Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE) 2024 Parsons Medal awarded to Dr. Ann B. Kelleher

Ann Marie Holmes, Margaret Corkery, Dr. Ann B. Kelleher, Jennifer O'Donoghue and Finola O'Connell at The Irish Academy of Engineering Parsons Medal Award held at Birr Castle Demesne on Saturday 19th October 2024.

Sean Finlay, Tom Leahy, Lord Rosse, Dr. Ann B. Kelleher and Seamus McKeague at The Irish Academy of Engineering Parsons Medal Award held at Birr Castle Demesne on Saturday 19th October 2024.

Dr. Ann B. Kelleher at The Irish Academy of Engineering Parsons Medal Award held at Birr Castle Demesne on Saturday 19th October 2024.

Intel is proud to announce that Dr. Ann B. Kelleher, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Technology Development at Intel Corporation, has been awarded the prestigious Parsons Medal for excellence in engineering by the Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE).

This annual award, which recognizes exceptional contributions to engineering, was presented at the Birr Engineering Heritage Festival, held at Birr Castle Demesne. The venue holds special significance as the ancestral home of Sir Charles Parsons, the renowned Irish engineer and inventor of the compound steam turbine, for whom the medal is named. The medal was presented to Dr. Kelleher by Sir Parsons’ descendant, the Earl of Rosse, Sir Brendan Parsons.

Dr. Kelleher is an Executive Vice President at Intel Corporation, where she leads Foundry Technology Development. Advancing semiconductor technology, a process known in the industry as Moore’s Law, is the core competency of Dr. Kelleher’s group at Intel Foundry. Under Ann’s leadership, her team has introduced multiple world’s first technologies to power our increasingly digital society. In the United States, Ann also serves on the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) Board of Directors, and the Industry Advisory Council for NSTC as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.

Speaking about why Dr. Kelleher was chosen to be the recipient of the Parsons Medal, Seamus McKeague, President of the IAE said: “The Parsons Medal recognises engineers who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of the application of engineering, science and technology that result in significant social and/or economic impact. Dr. Kelleher is this year’s recipient for her strategic leadership in the global semiconductor industry.”

In response to receiving the Parsons Medal, Dr. Kelleher said: “I am honored to receive the prestigious Parsons Medal and would like to thank the IAE for selecting me from many worthy candidates. The field of engineering has inspired me from my days as a student and semiconductor researcher in Ireland to my career at Intel. I hope that my journey can inspire others to embrace a career in engineering, both for the individual satisfaction of working on interesting problems as well as the chance to make an impact on one’s community both locally and globally.”

Before leading Foundry TD, Dr. Kelleher oversaw worldwide manufacturing operations for Intel, including Intel’s facilities in Leixlip, currently the largest and most advanced semiconductor production site in Europe.

Dr. Kelleher’s career in Engineering began in 1987 when she graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree from University College Cork with 1^st Class honors. This was followed by an M.Eng.Sc degree in 1989 from the National Microelectronics Research Centre, Cork. In 1993 she became the first woman to receive a PhD from the fledgling National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC), the forerunner of Tyndall National Institute. As a Post-doc, Dr. Kelleher also worked at imec (a semiconductor research institute) in Belgium.

Dr. Kelleher’s career with Intel began at the Leixlip facility as a process engineer in 1996. She advanced to group leader and department manager, and in 2006 she was promoted to Fab24 Factory Manager.

In 2008 Dr. Kelleher moved to the US as Intel’s Plant Manager for Fab12 in Arizona and later as Fab11x Site Manager in New Mexico, owning all aspects of F11x process ramp, delivering the steepest and highest ramp in the history of Intel manufacturing. As well as her deeply technical and later managerial roles, Dr. Kelleher also set the standard for safety, factory culture, people development and operational metrics.

In 2011, Dr. Kelleher became the first Irish woman to be named as an Intel vice president. While operating from the US, Dr. Kelleher has maintained strong links to Ireland, using her visits to promote its technology and societal interests. She is a strong advocate for gender equality, for women working in engineering roles and holding senior management positions in the tech industry.

Other honors Dr. Kelleher has earned include election as a Fellow of Engineers Ireland (2015), “Ireland’s Most Powerful Women” awards (2018), Life Fellowship by the Irish Management Institute (IMI) (2022), a Lifetime Achievement Award from MIDAS Ireland (Ireland’s semiconductor industry association) (2023), and the FDI Hero Award at the Invest in Ireland awards (2024). She also served a full term of 10 years on the Board of Tyndall National Institute.

Additional information about Intel is available at:
Media contact: Ruth Marie Callinan | + 353 1 606 1376
Intel in Ireland | Intel Ireland’s Newsroom
Connect on Social: Facebook | Instagram | X