TDK employees take home two awards at MEMS and Sensors Executive Congress

  • David Horsley was inducted into the 2021 MEMS and Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) Hall of Fame
  • Omar Abed earned an Emerging Leaders Award for industry innovators under 40

October 13, 2021

TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) today announced two personnel award wins at the 2021 MEMS and Sensors Executive Congress in San Diego. Dr. David Horsley, Co-Founder and CTO of Chirp Microsystems, a TDK Group Company, was named as an inductee into the 2021 MEMS and Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) Hall of Fame while Omar Abed, Vice President and General Manager of TDK InvenSense’s Microphone Business Unit, received the Emerging Leaders Award. Both awards further cement TDK as an established, impactful leader in MEMS and sensors.

Presented annually, the MSIG Hall of Fame recognizes new, cutting-edge products and industry leaders that have left a substantial mark on the MEMS and sensors markets. Horsley’s recognition as a Hall of Fame member marks the third time a TDK employee received this recognition, with Yoshio Sekiguchi, InvenSense’s Senior Strategic Advisor inducted in 2018 and Peter Hartwell, InvenSense’s CTO, inducted in 2019.

“I feel honored to be named as a leader in the MEMS and sensors industry alongside such a talented roster of innovators,” shared Horsley. “This award is really a recognition of the whole Chirp team’s contributions to the MEMS industry.”

Horsley is also a faculty member at the University of California and recently became a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in recognition for his contributions to the field of ultrasonic MEMS, including the invention and commercialization of the ultrasonic MEMS fingerprint sensor and the ultrasonic MEMS time-of-flight sensor. Horsley holds a PhD from UC Berkeley and has 22 issued patents.

“I am honored and humbled to be awarded by MSIG for my work leading teams to bring disruptive technology to the market,” shared Abed. “I am proud to have been a part of the development of many rising stars through my personal mission of driving innovation forward while helping to build the next generation of leaders in the sensor industry.”

The Emerging Leaders Award recognizes innovative emerging leaders under 40 years old who are a driving force behind the creation of products, methods, and materials of the future. Abed received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis on Analog and RF Circuit Design from University of Southern California. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development and holds five patents for his work on MEMS pressure sensors.


About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a world leader in electronic solutions for the smart society based in Tokyo, Japan. Built on a foundation of material sciences mastery, TDK welcomes societal transformation by resolutely remaining at the forefront of technological evolution and deliberately “Attracting Tomorrow.” It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK’s comprehensive, innovation-driven portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, and information and communication technology. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2021, TDK posted total sales of USD 13.3 billion and employed about 129,000 people worldwide.

About InvenSense

InvenSense, Inc., a TDK Group company, is a world leading provider of MEMS sensor platforms. InvenSense’s vision of Sensing Everything® targets the consumer electronics and industrial areas with integrated Motion, Sound, and Ultrasonic solutions. InvenSense’s solutions combine MEMS (micro electrical mechanical systems) sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, microphones, and ultrasonic 3D-sensing with proprietary algorithms and firmware that intelligently process, synthesize, and calibrate the output of sensors, maximizing performance and accuracy. InvenSense’s motion tracking, ultrasonic, audio, fingerprint, location platforms and services can be found in Mobile, Wearables, Smart Home, Industrial, Automotive, and IoT products. InvenSense became part of the MEMS Sensors Business Group within the newly formed Sensor Systems Business Company of TDK Corporation in 2017. In February of 2018, Chirp Microsystems joined the InvenSense family through its acquisition by TDK. InvenSense is headquartered in San Jose, California and has offices worldwide. For more information, go to tdk.invensense.com