Semiconductor Superstar – Rozalia Beica

Rozalia Beica is known in many circles for her unrivalled drive, strong work ethic and impressive resume. In the semiconductor and Advanced Packaging community, she is a well-known and respected expert – what you might call a superstar.

After pursuing a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Timisoara in Romania she went on to earn another M. Sc. degree in Management of Technology at the Kennedy Western University, USA. Then, to top it all off, she received a Global Executive MBA from Instituto de Empresa in Spain, part of a collaboration of three universities from USA, Brazil and China. Just before joining AT&S, she also graduated from an accelerated strategy program at Harvard University.

“I took every opportunity I was offered.”

“Either to learn, to lead consortiums or committees, organize or speak at conferences, chair industry roadmap activities, or compete in venture days. I have never said no, even when I felt I was not quite ready.” Beica says, “It was a good way for me to move out of my comfort zone, learn something new, and stay up-to-date with trends in the industry.” Evidently, her “never-say-no-to-opportunities” policy works, as can be seen by her impressive track record: She has won several awards, both from employers and the industry, and is on the board of many leading industry societies. Yet, she does not attribute all of this success to only herself. “I have met so many wonderful people that helped me along the way. Without them, and especially my family, who has always supported me, none of this would have been possible”, says Beica.

From her role as Research & Development scientist, where she managed an Advanced Packaging Program at Rohm & Haas, she worked her way up to global leadership positions at Semitool, then Maxim Integrated, Applied Materials, Lam Research, becoming the CTO of Yole Développement and leading the Strategy for an Electronic Materials division at DuPont. Until, around this time last year, she finally decided to grace AT&S with her presence. Not in one location, nor two, but in three. US, Austria and now, China.

“The companies I have worked for, and the diverse positions I had, have given me the opportunity to gain extensive experience in different areas of the supply chain, as well as, in different functions, from research to marketing, operations, business development and strategy.” From working in the lab and developing award-winning chemistries, to building successful strategies and new businesses – each of her many jobs have given her the tools she wields today in her current position at AT&S, leading our Semiconductor Business Line. She has big dreams and a strong vision for growing our business and engagement with semiconductor customers, and ultimately increasing our IC substrates and modules activities.

“Interestingly enough, the first project on substrates I got involved with was with AT&S, when I worked at Yole Developpement. It was a great experience and, over the years, I continued to stay in touch with many people I met at AT&S at that time; back then I did not know that one day, I would actually become part of AT&S’s team.”

Like every great saga, Rozalia Beica’s success story has had its peaks and pitfalls. While some appreciated and supported her and the high-quality results and impact, her hard work produces, others have often felt threatened by it, and tried to slow her down. However, this did not deter her from going ahead and achieving her goals. “In fact, it only made make me stronger and even more driven.”

Rozalia’s journey has taken her to many places, even before she was with AT&S. From Romania, to Canada, USA, Austria and France, she has experienced many cultures. At times, this has meant being separated from her family for months, sometimes years. However, all these cultural experiences have not only broadened her horizons, but have also given her opportunities to grow her network of colleagues and friends all around the world. “Our lives are so dynamic these days and everything is moving so fast – taking the time to say a good word to a colleague or just a smile, will take you a long way.”

“Our lives are so dynamic these days and everything is moving so fast – taking the time to say a good word to a colleague or just a smile, will take you a long way.”

“Wherever you go, you will experience new and very different things. No matter where I was, I always kept an open mind,” she says. “What really works for me is to respect, appreciate and help anyone I meet.”

Her kind eyes, easy laugh and bright smile underline the vitality and passion that drives her. In an industry where seriousness seems to be the name of the game, a woman who does not take herself too seriously all the time is quintessential. Evidently, this woman is a force to be reckoned with, and we feel lucky to have her in our midst.