Bourgoin, John

2002 Distinguished Alumni Award

In recognition for contributions to microprocessor silicon technology research and develeopment

John Bourgoin, who is chairman, president, and CEO of MIPS Technologies Inc. in Mountain View, CA, was recognized for his technical contributions and leadership in the field of high-performance microprocessors.

Bourgoin started his career with Motorola's Semiconductor Products Division in Phoenix. In five years at Motorola and three years at Silicon General, Bourgoin progressed from design engineer to middle management roles. He joined Advanced Micro Devices in 1976, and during the next 20 years, he progressed to group vice president, eventually managing business units such as the Programmable Logic Division, the Network Products Division, the Embedded Processor Division, and the x86 Microprocessor organization.

In 1996, Bourgoin moved to Silicon Graphics Inc., where he became president of the MIPS Processor Group. Two years later, he led the reorganization and spin out of MIPS Technologies Inc. as a separate public corporation as chairman, president, and CEO. Today MIPS is a leading supplier of high-performance microprocessor intellectual property for the digital consumer and embedded markets.