Deirdre Hanford
Biography
Deirdre Hanford’s leadership and ability to foster collaboration across industry, academic, and government partners has been pivotal to the transformation and growth of the electronic design automation (EDA) industry, workforce, and semiconductor ecosystem. Hanford’s executive leadership and contributions were instrumental in guiding the vision and growth of Synopsys, enabling it to become the EDA industry leader. In her last role as Chief Security Officer, Hanford led the company’s aerospace and defense initiatives and all US government-sponsored research, including programs to secure microelectronics assurance artifacts for US government semiconductors. In 2024, she became the first Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of Natcast, a purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), established by the CHIPS and Science Act of the US government.
Hanford is Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of Natcast, Inc., Portola Valley, CA, USA and is the 2025 recipient of the IEEE Frederik Philips Award for "visionary leadership in electronic design automation for secure and energy-efficient microelectronics."
