Applied Materials, one of the world s largest suppliers of products and services to the global semiconductor industry, is one of the leading information infrastructure providers. As a core information infrastructure company, Applied Materials innovates and commercializes the processing and manufacturing technology that helps semiconductor manufacturers produce the world s most advanced chips. The company s mission is to be the leading supplier of semiconductor fabrication solutions worldwide through innovation and enhancement of customer productivity with systems and service solutions. Michael R. Splinter has been the chief executive officer of Applied Materials for more than three years. He has been with the semiconductor company for over three years. Splinter earned BS and MS degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The company is located in Santa Clara, Calif.