ANDOVER, Mass., May 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEMSIC Inc. (Nasdaq:MEMS), a leading MEMS sensing solution provider, today announced the appointment of John L. Newton as Vice President of Marketing. Newton will lead MEMSIC's drive into the automotive and industrial market sectors for the company's broad product line of accelerometers, magnetic sensors, gas flow sensors and its sensor-based systems businesses.
Newton brings 23 years of in-depth experience in the integrated circuits (IC) industry to MEMSIC. Among his accomplishments are serving for nine years as Executive Director, Product Definition and Business Management for Maxim Integrated Products, where he co-founded its high-speed signal processing business unit. Under his leadership, the unit introduced more than 30 new products and Maxim successfully entered a variety of new businesses, including cellular base stations, medical instrumentation and imaging, and cable infrastructure.
Newton began his career in 1986 as an IC Design Engineer with Analog Devices, where he worked for five years on projects such as the definition and design of Analog Device's first clock recovery circuits. More recently, he served for five years as Vice President of Engineering for Custom One Design, Inc., an early-stage supplier of highly integrated semiconductor products combining analog, RF, digital and power management circuitry on a single CMOS IC. In that capacity, he played a leading role in enhancing the company's engineering team and winning a significant development/supply contract.
Dr. Yang Zhao, MEMSIC's Chairman, President and CEO, commented, "John brings to MEMSIC a proven track record of product design, development and marketing activities as well as a broad business background with world-class companies in the IC business. John's strong technical skills, product evaluation expertise and marketing prowess will play a key role in introducing new offerings from MEMSIC's product roadmap to the stable, high-margin industrial and automotive markets we have targeted. His first major project will focus on the launch of our MEMS-based gas flow sensor module, aimed at the worldwide industrial market. This new product line will be introduced at next week's Sensors Expo & Conference in Chicago."
Newton stated, "I have been impressed with the breadth and depth of technology and innovative capabilities of MEMSIC's team, and am very excited to lead the effort to introduce that technology to a wide array of new markets and applications. Sensing solutions will be one of the fast-growth areas of the next decade, and there is a tremendous opportunity for MEMSIC to increase its presence in the industrial and commercial sectors, where I have a long history and interest."
Newton holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He will be based in MEMSIC's corporate offices in Andover, Mass.
About MEMSIC, Inc.
MEMSIC, Inc., headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, provides advanced semiconductor sensors and multi-sensor system solutions based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and sophisticated integration technologies in both the IC level and module level. MEMSIC's unique and proprietary approach combines leading-edge sensor technologies, such as magnetic sensors and accelerometers, with mixed signal processing circuitry to produce reliable, high quality, cost-effective solutions for the mobile phone, automotive, consumer, industrial, and general aviation markets. The company's shares are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange (NASDAQ GM: MEMS).
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements for reasons identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise.