Mr. Harding brings more than 30 years of management experience in the semiconductor industry, spanning design and manufacturing. Prior to co-founding eSilicon in 2000, Mr. Harding was the president and CEO of Cadence Design Systems. Mr. Harding entered Cadence upon the acquisition of Cooper & Chyan Technology (CCT), where he served as the president and CEO and was responsible for leading the company to an IPO. Prior to CCT Mr. Harding served as the executive vice president of Zycad Corporation. Mr. Harding began his career with distinction at IBM.
Mr. Harding maintains a balanced career, providing his services to industry, academia and government. He has held various directorships in both public and private organizations and currently serves on the board of directors of Qorvo (previously RF Micro Devices) and the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA). He also serves on the GSA Finance Committee.
Mr. Harding has held leadership roles at Drew University and Indiana University (IU) where he was vice chairman of the board of trustees and a member of IU’s premier School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) advisory board, respectively. Mr. Harding is also an appointed Research Fellow for IU’s SPEA. He is also an advisor to the Industry Engagement Catalyst Board at the Arizona State University Fulton Schools of Engineering.
In the public policy arena, Mr. Harding has served as a member of the prestigious Steering Committee at the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and was a former National Academies’ Committee member for Software, Growth and the Future of the U.S. Economy. He is a frequent international speaker on the topics of innovation, entrepreneurship and semiconductor trends and policies.
Mr. Harding holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Economics from Drew University and attended the Stern School of Business at New York University.