equity and were $10 million in debt. In 1976, that was a lot of money!” That was not the answer I was expecting. It was what he said next that put everything so into perspective. “We turned it around. We established a vision and kept to it. We cut 5 of the 6 businesses that were away from our core and added some new ones. We started thinking of propelling the business rather than working in the fear of going bankrupt. And we quickly saw a tremendous rise in millions of dollars in sales.” Yes, this is an illustration of Leadership and how it worked and how it transformed everything. Jim went on to say that in 1976, the company leaders were located and working separately in Palo Alto, away from the company employees in Santa Clara. One of Jim’s very first acts as President was to move the management group back to Santa Clara – where they would be a visible and inclusive part of the company. This was very important to Jim. “Morale is important to success!”, he said. “Good leadership inspires good morale!” He realized later that his personal mission was to help individuals and organizations realize their potential. If you want to know in a nutshell, who and what Jim and Becky Morgan are about, I would say, this is it. They are on the same page, and always have been. Jim moved to CEO 1977-2003 and then Chairman 1987-2009. During this time, Applied Materials grew to become one of the most successful and most respected companies in Silicon Valley and the world. I mentioned how it seems he has always surrounded himself with outstanding people, that his Board of Directors read like a Who’s Who. He and Becky both said how very important that was and still is today. In 1996, Jim won the National Medal of Technology for Industry Leadership. He was awarded the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Lifetime Achievement Award for his ethics, community engagement and business success. And he takes great pride in being a founder and supporter of the popular Tech Awards – honoring people who help humanity through technology. He was then surprised that they selected him to be the first recipient of the Global Humanitarian Award.
Photo credit: LucieXYZ Photography
Under his leadership, Applied Materials won every award or has been on every good list imaginable: The 100 Best Corporate Citizens, The Super 100, Biggest Best Companies, 100 Most Important Companies in the World, 100 Best Management Teams in the World, Best Companies for Asians, Blacks & Hispanics To Work For, 100 Best Companies To Work For … and endless times, too, for always being among the very best, here or anywhere, in their corporate giving. It was as if all these years, Applied Materials was synonymous with success and giving. The interesting thing? When financial times were hard, and community charitable giving was often cut back, Applied Materials employees gave more. Yes, more. They felt community would need more. For Becky, what has always been an extremely important and driving force is: “Public Service” and “Collaboration”. That in a nutshell helps to describe who she is. She doesn’t care to be called a politician. Rather, she likes to be called “Public Servant” - and that it’s about our working together and finding solutions. Indeed, she has dedicated her entire life to being, and doing, just that. She has served as a Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor, and as our State Senator in Sacramento, and then as CEO of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley – a