Bio:

In January 2024, Deirdre Hanford was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). Established by the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, the NSTC is a public-private consortium driving U.S.-led semiconductor innovation and economic and national security.

Prior to Natcast, Hanford served as an executive at Synopsys in a career spanning over thirty-six years. She has served on many industry advisory boards, including being a leader in the Department of Commerce Industrial
Advisory Committee formed through the CHIPS Act.

Among her industry accolades, Hanford was selected to receive the 2025 IEEE Frederik Philips Award “for visionary leadership in electronic design automation
for secure and energy-efficient microelectronics” in July 2024.

Hanford earned a B.S. Engineering (electrical engineering) from Brown University and an M.S.E.E. from University of California, Berkeley.