Executive Team
Meet the Chipworks Executive Team
Terry Ludlow
Founder and CEO
From the basement of his family's home to an international presence, Terry Ludlow has driven the Chipworks odyssey. Although Chipworks is not in any way a one-man show - he's had a lot of help along the way - it is Terry who has provided the strategy, the vision, and the driving force for the company.
Terry first caught the reverse-engineering obsession when he worked at Mosaid Technologies. Hand's on analysis of a broad array of memory chips quickly taught Terry about IC design and the value of reverse engineering.
After a few years of running the reverse-engineering group for Mosaid the success of the progenitor of the Patent Intelligence business was perceived as a conflict with Mosaid's Design and Tester business units. Mosaid decided to shut the reverse engineering business down. Responding to customer demand and his need for a job, Terry started Semiconductor Insights with funding from a client and initial support from Mosaid. As well as the technical competitive analysis at SI, Terry expanded the intellectual property (IP) side of the business. Reverse engineering was an established concept for technical intelligence, but Terry was among the first to see its value for patent lawyers and the industry's IP groups.
Both sides of the business took off under Terry's leadership, but after a few years, his vision and strategy no longer matched that of the company's client ownership.
The only answer - the way to put his vision into practice - was to start his own company, and so, in 1992, the stage was set for Chipworks. At this point, the stage was only the basement and spare bedroom of his house, but you have to start somewhere.
Read more about Terry's life and career
Terry's bio in Japanese
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Julia Elvidge
President
Curiosity. From the time that Julia Elvidge was an eight-year-old taking apart the family phone, she's been driven by curiosity - the need to know.
When the time for university came, Julia still found that she wanted to know what's inside technology, so she pursued electrical engineering at the University of Waterloo, one of only six women among the 100 men in her year. Sadly, she says, the ratio hasn't changed much even now. Electrical engineering is viewed as a cold profession, and Julia wanted to go into the bio-medical field, which she originally saw as more human. But that changed during the reality of her first co-op term at Mosaid Technologies. That first work term showed her that the warmth in the profession was in its people, and it also demonstrated the endless fascination of semiconductors, the "tiny things that do so much."
Julia's early career - in ASIC design at LSI Logic - also demonstrated her management potential, and she rapidly rose through management ranks to head her own ASIC engineering group at LSI Logic.
Then biology took a role in her life, and Julia took time off work to start a family. At that time, Terry Ludlow, her boss from Mosaid days, was starting up a new reverse-engineering company, Chipworks. When he called Julia with contract work, she was ready to start what she calls "nap-time reverse engineering."
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Mike Thumm
Vice President, Patent Intelligence
Mr. Thumm brings more than 10 years Chipworks’ experience to this role. Most recently he managed the company’s financial and intellectual property assets as vice president and chief financial officer. As lead for Patent Intelligence, he is responsible for worldwide sales, engineering and marketing initiatives. Chipworks’ Patent Intelligence Business Unit helps law firms and IP groups around the world protect and defend their intellectual property or generate revenue streams from their patent portfolios.
Earlier in his career Mike flexed his accounting muscles in St. Lucia for Price Waterhouse, where he enjoyed the tropical locale and took the opportunity to round out his surfing and sailing skills and became an avid cricket fan.
Upon his return to Canada, Mike rejoined Arthur Andersen, and from this vantage point he kept his eye on fast growing and successful companies like Chipworks. When an opportunity to work for Chipworks presented itself, Mike leapt for it.
Since 1997 Mike has been the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, and along the way he has also applied his talents to several other roles at Chipworks, including heading up R&D, administration and human resources.
Today Mike directs the overall financial plans and accounting practices for Chipworks as well as the activities of the IT team. He has helped the company grow and prosper on the international stage.
Read Mike's full story
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Gary Tomkins
Vice President, Technical Intelligence
As vice president, Technical Intelligence, Mr. Tomkins leads the engineering teams and guides the sales, marketing and product management activities. Previously Gary headed up Chipworks’ core capabilities team and was a senior member of Chipworks Technical Intelligence business unit. Technical Intelligence at Chipworks works closely with customers around the globe, delivering technical analysis that helps them to benchmark their product roadmaps, reduce the time-to-market and de-risk research and development.
Prior to his appointment to vice president, Gary led the Chipworks technical intelligence engineering team which includes the Chipworks circuit and process reverse engineering teams focused on providing competitive technical intelligence.
In a career spanning more than 20 years Gary has been on the technology and business sides of semiconductors and telecom; he’s equally comfortable as a process engineer or business leader managing more than 250 technology professionals.
Before joining Chipworks, Gary was director of operations at Nortel Network’s High Performance Optical Components line of business (divested to Bookham Technology in November 2002.) Gary was accountable for the production of semiconductor lasers, detectors and modulators used in modern optical networks.
Read more about Gary Tomkins
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Neal Stansby
Vice President, Development
Neal Stansby has always held a keen interest in technology. From his self-confessed gadget addiction to his role at Chipworks as the director of Business Development, he keeps his mind inside technology.
Neal began his engineering career before he graduated from high school working as a high school co-op student at Bell Northern Research (Nortel). Once the formal portion of his education was completed he immediately became a member of the scientific staff at Nortel Networks, where for the next several years he held technical positions of increasing responsibility.
Read more about Neal Stansby
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Lee Whelly
Director, Human Resources
Lee Whelly has three favorite things: pop-culture, golf and Chipworks. Since October 2003, Lee has headed up Chipworks' human resources and administration teams. An ardent golfer, Lee would probably prefer to be doing business on a golf course, but she's happy inside technology at Chipworks.
Lee brings more than 18 years of experience in high tech human resources to her role at Chipworks. She built her HR tool chest at NetManage, Simware and Gandalf where she was responsible for a wide range of functions that included compensation, employee benefits, human resource information systems, training and development.
At Chipworks Lee drives all the HR programs and administration initiatives including recruiting, retention, succession planning, performance management and even facilities management.
Read more about Lee Whelly
Dave Fraser
Vice President, Marketing
As Vice President of Marketing, Dave oversees all Chipworks marketing activities, and plays a key role in its strategic planning process. Dave brings twenty years experience in strategic marketing, business development, and client services across numerous industries. Prior to joining Chipworks, he served as Vice President of Client Services at a marketing automation company, Director of Business Development at a hardware vendor, and Director at a global consultancy, advising companies on their business strategies.
Building businesses is the common thread to Dave’s career. Whether serving on the management team of a start-up, building a consulting practice, helping launch new products in channels, or advising clients on their market expansion efforts, Dave has a track record of driving growth. He has done this in both familiar and unfamiliar cultures – including five years living and working in Latin America – and in both large and small companies.
Read more about Dave Fraser
Bill Davies
Vice President, Core Capabilities
As Vice President of Core Capabilities, Bill is responsible for the processes, equipment, quality, and technology used in Chipworks’ laboratories and publishing facilities. These are core to finding out what is inside technology and sharing that with our customers.
After 22 years of designing and building semiconductors, optoelectronics, and printed circuit cards, Bill is now helping Chipworks to take them apart. Bill’s current office is about 200 yards away from his first desk at Computing Devices, where as a new engineer, he developed surface mount assembly processes. The challenge of making things smaller took Bill into Nortel Network’s half micron CMOS wafer fab, and later into the nanometer field of optoelectronics. After a dozen years at Nortel, patenting several inventions, and managing several groups, the challenge and flexibility of working for a small company attracted him to Tundra Semiconductor.
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Susan Richards
Chief Financial Officer
As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Susan oversees all of Chipworks’ financial activities and key business metrics. She has 12 years experience in strategic financial planning, corporate legal matters, and budgeting. Throughout her career she has worked cohesively with boards, executives, managers, and external resources to facilitate congruence to meet corporate initiatives. Prior to joining Chipworks, Susan served as Chief Financial Officer at a software product development firm.
Building profitability, achieving operational efficiency, and instilling performance management are the hallmarks of Susan’s successful career. She has helped guide companies through both rapid growth and industry down-turns. In all her work, she draws upon her training as a Certified Management Accountant, applying a mix of financial skills, business savvy, and process discipline.
Read more about Susan Richards
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