Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. Announces CEO Transition
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC) announced that Dr. Fusen Chen will retire as President, CEO and board member effective December 1, 2025 for health reasons and will serve as an advisor to the board for 12 months. The Board has appointed Lester Wong, current Executive Vice President, Finance and IT and CFO, as interim CEO effective immediately; he will retain his existing roles during the transition. The Board has launched a comprehensive search for a permanent CEO that will consider internal and external candidates. The company reaffirmed its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 outlook and plans to report Q4 results on November 19, 2025.
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC) ha annunciato che il dottor Fusen Chen si ritirerà dal ruolo di Presidente, CEO e membro del consiglio a decorrere dal 1 dicembre 2025 per motivi di salute e servirà come consigliere del consiglio per 12 mesi. Il Consiglio ha nominato Lester Wong, attuale Executive Vice President, Finance and IT e CFO, come CEO ad interim con effetto immediato; manterrà i suoi ruoli esistenti durante la transizione. Il Consiglio ha avviato una ricerca completa per un CEO permanente che prenderà in considerazione candidati interni ed esterni. L’azienda ha riaffermato le previsioni per il quarto trimestre dell’esercizio 2025 e prevede di riportare i risultati del Q4 il 19 novembre 2025.
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC) anunció que el Dr. Fusen Chen se retirará como Presidente, CEO y miembro de la junta con efecto a 1 de diciembre de 2025 por motivos de salud y fungirá como asesor de la junta por 12 meses. La Junta ha designado Lester Wong, actual Vicepresidente Ejecutivo, Finanzas e IT y CFO, como CEO interino con efecto inmediato; él conservará sus funciones actuales durante la transición. La Junta ha iniciado una búsqueda exhaustiva de un CEO permanente que considerará candidatos internos y externos. La compañía ha reafirmado sus perspectivas para el cuarto trimestre fiscal de 2025 y planea reportar los resultados del Q4 el 19 de noviembre de 2025.
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC)는 Dr. Fusen Chen이 건강상의 이유로 2025년 12월 1일부로 사장, CEO 및 이사회 구성원에서 은퇴하고 12개월간 이사회 자문으로 활동할 것이라고 발표했습니다. 이사회는 Lester Wong, 현재 재무 및 IT 부문 임원 부사장 겸 CFO를 즉시 효력 발생하는 임시 CEO로 임명했습니다; 그는 전환 기간 동안 기존 역할을 유지합니다. 이사회는 내부 및 외부 후보를 고려한 영구 CEO를 위한 포괄적 검색을 시작했습니다. 회사는 2025 회계연도 4분기 전망를 재확인했고 2025년 11월 19일에 4분기 실적을 발표할 계획입니다.
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC) a annoncé que le docteur Fusen Chen prendra sa retraite en tant que Président, PDG et membre du conseil d’administration à compter du 1er décembre 2025 pour des raisons de santé et exercera en tant que conseiller du conseil pour 12 mois. Le Conseil a nommé Lester Wong, actuel Vice‑Président Exécutif, Finances et Informatique et CFO, comme PDG intérimaire à effet immédiat; il conservera ses fonctions actuelles pendant la période de transition. Le Conseil a lancé une recherche approfondie d’un PDG permanent qui prendra en compte des candidatures internes et externes. L’entreprise a réaffirmé ses perspectives pour le quatrième trimestre fiscal 2025 et prévoit de publier les résultats du T4 le 19 novembre 2025.
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC) kündigte an, dass Dr. Fusen Chen als Präsident, CEO und Aufsichtsratsmitglied mit Wirkung zum 1. Dezember 2025 aufgrund gesundheitlicher Gründe in den Ruhestand tritt und dem Vorstand für 12 Monate als Berater zur Verfügung stehen wird. Der Vorstand hat Lester Wong, den aktuellen Executive Vice President, Finanzen und IT und CFO, als interimistischen CEO mit sofortiger Wirkung ernannt; er wird seine bestehenden Rollen während der Übergangsphase behalten. Der Vorstand hat eine umfassende Suche nach einem dauerhaften CEO eingeleitet, die interne und externe Kandidaten berücksichtigen wird. Das Unternehmen bestätigte seine Prognose für das Geschäftsjahr 2025 des vierten Quartals und plant, die Q4-Ergebnisse am 19. November 2025 zu berichten.
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC) أعلنت أن الدكتور فوسن تشن سيتقاعد من منصب الرئيس، والرئيس التنفيذي وعضو المجلس بفعالية 1 ديسمبر 2025 لأسباب صحية وسيعمل كمستشار للمجلس لمدة 12 شهراً. لقد عيّن المجلس Lester Wong، نائب الرئيس التنفيذي الحالي للمالية وتكنولوجيا المعلومات والمدير المالي، كـ مدير تنفيذي مؤقت اعتباراً من الآن؛ سيحتفظ بدوره الحالي خلال فترة الانتقال. لقد أطلق المجلس عملية بحث شاملة عن مدير تنفيذي دائم سيأخذ في الاعتبار المرشحين الداخليين والخارجيين. وأكدت الشركة توقعاتها للربع الرابع من السنة المالية 2025 وتخطط للإبلاغ عن نتائج الربع الرابع في 19 نوفمبر 2025.
Kulicke and Soffa (NASDAQ: KLIC)宣布，Fusen Chen 博士将因健康原因于2025年12月1日起退休，担任董事会顾问为期12个月。董事会已任命Lester Wong，现任财务与信息技术执行副总裁兼首席财务官，作为即时生效的临时首席执行官；他将在过渡期间保留现有职务。董事会已启动全面的永久首席执行官招聘，候选人将包括内部和外部人选。公司重申其2025财年第四季度展望，计划在2025年11月19日公布第四季度业绩。
- Interim CEO appointed from current executive team (Lester Wong)
- Founder support: Dr. Chen to advise board for 12 months after retirement
- Outlook reaffirmed for fourth quarter fiscal 2025 with results due Nov 19, 2025
- CEO retirement for health reasons effective Dec 1, 2025
- Permanent CEO not named; board search underway creating leadership transition
Insights
CEO retirement for health reasons; CFO named interim CEO and board begins search; Q4 fiscal 2025 outlook reaffirmed.
Kulicke & Soffa will see a leadership change when Dr. Fusen Chen retires effective
The main dependencies are the smoothness of the handover and the duration of the CEO search. Management continuity is explicitly supported by Dr. Chen serving as an advisor for 12 months and by the Board assisting the interim leadership. The Company also reaffirmed its fourth quarter fiscal
Watch for the announced financial results on
Lester Wong to Serve as Interim CEO; Board of Directors Initiates Process to Identify Permanent Successor; Dr. Fusen Chen to Retire for Health Reasons
Effective immediately, the Board of Directors has appointed Lester Wong, the Company's current Executive Vice President, Finance and IT and Chief Financial Officer, as the Company's Interim CEO. As Dr. Chen transitions from his role and in leading up to his retirement, he will support Lester Wong in ensuring a smooth transition and handover. Mr. Wong will also continue in his existing roles during this transitional period.
"We are profoundly grateful to Fusen for his visionary leadership, unwavering commitment, and remarkable achievements during his nine-year tenure as CEO and President," said Peter Kong, Chairman of the K&S Board. "Fusen's dedication to innovation and operational excellence has enabled K&S to grow and create value for shareholders. His leadership has solidified the Company's core served market positions while accelerating its position at the forefront of advanced packaging and dispense technologies. His legacy will continue to inspire our organization for years to come. On behalf of the Board and the entire K&S family, I extend our heartfelt thanks and wish Fusen good health and success in his next chapter."
"It has been a great honor to serve as Kulicke & Soffa's CEO," said Dr. Fusen Chen, President and CEO of K&S. "I thank our incredible team for their support. Together, we have navigated unprecedented global challenges with resilience and agility while building on the 75-year track record of innovation to unlock new opportunities across our markets, drive significant growth and create value for our shareholders. I am proud to have been a part of this progress and have the utmost confidence in K&S' future."
Mr. Kong added, "The Board has commenced a comprehensive search to identify the right leader to continue driving K&S' strong momentum, expand our market share, further enhance our diverse portfolio and help our customers address critical challenges in the industry. As Executive Vice President and CFO, Lester has played an instrumental role in the Company's success and we are confident that he will continue to drive K&S' growth and innovation during this interim period."
Mr. Kong concluded, "Together with the Board, I will assist Lester and the Executive Leadership Team in ensuring the continuity of leadership, stability and strategic focus of the Company. We believe this collaborative approach is critical as the Company is ushering through a period of exciting growth, driven by continued core-market improvement and capacity expansion, coupled with strong demand in sectors like AI, electric vehicles, and power semiconductors. We are investing in next-generation solutions such as ATPremier MEM PlusTM and expanding our capabilities in fluxless thermocompression bonding and chiplet integration. With a solid financial foundation and a clear strategic roadmap, we are well-positioned to support our customers' evolving needs and deliver long-term value."
"I look forward to assuming the interim CEO position and working closely with Peter, the Board and the entire Executive Leadership Team as the Board conducts its search for a permanent CEO to lead K&S into its next phase," said Lester Wong, Executive Vice President, Finance and IT and CFO of K&S. "I am confident in the clear strategy we've established, which positions us to continue driving our leadership across semiconductor assembly technology and unlock meaningful value for our shareholders."
K&S Reaffirms its Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2025 Outlook
In connection with today's announcement, the Company reaffirmed its fourth quarter fiscal 2025 outlook. The Company intends to announce its fourth quarter fiscal 2025 financial results on November 19, 2025.
About Lester Wong
Mr. Wong, 59, has been the Company's Chief Financial Officer since December 2018, and was promoted to Executive Vice President, from Senior Vice President, on January 1, 2022. Prior to that, Mr. Wong served as General Counsel & Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs beginning in September 2011. Mr. Wong has over 20 years of legal leadership at
About Kulicke & Soffa
Kulicke & Soffa is a global leader in semiconductor assembly technology, advancing device performance across automotive, compute, industrial, memory and communications markets. Founded on innovation in 1951, K&S is uniquely positioned to overcome increasingly dynamic process challenges – creating and delivering long-term value by aligning technology with opportunity.
Contacts
Kulicke & Soffa
Marilyn Sim
Public Relations
+65-6880 9309
msim@kns.com
Kulicke & Soffa
Joseph Elgindy
Finance
+1-215-784-7500
investor@kns.com
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SOURCE Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc.
FAQ
When will Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) CEO Dr. Fusen Chen officially retire?
Who is the interim CEO of Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) and will they keep other roles?
Will Dr. Fusen Chen remain involved with Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) after retirement?
Has Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) named a permanent CEO and what is the board's plan?
Did Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) change its near-term financial guidance after the CEO transition?
When will Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) release its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results?
