Intel-backed startup appoints former CSR exec as vp operations

LONDON — Powervation Ltd., a fabless semiconductor spin-out from the Circuits & Systems Research Centre (CSRC) at the University of Limerick in 2006, has augmented its executive team by naming Patrick McNamee, as vice president of operations. McNamee joins the company from CSR plc (Cambridge, England) where he served as vice president of product engineering.

Powervation is a developer of digital power integrated circuits which has received backing from Intel Capital, McNamee is chartered with creating an infrastructure to support the company's fabless semiconductor business. "Patrick is an outstanding global operations executive with a record of bringing complex ICs through production and out to market with great efficiency," said Powervation's chief executive officer, Antoin Russell, in a statement. "Throughout his 15 years in the fabless area, he has leveraged his technical and management expertise to drive operational excellence and production efficiencies in manufacturing concerns that produced more than 1.5 million ICs per day. He joins Powervation at a critical juncture as we transition from R&D into production. We're pleased to welcome him on board."

McNamee's career spans 25 years in the production of complex analog and mixed-signal devices at integrated circuit manufacturers and fabless semiconductor companies. Before CSR, McNamee pent eight years as a product engineering manager at Dialog Semiconductor plc during the company's transition from a $20 million, privately owned entity, to a public company with revenues of $200 million. Prior to Dialog, he served in a variety of positions at GEC Plessey Semiconductor. McNamee began his career at National Semiconductor.

McNamee is a director and board member of the National Micro Electronic Institute in the United Kingdom. He holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in electronics from Glasgow Caledonian University, and a postgraduate diploma in advanced manufacturing systems from Brunel University.

Earlier this year Powervation appointed Benoit Herve as vice president of marketing.

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