By Olivia Pozder

GlobalFoundries (GF) strongly believes in the power of philanthropy and is proud of its history of community involvement on the global and local level. GF’s giving program, GlobalGives, is a truly global program that provides our company and our employees an opportunity to pursue philanthropic causes. GlobalGives exemplifies what is at the heart of GF’s philanthropic commitment – our employees and the desire they have to enable a positive social impact. Support for employees’ passions is a key characteristic of GF’s philanthropic programs and efforts.

“I am most proud of the response GlobalGives gets from our employees,” said Mike Cadigan, Senior Vice President of Customer Design Enablement at GF and executive sponsor of GlobalGives. “It is very rewarding to see the deep employee engagement in supporting these initiatives and the overall level of caring across the company.”

What is GlobalGives?

Companywide efforts to give back are driven by employees’ desires to contribute to the local communities in which GF operates. This strong culture of philanthropic giving paved the way for the creation of the GlobalGives program in October 2016. At its launch, the GlobalGives program served as a way for GF to quickly respond to disasters around the globe and enabled employees to donate to causes about which they were passionate.

It did not take long to see how this new program would be an asset to company giving. A week after launch, GF leveraged the newly established program to quickly respond to Hurricane Matthew and provide relief to those in need. In addition to the $5,000 corporate seed donation, GF employees raised $21,513 to help victims in the wake of the destruction. The success of this initial campaign illustrated early on that our employee dedication and enthusiasm would guide us toward the GlobalGives program we have today!

Kim Shinmoto, Director of Employee Communications at GF, leads the GlobalGives team and has seen how the employee passion that fueled the program launch six years ago continues to thrive today. “Starting as a grassroots program by a few employees, the feature offering and employee participation continues to grow year over year. It’s truly an honor to drive a program that is so deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of the GF community,” she said.

GlobalGives and GF’s Role in the Community

Cadigan and Shinmoto agree that GF has a responsibility to be a good neighbor and good corporate citizen, including leading by example and enabling a culture of giving. “We take our role in the community very seriously, serving the needs of our employees, their families, and neighbors the best we can,” Shinmoto said. “It’s one important way we can show appreciation and respect to the communities in which GF has a presence.”

Mike Cadigan echoed this sentiment, adding that the imperative for community involvement stems from the role that GF plays as a major employer in those areas. “It’s important to our employees, so it’s important to the company too,” he said. “GF is proud of its employees and surrounding communities, and strives to show appreciation by supporting our neighbors.”

By enabling a culture of giving, GF encourages employees to take an active role in their communities and continually looks for opportunities to further support employee enthusiasm for giving. Cadigan said he believes that creating a giving culture includes seeking new ways to encourage involvement and make the program more inclusive. He sees it as one aspect of GF’s responsibility to its employees. “We have a responsibility to our employees to provide them with the things they need to succeed at work as well as to support the giving culture that they desire,” he said.

COVID-19 Relief

In January 2020, GF expanded its GlobalGives program, investing in an employee matching program to further support employee community efforts worldwide. Little did GF realize the vital role the new program feature would play in helping communities across the globe respond to the COVID-19 pandemic that was soon to follow. GF’s response to COVID-19 made clear the GlobalGives program’s ability to implement a coordinated, global response at the local level. Since the effects of COVID-19 were felt differently across communities, GF’s localized relief strategy ensured that company efforts delivered the largest possible impact based on regional needs.

With the financial support of GF and a special 200% matching campaign, each global GF site determined the best way to support their community during this time of incredible uncertainty, focusing specifically on food insecurity, humanitarian needs, health, education, and community development. By the end of 2020, GF and its employees had collectively donated $2.2M in relief through the GlobalGives program. GF also allocated its reserves of personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, to an employee-directed donation program to meet the needs of healthcare workers and first-responders in the region. In total, GF enabled employees to donate over 80,000 masks to at-risk people in their communities.

Encompassing More Through Inclusivity and Employee Connection

GlobalGives grew from employee demand, focusing on causes that were important to GF team members, and the program has evolved to continue driving this sense of inclusivity. To further embrace what it means to “give,” GF this year launched volunteer matching for those who want to give their time to the causes they are passionate about. As anticipated, employee response has been extremely strong.

“Volunteer matching is a way for us to make GlobalGives even more inclusive by creating opportunities to recognize employee giving, whether individuals choose to donate money or their time,” Shinmoto said. The value placed on employee feedback supports connection and inclusivity. “Employees see GlobalGives as their program, which it really is,” Cadigan said. “Employees are excited to share what they care about, and to make suggestions of what causes and giving efforts that GlobalGives should help support. They also share ideas for how GlobalGives as a program can continue to improve. We encourage those suggestions, respond to them, have dialog around them, and quickly move to enable. This approach enables the agility of GlobalGives by providing a local focus and regional perspective on global causes and issues.

Shinmoto agreed that the connection with employees and focus on inclusivity are key to the program’s success. “Many GlobalGives campaigns originate from an employee request or are shaped by their inputs and feedback,” she said. “Their perspectives help inform the campaigns we launch, the regions we support, the causes we select, and the program features we offer.”

A Growing Program

GF’s inclusive culture has helped shape the causes GlobalGives pursues. As a semiconductor company, one of GlobalGives’ early areas of focus included supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. STEM remains a priority for GF today – the STEM@GF educational outreach program continues to grow in scope and size – however, GlobalGives has increasingly focused on a wider and more inclusive range of causes, including greater alignment with GF’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts. In 2021, GlobalGives started working closely with GF employee-led Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support causes and initiatives chosen by the ERGs. Through this partnership, ERGs have been able to leverage the GlobalGives platform in support of causes important to each group, and GlobalGives has been able to further its goal of providing a structure for GF and employees to make an impact through philanthropy.

ONEGF

GlobalGives is defined and shaped by its grassroots origins, growing participation, employee enthusiasm, and the ability to deliver on both a global and local level. Underlying all of this, Shinmoto said, is another characteristic that makes the program unique. “GlobalGives is truly global in nature, connecting employees across the world to something bigger and to each other,” she said. “It’s incredible what we can accomplish working together as ONEGF.”

GF is proud of how the GlobalGives program has grown and of the employees whose commitment and passion have made it what it is today. GF is excited to see how the GlobalGives platform will continue to grow and provide more opportunities for employees to give back. Click here to learn more about GlobalGives and the causes it supports.

On her first day with GlobalFoundries (GF), Sylvia Chan was a team of one, faced with the challenge of leading over 5,000 employees in Lean Six Sigma (LSS). Not only did she meet the challenge, but she has also redefined training and development in GF Singapore. Today, she is an LSS Master Black Belt with 25 years of experience in various manufacturing industries. She has built LSS teams and cultures, personally trained and coached thousands in LSS, and empowered individuals and teams across enterprises.

As the head of Operations Training and Development at GF Singapore, her passion for people development has greatly strengthened the company’s talent pool. Chan is also the lead of the Singapore chapter of GF’s GlobalWomen employee resource group, as well as mentorship and development programs. She holds a master’s degree in statistics from the National University of Singapore and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Newcastle University in the UK. Chan’s inspirational leadership was integral to her being selected to receive a 2022 STEP Ahead Award from The Manufacturing Institute.

The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite. STEP Ahead aims to foster a 21st-century manufacturing workforce by empowering and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research and leadership, as well as by motivating alumnae to pay it forward by mentoring the next generation. The goal of the program is to build networks for women to have support in their industry and to elevate the role models who can inspire the next generation.

“The 2022 STEP Ahead Honorees and Emerging Leader awardees are excellent representatives of the exciting opportunities available in manufacturing,” said Denise Rutherford, 2022 STEP Ahead chair. “These remarkable women and the leadership they show help inspire the next generation of female leaders to consider careers in manufacturing.”

Chan’s achievement was applauded by GF leadership.

“Congratulations to Sylvia on winning the STEP Ahead Award! I thank her tremendously for her hard work training and mentoring others within GF,” said KC Ang, GF SVP and GM Fab Management.

Joseph Chia, GF VP and GM Fab Management, said “this is a clear recognition of Sylvia’s enormous contribution to GF, and we rejoice with her immensely in receiving this prestigious award.”

We sat down with Chan to discuss her career, her love of engineering, the STEP Ahead Award, and more:

Can you tell me about your path to GF?

I chanced upon this amazing opportunity to join GF Singapore in 2015. Single-handedly, I led, successfully deployed, and implemented Lean Six Sigma. Today, we have built a culture of continuous improvement, with a capable team of over 100 LSS practitioners who are actively involved in driving continuous business improvements that bring value to GF’s customers.

My journey at GF is full of excitement and every day is a new adventure!

You’ve had a very successful career at GF. Can you tell me about your current role and responsibilities?

I am currently leading the Singapore Operations Training and Development. I am very excited to be given this opportunity to strengthen the building of the company’s talent pipeline, focusing on attracting, developing, and retaining our talent pool.

We have transformed our Technical Induction Program – from revamping content and mode of delivery, including virtual and online learning options, to upskilling our trainers. This makes the training more interactive, engaging, and effective.

Another major role I have is working on improving our employee skills framework. We firmly believe strong foundational training coupled with a clear, defined skills map is the basis to facilitate seamless integration of every employee. In turn, this enables individuals to understand the job roles, core skills, competencies, and career pathways, as well as how to contribute to the organization more effectively, which directly impacts employee retention.

We recently embarked on the enhancement of internship programs that aim to help develop students’ professional aptitude, strengthen their personal character, and provide a greater door to opportunity. We have followed the three Es to strengthen the program: hands-on Experience, Educational opportunities and Engagement with management and senior leadership on a regular basis. We are still working on employee skills framework, with an emphasis on helping employees map their career progression.

What attracted you to semiconductor manufacturing?

What is rewarding and satisfying to me is knowing that what we produce enables and enhances the lives of many. It is exciting that manufacturing continues to evolve, adapt, and drive innovation. This is made possible with STEM, and I am proud to be a part of it.

Tell me about winning the STEP Ahead Award. Why do you think it’s important for women to be recognized in this field?

I am humbled and honored to be recognized especially since my entire career has been in manufacturing. I am grateful for my mentors and the incredible team around me who forms my support system.

It is important for women to be recognized in this field as it acknowledges the skills we have developed, that we are equally capable and competent in an industry that is largely male dominant. It affirms the positive impact we create in our company, industry, and community. In addition, it helps elevates role models that can inspire future generations to join them.

I think it’s also a privilege to be able to receive the award in person.

Are there any misconceptions or biases you’ve encountered as a woman in our industry?

I have heard this many times: “Oh, it is very rare to have a woman Master Black Belt as the role is very demanding and requires high interaction and engagement with the senior leaders.”

I would just smile politely and say, “Today is your lucky day, as you are looking at one!”

I am glad the situation today has improved significantly. At GF, we have a very strong diversity and inclusion culture that promotes and works to build equality across the workplace. I have been blessed to have an equal seat and voice at the table. Fifteen to twenty years ago, women had to work much harder to have success like that of their male counterparts.

How has mentorship impacted your career (having a mentor, being a mentor)?

I am fortunate to have had great mentors throughout my career. They have guided, inspired, and shaped me into who I am today. I am thankful they are always there, willing to help me navigate through the “maze” by imparting invaluable wisdom and advice. They give me confidence by telling me “I can do it.” They have cheered me for the whole time and watched me grow.

Now I am a mentor to a couple of people, and that is also valuable for me because I get to hear other perspectives.

How has your involvement with GlobalWomen impacted your career, and how has it been tied to mentorship?

First, I try to understand what women at GF want. Most of the time, the answer is to learn and grow. I also try to inspire confidence in other women. Just having the courage to raise your hand to ask a question or make a comment is very important.

And for our mentorship program, we try to make it easier by having group mentoring. That way, those who are quieter can take time to build their confidence slowly to ask a question. It’s all about helping other women grow, and not leaving anyone behind.

According to the Manufacturing Institute, women make up nearly half of the labor force, yet they represent less than 30% of the manufacturing workforce. In your opinion, what steps does the industry need to take to attract and retain more women?

Personally, I feel it is the exposure and it needs to start with education and the mass media. I think there is a strong stigma against women working in manufacturing, even among parents and educators, that this work is laborious, unattractive, working mostly with men in dirty and in an uncomfortable environment. We need to address this perception bias as this is not the case, especially at GF.

There are many opportunities and varieties within manufacturing, and many women have made successful careers in manufacturing. By promoting opportunities and inspiring girls from an early age, we will significantly increase the talent pool in long term.

Another important step is to ensure there are seats for women at every level, including the management and executive table. This makes it clear that there are opportunities for everyone to progress and grow with the organization.

In our previous blog, we looked at the rapidly shifting landscape for semiconductors. The explosion of data to be created, shared and connected demands more efficient chips that consumer less power.  

To satisfy these demands in the data center as well as in emerging sensing and computing applications including artificial intelligence (AI), the metaverse, streaming, gaming and social media, hardware designers and customers are looking for an almost-fantastical list of requirements: flexibility to mix and match chip capabilities in a variety of chip sizes and packages, more compute power with less power consumption, affordability and faster data transmission.  

As part of the acquisition of IBM Microelectronics in 2015, GF acquired photonics know-how and IP from IBM Research, and has since refined and developed ways to bring it to volume production as the market demand grew for more capability, better power efficiency and higher bandwidth.  

Now, GF has added two new high-performance solutions to its portfolio: the GF FotonixTM photonics platform and new, improved features to our already available silicon germanium (SiGe) 9HP platform.   

GF Fotonix, available from the GF Fab 8 in Malta, New York, monolithically integrates RF, digital and silicon photonics circuits on the same chip, while leveraging the scale, efficiencies and optimization of 300 millimeter silicon manufacturing. GF’s high-volume silicon manufacturing—combined with innovative 2.5D and 3D stacking—enables ultra-high integration of electrical, optical and communication capabilities into a single monolithic design. This solution lets customers integrate more product functions on-chip and simplifies the bill of materials.  

 Key features include:  

• Low loss passive components (such as SiN and Si WGs, tapers, MMIs)  
• High performance active photonic components (such as MZM, MRM and GePDs)  
• High performance active and passive RFCMOS components 
• Digital standard cell library 
• V-grooves supporting passive fiber attach  

For customers needing discrete high-performance component solutions for optical transceivers, GF is also announcing new features for the GF SiGe (9HP) portfolio. High-performance silicon germanium (SiGe) solutions from GF are designed to deliver the speed and bandwidth required to transport information through fiber optic high speed networks.  

This new feature set enables customers to integrate higher performance digital and RF functionality and exploit silicon economies of scale. This option will enable 800Gbps data rates to reduce power consumption of data center optical connections. This new feature set is also ideal for 5G and future 6G and similar telecom and cellular applications.  

GF’s SiGe platform offers maximized bandwidth and functionality, while minimizing power consumption and costs.  

GF is providing an Electro-Optical Process Design Kit (PDK) that includes p-cells for photonic and electrical components to help its customers get started designing for the speed of light. Reference designs, design services and post-fab services will be provided as well, along with a digital standard cell library.  

GF is collaborating with industry leaders including Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Inc, Marvell and NVIDIA, along with breakthrough photonic computing leaders including Ayar Labs, Lightmatter, PsiQuantum, Ranovus and Xanadu to deliver innovative, unique, feature-rich solutions to solve some of the biggest challenges facing data centers today. Learn more here.  

To help customers get their designs to market more efficiently, EDA leaders Ansys, Cadence Design Systems, Inc. and Synopsys, Inc. are offering design tools supporting integrated silicon photonics- based chips and chiplets. More info is available here.