Growing the UK semiconductor industry

Andy McLean is a passionate results-oriented leader with more than 35 years of semiconductor industry experience building and leading global teams. He has a purpose-driven, proven track record of developing products, introducing new technologies, and growing revenue for customers in telecom, communications, data centres, video processing, industrial and automotive industries. 

Before joining the UK Semiconductor Centre as its first CEO, Andy served as Corporate Vice President of Communications & Cloud at Analog Devices, where he was responsible for the company’s $1B+ portfolio of wireless and wired communications and power products. Prior to that, he spent more than 25 years working in various engineering and senior management roles at Texas Instruments and National Semiconductor.

Raj has over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor field having held senior technical and commercial roles in semiconductor organisations spanning IP, Fabless and IDM business models. He is now COO of the newly formed UK Semiconductor Centre - with an ambitious plan to strengthen the UK semiconductor ecosystem and grow international partnerships.

In his early career, Raj was part of initial IEEE 802.11 team to define first WLAN standard in 1996 – a technology which has now shipped many billions of units. Raj also helped pioneer the first 3G data transmissions working with Motorola and others to demonstrate one of the first 3G video calls at the 3GSM show in 1998 – many years before 3G licences were awarded. 

Raj was a founder member of 3G technology startup UbiNetics (1999), that successfully exited in 2005 for over $120m USD. As part of that deal, Raj joined CSR and ultimately took the role of VP Marketing where he was part of the team that acquired SiRF Technologies for $136m (2009) to add GPS technology to CSR portfolio. In 2012, he helped sell CSR’s handset business to Samsung in a deal worth $310m for 310 staff. As part of Samsung, Raj was promoted to VP heading up the SCSC division leading the silicon and software development for Samsung’s chipsets for over a decade, providing connectivity technology that shipped in hundreds of millions of Samsung products.

Raj has held a number of board positions including Chair of Cambridge Wireless and NED for CSA Catapult bringing experience and advice on the global semiconductor market.

Brian Robertson is a senior strategy and partnerships leader with over 25 years of international experience across telecommunications, technology and semiconductor ecosystems, including Arm, Broadcom, Texas Instruments, NXP and most recently at the GSMA as Head of Industry Strategy.

He has worked extensively with operators, hyperscalers and silicon vendors to build strategic partnerships, shape industry initiatives and drive growth through complex, multi-party collaboration. His experience spans global roles across Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America, leading geographically distributed teams and delivering programmes in areas including AI, Quantum Technologies, next-generation networks, mobile & compute.

Brian brings deep expertise in international partnerships, ecosystem development and aligning stakeholders across industry and government to support innovation, investment and long-term growth.

Mike Bishop is Head of Communications at the UK Semiconductor Centre, where he leads efforts to support the promotion and growth of the UK semiconductor sector, helping to showcase UK capability internationally and strengthen collaboration across industry, academia and government.

With extensive experience in science, innovation and deep tech, Mike specialises in translating complex technical subjects into clear, compelling narratives that build awareness, influence stakeholders and drive impact.

Before joining the UKSC, Mike held senior communications roles at Cardiff University, Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult and the Institute of Physics, leading strategic marketing and communications programmes that promoted UK excellence in advanced materials and semiconductor technologies.

Throughout his career, he has worked alongside leading scientists, engineers and technology businesses to connect innovation with investors, policymakers and wider audiences. His expertise spans strategic communications, media relations, brand development, digital content and thought leadership, with a focus on raising the profile of UK science, innovation and technology.

Martin works at the intersection of industry, capital and strategy to support the growth of the UK semiconductor ecosystem. He holds a PhD in semiconductor physics and began his career in semiconductor R&D, including roles at Toshiba and Philips Research Laboratories. He later moved into technology equity research and capital markets, where he built extensive experience analysing complex technology businesses and explaining their strategic and commercial significance to a wide range of investors and other stakeholders. 

At the UK Semiconductor Centre, Martin focuses on improving the visibility and understanding of UK semiconductor capabilities and strengthening links across the wider ecosystem. His work is shaped by both technical and market experience, and by a particular interest in how clearer market understanding can support long-term sector development. 

Steve Taylor is a strategic marketing and communications leader with more than 30 years’ experience working across semiconductors, advanced hardware and global technology ecosystems.

He has held senior roles at Arm, Linaro, Paragraf and the Autoware Foundation, supporting organisations to scale internationally and align industry, government and academic stakeholders. At Arm, he led global PR during its rise to be widely recognised as Intel’s primary competitor.

More recently, he has worked at the intersection of semiconductor innovation, industrial strategy and international collaboration, helping position emerging technologies and ecosystems for growth across the UK, Europe and Asia.

Alexandra Leadley is an experienced workforce and skills strategist with a career spanning over 15 years across higher education, the advanced technology sector and the creative industries. She plays a pivotal role in aligning UK skills development with industrial strategy, driving public-private collaboration, and leading national and international workforce initiatives. Her work focuses on talent pipeline development, policy influence, and creating long term impact.

She sits on several national advisory groups, including the DSIT Compound Semiconductor Skills Group, NEAME Skills Forum and the Women in Techworks steering group. Alexandra is known for her ability to build cross-sector partnerships, secure funding, and lead inclusive initiatives. Alexandra is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and has consistently championed programmes that create accessible pathways into high-growth industries