Belmont, California – April 1, 2014 – Mr. Thomas Novak, CEO and President of Nikon Research Corporation of American (NRCA), a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, announced his retirement from the company. Mr. Novak is succeeded by Dr. Donis Flagello, who will assume the role of NRCA President, CEO and COO effective April 1, 2014.
Tom Novak has worked at Nikon subsidiaries since 1992, first within Nikon Precision Inc. (NPI) and later for NRCA in various positions before assuming the role of President and CEO of NRCA in 2005. For 20 years prior to joining Nikon, Mr. Novak worked for several companies involved in semiconductor lithography equipment. In his early years at Texas Instruments, Mr. Novak headed the engineering team to design and build the first projection alignment system used in volume integrated circuit production. He currently holds over 85 patents in a variety of fields, mostly for precision optics and mechanical systems.
Under his direction, NRCA grew substantially, expanding the scope of its development effort and impact on Nikon products. “Tom has been a major contributor to our success, and was instrumental in expanding NRCA’s involvement in development of next-generation lithography solutions,” said Toyohiro Takamine, President and CEO of NPI. “We wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” he continued.
Dr. Donis Flagello has served as an NRCA Fellow for the past five years. He has over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, encompassing manufacturing, development, and research. He has authored over 50 papers, and holds two dozen patents. Dr. Flagello has a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in Optical Science, and is also a member of OSA and a Fellow of SPIE. “Donis Flagello will be an exceptional leader for NRCA,” Novak remarked. “He is extremely well-known and respected within the industry, and has the experience and broad-based knowledge required to drive NRCA,” he added.
Mr. Novak will remain with NRCA for three months as a Special Advisor during the transition period before retiring on June 30, 2014. He plans to pursue his personal business interests, travel, and consult as time allows.
About Nikon:
Nikon has been a pioneer in optical technology markets worldwide since its inception in 1917. Today the company offers a wide range of products utilizing advanced technologies, from consumer optics such as digital cameras, camera related products, and binoculars, to industrial precision equipment including IC and LCD steppers and scanners, microscopes and measuring instruments.
Although widely known for their excellent cameras, the company is also a worldwide leader in lithography equipment for the semiconductor manufacturing industry with more than 8,000 exposure systems installed worldwide. Nikon offers the most extensive selection of production-class photolithography systems serving the semiconductor industry. Nikon Precision Inc. provides service, training, applications and technical support, as well as sales and marketing for Nikon lithography equipment in North America. NRCA provides research and development in the United States for Nikon’s worldwide product portfolio. In addition to the Belmont offices, NRCA also has facilities located in Tucson, Arizona.
For more information about Nikon, access our website at http://www.nikonprecision.com.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in condition, particularly those related to industry requirements and other risks. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release.
For further information, contact:
Holly Magoon, Senior Marketing Manager
Nikon Precision Inc.
holly.magoon@nikon.com