The company stated that "Hill was selected to the position based on his decades of practical experience and technology leadership."
Be that as it may, it probably didn't hurt that Hill is also a principal in Starboard Value, the dissident investment company that took a significant minority position in Marvell in February. (See Activist Investor Latches On to Marvell.)
Hill currently is also chairman of Tessera Technologies, another company in which Starboard Value holds a significant minority stake. Prior to getting involved with Starboard, for 19 years through to 2012, Hill had been CEO at Novellus Systems.
Hill said, "I look forward to working closely with the company's board and shaping the direction of Marvell moving forward. We will continue to focus on our core businesses as well as new market opportunities."
The company is still conducting an executive search to replace founders Sutardja and Dai, who retain seats on Marvell's board.
— Brian Santo, Senior Editor, Components, T&M, Light Reading
-- Brian Santo