# Gary Dickerson

> Gary E. Dickerson is president, chief executive officer and a director of Applied Materials. A former Varian Semiconductor CEO and KLA-Tencor president and COO, he has focused on materials engineering, customer collaboration and accelerating semiconductor research into production. Applied unveiled its $5 billion EPIC Center in October 2026.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at Applied Materials
- **Organizations:** Applied Materials, Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, KLA-Tencor, General Motors, Delco Electronics Division, AT&T Technologies
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS in Engineering Management, University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology), MBA, University of Missouri-Kansas City
- **Known for:** Led Varian for seven years before its acquisition by Applied Materials., SEMI Sustainability Excellence Award recipient, 2023., Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore), 2024.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Manufacturing and engineering management at Delco Electronics and AT&T Technologies.
- **1999** — Appointed chief operating officer at KLA-Tencor.
- **2002** — Became president and COO at KLA-Tencor.
- **2004-2011** — CEO of Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates.
- **2011** — Applied Materials acquired Varian.
- **2012** — Named president of Applied Materials on June 19.
- **2013** — Appointed Applied Materials CEO and director in September.
- **2023** — Received SEMI Sustainability Excellence Award.
- **2024** — Awarded Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore).
- **2026** — Applied unveiled EPIC Center on October 12 in Sunnyvale.

## Achievements

- Led Varian for seven years before its acquisition by Applied Materials.
- SEMI Sustainability Excellence Award recipient, 2023.
- Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore), 2024.
- Led Applied Materials during development and unveiling of the EPIC Center.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Applied unveiled its $5 billion EPIC Center in Sunnyvale on October 12.
- **2026-10** — In a video interview published October 19, Dickerson discussed EPIC collaboration and the separation of teams serving competing customers.
- **2026-05** — Applied announced Arizona State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Stanford as inaugural EPIC university research partners.
- **2026-02** — Applied announced Samsung Electronics would join EPIC.

## Links

- Website: https://www.appliedmaterials.com/us/en/about/leadership/board-of-directors/gary-dickerson.html
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-dickerson

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/gary-dickerson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21