, including the OnePeople.SG Executive Committee and the National Youth Council. She was one of the co-chairs leading the efforts of the Conversations on Women’s Development and the Singapore Together Alliance for Action to tackle online harms, especially those targeted at women and girls.

Moderator

Ms Jenny Tan
Director, Frontend Global Procurement Materials Operations, Micron Technology

About Jenny

Jenny graduated from National University of Singapore with degree in Mechanical engineering and joined TECH Semiconductor as a manufacturing engineer. After being part of the start-up team for Intel Micron Flash Singapore, she took on new challenges within Micron in Planning and New Product Introduction. Progressing through the ranks and different functions in the company, she now leads procurement team globally for fab material operations.

Having always been in a male-dominated environment, she is always passionate about attracting more women's talent and improving women's representation towards gender parity. While blessed to be given many opportunities to grow and learn new skills, she pays it forward by continuing to establish platforms and programs that can multiply and benefit even more women.

Currently, she leads Micron Women's Leadership Network (MWLN) which is an Employee Resource Group in Singapore, with a diverse steering committee, consisting of allies, to connect women groups, positively impact our communities and empower women at Micron to bring their best selves to work. To accelerate gender equality, MWLN continues to partner with external organizations like SSIA, SWE and organically grown women network with several companies in Singapore. The MWLN team also teamed up with Talent Acquisition in outreach to female students, growing our STEM talent pipeline. As outreach director for Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Singapore affiliate, she collaborates closely with institutes of higher learning and companies in the STEM industry to enable access, innovation, and progress for all.

Panellist

Ms Ritu Favre
Executive Vice President, Global Business Units & General Manager, Semiconductor & Electronics BU, National Instruments

About Ritu

Ritu Favre leads our semiconductor and electronics; aerospace, defense, and government; and transportation business units. She’s responsible for driving growth and defining the systems, software, and services capabilities required to meet the unique needs of customers in these markets. She’s also focused on tracking emerging innovations such as 5G, AI, and IoT to ensure her teams continue to stay ahead of developing technologies and support customer needs however possible.

With more than 30 years of experience in tech, including multiple semiconductor industries, Ritu brings a diverse outside-in perspective to NI. A seasoned high-tech industry leader, she’s served as chief executive officer at NEXT Biometrics and on the Cohu Board of Directors. She’s also held senior management positions with market heavyweights like Motorola, Freescale Semiconductor, and Synaptics. Ritu currently sits on the board of directors of Valmont Industries. When she’s not traveling as a self-proclaimed expert luggage packer, Ritu’s inspiring—and inspired by—the next generation of female leaders in the semiconductor industry as a member of the Global Semiconductor Association’s Women’s Leadership Council. She’s also an advisory board member to Microfacturing Institutes, a 501(c)3 charitable organization delivering high-tech education programs that increase diversity and broad participation in industry employment.

Panellist

Mr Hosea Lai
Senior Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Applied Materials Asia Pacific

About Hosea

Hosea is the Senior Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Applied Materials Asia Pacific.  At the core, Hosea aspires to be a voice for those who are not heard, so that everyone shows up every day as their best self, and achieves their full aspirations.

Prior to his current position, he was the Regional Director for Microsoft Philanthropies in APAC, Head of Social Impact at LinkedIn APAC, and held various positions in public and people sectors, such as the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre and Habitat for Humanity.  At Habitat for Humanity International, he held multiple portfolios, such as the Director of Programmes for Singapore, the Regional Programme Manager, looking after Northeast Asia, and the Sichuan Earthquake Response Director, overseeing the post-earthquake recovery projects in Sichuan.

Outside of work, Hosea has worked in Myanmar working among the child soldiers, worked on Cyclone Nargis project in Myanmar, Asian Tsunami recovery projects in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.  He is very passionate about leadership training, and has done leadership training work in Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Singapore.  He has volunteered locally as well as overseas, such as in India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka.

His motto – Do good and have fun along the way!!

Panellist

Ms Karen Lim
Asia Pacific Regional Head of Human Resources, Skyworks Solutions Inc.

About Karen

Karen Lim is asia pacific regional head of human resources for Skyworks Solutions Inc. She joined the company in April 2021. Prior to joining Skyworks, Karen served for four years as cluster director of human resources, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei for Schneider Electric, a global specialist in digital automation and energy management. Before that, she spent more than a decade with SAP, holding senior sales and business operations positions in two of SAP’s fast-growth market units, spanning Asia Pacific and Japan. She has also held positions of increasing responsibility in the technology industry.

Karen received a bachelor’s of business management from Queensland University in Brisbane, Australia, and completed an executive program in strategic human resources management at the National University of Singapore.

Ms Ritu Favre

Executive Vice President, Global Business Units & General Manager, Semiconductor & Electronics BU, National Instruments

About Ritu

Ritu Favre leads our semiconductor and electronics; aerospace, defense, and government; and transportation business units. She’s responsible for driving growth and defining the systems, software, and services capabilities required to meet the unique needs of customers in these markets. She’s also focused on tracking emerging innovations such as 5G, AI, and IoT to ensure her teams continue to stay ahead of developing technologies and support customer needs however possible.

With more than 30 years of experience in tech, including multiple semiconductor industries, Ritu brings a diverse outside-in perspective to NI. A seasoned high-tech industry leader, she’s served as chief executive officer at NEXT Biometrics and on the Cohu Board of Directors. She’s also held senior management positions with market heavyweights like Motorola, Freescale Semiconductor, and Synaptics. Ritu currently sits on the board of directors of Valmont Industries. When she’s not traveling as a self-proclaimed expert luggage packer, Ritu’s inspiring—and inspired by—the next generation of female leaders in the semiconductor industry as a member of the Global Semiconductor Association’s Women’s Leadership Council. She’s also an advisory board member to Microfacturing Institutes, a 501(c)3 charitable organization delivering high-tech education programs that increase diversity and broad participation in industry employment.

Talk Abstract: Getting a Seat at the Table and Keeping it

As of 2022, women have made up less than 11% of the workforce in the semiconductor industry. What's more, the higher up in the organization chain, the more dramatic the decline in female representation. As with any industry in the world, the opportunity to benefit from a diverse female perspective remains, to a large degree, untapped. Elevating people is the only way for fast-paced organizations in the semiconductor industry to be able to keep up with the pace of change, which highlights the importance of women elevating one another to succeed. As an industry pioneer with experience across many management roles in the semiconductor and test and measurement industries, Ritu Favre has been paving the way for female leaders in tech for decades. Join this session to discover useful tips & tricks to help you navigate your organization's power dynamics, communicate effectively, influence without authority, and eliminate the boundaries of your own career path.

Ms Celeste Yeo

Senior Vice President, Site Head Plant Singapore Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

About Celeste

Celeste Yeo is Senior Vice President and Site Head Plant Singapore, the highly advanced Backend Test Facility of Infineon Technologies. In this capacity, Celeste oversees Singapore plant and test innovation initiatives pioneered here. Singapore plant serves all the business segments of Infineon and leads automation innovation and I4.0 solutions in Backend Test.

Celeste started her career at Infineon in 1997. She has taken diverse management roles of various functions. In her last assignment in Wuxi China, Celeste led a project team to set up Infineon’s first strategic manufacturing joint venture in China (SIAPM) to grow with the neV market. Subsequently, she led and ramp up the company successfully as Deputy General Manager being Infineon management representative.

Celeste has an Honors Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Singapore Nanyang Technological University.

Talk Abstract: Motivating And Empowering Personal Growth Through Mentoring
Employees are the greatest asset and a people focused workplace is fundamental to a company’s success. That’s why at Infineon, we take a holistic approach to develop our people so that they are ready to take on challenges as they build their careers. Mentoring is an ideal development measure for one to learn directly from another. Mentoring helps an employee to gain expertise and build network enabling both personal and professional growth. Mentoring goes further as a development measure that inculcates understanding of diversity and inclusion unbound by age, gender, or experience.

Mr David Ferguson

Site Director & Corporate Vice President of Production Operations, AMD

About David

David has worked in semiconductor product development and manufacturing roles for over 25 years. Starting out as an engineer and moving into management of highly technical teams, he is currently Corporate Vice President of operations. David is a named inventor on 7 patents and numerous trade secrets. He was twice nominated for the Ross Freeman award and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from MIT.

Talk Abstract: The Power Of Inclusion ... The Key To Unlock The Power Of Diversity

Companies are constantly facing dynamic market forces from competitors, macro-economic and geo-political factors that can add big modulators to an already elastic business cycle. Advocating to include more than just the most prominent voices in a decision – can lead to more insightful, resilient and simply better business decision. What can companies, leaders and individuals do to foster a culture of inclusivity and allyship that helps to ensure the power of diversity continues to influence making better decisions in team meetings, leadership meetings, executive staff meetings, and boardrooms?

Ms Sandra Mahadwar

SVP of Talent and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, KLA Corporation

About Sandra
  • SVP of Talent and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Silicon Valley based, KLA Corporation, a Fortune 500, semiconductor equipment Company
  • 35+ years of experience in global HR management at high-technology companies, of which 20+ has been in the semiconductor industry
  • Passionate about Diversity & Inclusion and enhancing diversity in corporate leadership and on Boards
  • Awarded the prestigious Silicon Valley YWCA’s Tribute to Women Award in recognition of executive leadership
  • Guest speaker at several renowned academic institutions globally
  • Master’s level degree in HR and undergrad degree in Finance & Accounting
  • Enjoys puzzles, word challenges and the Rubik’s Cube. Avid traveler and foodie
Talk Abstract: #EmbraceEquity – Beginning with Inclusion for All

The semiconductor industry is highly competitive and challenging. The industry demands continuous innovation, technology excellence and a focus on delivering customer success. As the gap between the supply and demand of engineering talent has increased, attracting, developing and retaining an inspired and diverse workforce is vital to realizing our growth and business objectives. KLA’s Sandra Mahadwar, SVP of Talent and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, will share how KLA made the intentional decision to put inclusion first and will share some of their practices to create and nurture a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Ms Lawanya S

Senior Lithography Process Engineer, GlobalFoundries

About Lawanya

Lawanya is a Senior Process Engineer in GlobalFoundries (GF) GIGA+ Lithography with close to 3 years of experience. She is part of the GlobalFoundries Singapore Graduates Excellence Model (GEM) programme, which is a GF in-house leadership development programme curated for selected fresh graduates. In addition, she chairs the GEM Alumni and Publicity committee to maintain engagement with interns at GF and is a member of various welfare-related committees within the company.

Lawanya is also an active member of the GlobalFoundries GlobalWomen Singapore Chapter, where she partners with the team in creating inclusive environments that support and encourage women to advance their skills and leadership potential through connection, mentorship and development programs.

As a young female engineer, she hopes to inspire fellow young women to join the engineering industry and be empowered to make a difference.

Talk Abstract: A Female’s Journey in the Engineering World and How it all Started with a Lemon
Join a young female engineer’s journey as Lawanya takes us through her personal experience, where she navigated the challenges in her life to join the semiconductor industry. In this session, you can find out more about how Lawanya takes active steps to enable other aspiring female engineers as a key proponent of DEI in GlobalFoundries.

Ms Sok Jee Liew

Head of Department, Process & Equipment Engineering, STMicroelectronics

About Sok Jee

LIEW Sok Jee is Head of Department for Process and Equipment Engineering for 8-inch wafer fabrication (SG8E operations) in STMicroelectronics Singapore. She has held this position since 2006 and currently leads a team of engineers and technicians responsible for the full spectrum of Etch process and equipment engineering activities.

Sok Jee joined STMicroelectronics Singapore in 1990 as a Process Engineer and was part of the pioneer team in the startup of STMicroelectronics Singapore’s first 8-inch wafer fabrication facility in Ang Mo Kio. Sok Jee became a Section Manager in 1996 and subsequently, Senior Section Manager in 2002. In her managerial capacity, she has overseen Wets Engineering and Central Maintenance.

In addition, Sok Jee was appointed LEAN Champion in 2020, where she actively drives SG8E operations to embrace Lean culture, practices and behaviours.

Sok Jee was born in Singapore in 1968, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Science majoring in Physics from National University of Singapore.

Talk Abstract: Realising a Dream
Sok Jee will touch on her personal journey into the semiconductor industry coming from a physics background, which was not the mainstream to take on an engineering role.

She will also share on her experience as a STEM ambassador for STMicroelectronics Singapore working with some of the young generation of girls and how we can engage, connect them with our industry.

Ms Priscilla Chan

Field Service Engineer, Lam Research Singapore

About Priscilla

Ms Priscilla Chan joined Lam Research after graduating from Nanyang Technological University in 2021 and is the first female Field Service Engineer in Lam Research Singapore.

Majoring in Mechanical Engineering and previously interning in the aerospace industry as a planner and mechanical & design engineer in her university days, Priscilla developed and honed her technical and issue resolution skills which intrigued her to explore a career in manufacturing and technology management. It opened the doors for Priscilla to join the challenging and growing semiconductor industry with Lam Research Singapore.

At Lam, Priscilla maintains and drives improvements in the Dielectric Etch tool system. In her role, Priscilla works with the finest robot and software specialists at Lam to deliver the best-in-class solutions for the customers. She works with a supportive team in Singapore and is always ready and excited for new challenges and opportunities.

Talk Abstract: Semiconductor Industry Through The Lens Of A Young Engineer

As the semiconductor industry continues to grow and embrace inclusion and diversity, Priscilla will share her experience as a young female engineer in the industry. Through her lens the first female field service engineer in Singapore, Priscilla will share about what companies like Lam can do to empower and encourage young female talents to join the semiconductor industry.

Ms Ryme Dembri

Head of Leadership, Talent & Culture, ASM

About Ryme

As Head of Leadership, Talent & Culture of ASM, Ryme Dembri is responsible for enabling the hyper growth trajectory of the company through leadership development, learning and talent management initiatives. Ryme is also responsible for engagement and culture. Specifically, she provides leadership to the organization with sustainable programs that transform business culture and strategies for talent development. Ryme is also responsible for leading our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.

Prior to joining ASM, Ryme holds over 20 years of experience in driving large scale business transformation and turn around through people and organizational strategies; having managed large complex, multicultural teams across regions; coaching business leaders and building high-performing teams; influencing stakeholders across the business ecosystem. She joined ASM from Dole Sunshine Company, where she was Global Head of Talent and Organizational Performance. At Dole Sunshine, she was responsible for evolving the company culture towards a purposeful and successful 170-year-old start-up.

Prior to Dole Sunshine, Ryme has extensive experiences in multinational companies such as Whirlpool, Philips, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Ryme received a master’s degree in human resource development from University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne and a bachelor’s degree, European Business Management from University of Hamburg.

Talk Abstract: Empowerment for Growth

Now, more than ever, we need innovative, breakthrough solutions to tackle the challenges of technology. Given the pace of innovation in semiconductors, we need people from different backgrounds and perspectives to solve the hard problems challenging our industry. Despite the low female representation in our industry, some young female talent aspire to join us, thrive and lead within it. This fireside chat will be anchored by Ryme Dembri, Head of Leadership, Talent and Culture who leads DEI for ASM globally. Ryme will share her insight and personal stories and exchange her views with Delyn Lew, Field Service Engineer of ASM Singapore. The speakers will draw from their personal career journey to detail the opportunities they are embracing in their job roles and discuss how we can best empower women in the semiconductor industry and close the gaps for gender equality. This fireside chat will be inspirational for any experienced or budding semiconductor professionals.

Ms Delyn Lew

Field Service Engineer, ASM

About Delyn

Ms Delyn Lew joined ASM after graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering focused in Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering from Singapore Institute of Technology - Newcastle University.

In her role as a Field Service Engineer, Delyn is part of the team supporting our global customer base working on the most advanced technology nodes in the semiconductor industry.

Delyn was inspired to explore a career in semiconductors because she was fascinated by the way electronics devices worked and their application to solving practical problems. She hopes to have more women to join the industry to increase diversity and inclusion to be part of the ecosystem to make valuable contributions to the industry and further drive innovation and progress.

Talk Abstract: Empowerment for Growth

Now, more than ever, we need innovative, breakthrough solutions to tackle the challenges of technology. Given the pace of innovation in semiconductors, we need people from different backgrounds and perspectives to solve the hard problems challenging our industry. Despite the low female representation in our industry, some young female talent aspire to join us, thrive and lead within it. This fireside chat will be anchored by Ryme Dembri, Head of Leadership, Talent and Culture who leads DEI for ASM globally. Ryme will share her insight and personal stories and exchange her views with Delyn Lew, Field Service Engineer of ASM Singapore. The speakers will draw from their personal career journey to detail the opportunities they are embracing in their job roles and discuss how we can best empower women in the semiconductor industry and close the gaps for gender equality. This fireside chat will be inspirational for any experienced or budding semiconductor professionals.

Semiconductor Women’s Forum 2022

Making a Difference – Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Ecosystem

As SSIA’s key driver for diversity and inclusivity at our workplace, and celebrating women in semiconductor & electronics, Semiconductor Women’s Forum is back for its second edition on Thursday, 10 March 2022.

This year’s event – themed “Making a Difference – Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Ecosystem” – aims to inspire more female talents to join the semiconductor sector and, at the same time, to inspire existing female talents to stay and thrive in the industry. It will also provide a platform to drive the industry-wide initiative to promote a diverse workforce and inclusive culture in our workplace.

Another key highlight for this year is a #BreakTheBias pledge campaign. We will not be unfamiliar with the impression that the semiconductor and electronics industry is male-dominated. Is this just a stereotype? Perhaps increasingly so, as we are seeing more and more women in our sector, not just in engineering and tech, and even rising to leadership roles. Industry leaders and partners will share how they will #BreakTheBias through this campaign.

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