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Created page with "{{Insert top}}{{Insert quote panel | {{Jean-Marc Chéry/random quote}}}} == Overview == {{Infobox person | name = Jean-Marc Chéry | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | image = jean-marc-chery.jpg | birth_date = 5 July 1960 | birth_place = Orléans, France | citizenship = France | education = Engineering | alma_mater = École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) | occupation = Engineer; business executive | employer = STMicroelectronics | title =..."
 
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== Overview ==
{{Infobox person
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| honorific_prefix =
| honorific_suffix =
| image = jean-marc-cherychéry.jpg
| birth_date = 5 July 1960
| birth_place = Orléans, France
| citizenship = France
| education = Engineering
| alma_mater = École Nationale Supérieure d'Artsd’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM)
| occupation = Engineer; business executive
| employer = [[STMicroelectronics]]
| title = President and [[Chief executiveExecutive officer|CEO]]Officer
| term = 31 May 2018 – present2018–present
| predecessor = Carlo Bozotti
| successor =
| boards = [[STMicroelectronics; Legrand]]; [[Capgemini]]; [[Global Semiconductor Alliance]] (chairman)
| known_for = PresidentLeadership of STMicroelectronics and CEOrole ofin [[STMicroelectronics]]the European semiconductor industry
| spouse = Married
| children = 3Three daughters
| awards = Knight of the Legion of HonourHonor (2019); ''Usine Nouvelle'' Industrialist of the Year (2022'' (''Usine Nouvelle'')
| signature =
| website =
| website = https://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/about/who-we-are/management.html
}}
 
👤🧭 '''Jean-Marc Chéry''' (born 5 July 1960) is a French engineer and business executive who has served as President and [[Chief executiveExecutive officer|CEO]]Officer of [[STMicroelectronics]], a Franco-Italian semiconductor manufacturer, since 31 May 2018.<ref name="st-mgmtSTManagement">{{cite web |url=https://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/about/who-we-are/management.html |title=Discover our management team |publisher=STMicroelectronics |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="frwikiFRWiki">{{cite web |url=https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Marc_Ch%C3%A9ry |title=Jean-Marc Chéry |publisher=Wikipédia |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> ATrained graduateas ofa mechanical and industrial engineer at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Artsd’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), he joined [[Thomson Semiconducteurs]] in 1986 and has spent his entire subsequent career withininside the Franco-Italian chipmakergroup that later became [[STMicroelectronics]], risingprogressing through manufacturing, technology and operational roles before assumingtaking the top job.<ref name="frwikiSTManagement" /> AsBeyond chiefhis executive heresponsibilities hasat focused on automotive and industrial semiconductorsST, sensorsChéry andhas microcontrollers,been overseeingactive majorin fabricationindustry projects in Europebodies and guidingon thecorporate company through the COVID-19-era chip boomboards, aserving sharpas downturnchair inof 2024–2025the andGlobal debatesSemiconductor over strategy, governance, lay-offsAlliance and executiveas pay.<refa name="challenges">{{cite web |url=https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/stmicroelectronics-champion-franco-italien-des-puces-electroniques-en-plein-decrochage-la-strategie-de-jean-marc-chery-contestee_605018 |title=STMicroelectronics, champion franco-italien des puces électroniques, en plein décrochage : la stratégie de Jean-Marc Chéry contestée |publisher=Challenges |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref><ref name="webull">{{cite web |url=https://www.webull.com/news/12851268895900672 |title=It Looks Like STMicroelectronics N.V.'s (EPA:STMPA) CEO May Expect Their Salary To Be Put Under The Microscope |publisher=Simply Wall St via Webull |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> He also sits on the boardsdirector of [[Legrand]] and [[Capgemini]], and haspreviously heldleading leadershipEuropean rolesassociations insuch industryas bodiesAENEAS includingand the [[GlobalEuropean Semiconductor Alliance]]Industry Association (ESIA).<ref name="st-mgmtSTManagement" />
 
📈 '''Career arc.''' Over four decades Chéry has been closely associated with the evolution of STMicroelectronics from a European commodity chipmaker into a diversified supplier of automotive, industrial and sensor technologies. Having helped to design and execute a major restructuring in the early 2010s after the failure of the ST-Ericsson joint venture, he was seen internally as one of the architects of the company’s turnaround and subsequent growth in imaging sensors and microcontrollers.<ref name="EETimesQA">{{cite web |url=https://www.eetimes.com/qa-with-st-ceo-who-he-is-what-hes-done/ |title=Q&A with ST CEO: Who He Is, What He's Done |publisher=EE Times |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> As Chief Executive Officer he has pursued a strategy centred on automotive and industrial semiconductors, backed by large investments in European fabrication plants, but he has also faced criticism as ST’s financial performance weakened sharply in 2024–2025 and the group appeared under-exposed to the boom in artificial-intelligence-related chips.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage">{{cite web |url=https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/stmicroelectronics-champion-franco-italien-des-puces-electroniques-en-plein-decrochage-la-strategie-de-jean-marc-chery-contestee_605018 |title=STMicroelectronics, champion franco-italien des puces électroniques, en plein décrochage : la stratégie de Jean-Marc Chéry contestée |publisher=Challenges |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
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== Early life and education ==
 
🏠👶 '''Origins and education.''' Chéry was born on 5 July 1960 in Orléans, in central France, into a modest family with close ties to technology; his father worked as a mainframe computer maintenance technician on large mainframe computers, givingwhich exposed him early exposure to computingthe world of machines and electronics.<ref name="st-mgmtFRWiki" /><ref name="frwikiSTManagement" /> HeThis studiedenvironment, engineeringcombining athands-on thetechnical Écolework Nationaleand Supérieurethe d'Artsroutines etof Métiersindustrial (ENSAM) in Parislife, graduating in 1983, and later saidinformed thathis theown school'sdescription practicalof traininghimself andas focusan onengineer humanat factorsheart forgedrather thethan disciplineda ''Gadzarts''financier mindsetor heprofessional carried into industrymanager.<ref name="frwiki" /><ref name="eetimes">{{cite web |url=https://www.eetimes.com/qa-with-st-ceo-who-he-is-what-hes-done/ |title=Q&A with ST CEO: Who He Is, What He's Done |publisher=EE Times |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref>
 
🎓 '''Engineering education.''' After secondary schooling in Orléans, Chéry moved to Paris to study at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), one of France’s traditional grandes écoles specialising in mechanical and industrial engineering.<ref name="FRWiki" /> He graduated in 1983 with an engineering degree and has credited ENSAM’s emphasis on workshop practice, human factors in industry and collective discipline with shaping the “Gadzarts” mindset—named after the school’s alumni—that he carried into his professional life, likening its demands to the mental training of competitive sport.
🛠️ '''Early career in industry.''' After graduating, Chéry began his career in 1983 at the French engineering group Matra, working in its quality organisation and performing mechanical tests before moving closer to electronics.<ref name="frwiki" /> In 1986 he joined [[Thomson Semiconducteurs]], the French chipmaker that would be folded into [[STMicroelectronics]], a move he later described as a decisive step that redirected him from general engineering into the emerging semiconductor sector and tied his professional fate to the company.<ref name="frwiki" /><ref name="eetimes" />
 
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== Career ==
 
🧰 '''Early career.''' Chéry began his professional career in 1983 at the French engineering group Matra, where he worked in the mechanical testing department for two years.<ref name="FRWiki" /> The position, far from the cutting edge of electronics, nonetheless provided experience in industrial quality and reliability that he would later apply to semiconductor manufacturing. In 1986 he left Matra to join Thomson Semiconducteurs, then a French state-backed chipmaker that would later merge into STMicroelectronics, thereby committing his career to the nascent European semiconductor sector.<ref name="FRWiki" /><ref name="STManagement" />
=== Manufacturing and operations (1987–2005) ===
 
🏭 '''FabManufacturing management in Tours and Roussetleadership.''' BarelyWithin a year afterof joining Thomson Semiconducteurs, the 27-year-old Chéry was putappointed into charge ofrun a wafer fabrication plant in Tours, France, where hesilicon ranwafers [[semiconductor]]for manufacturingintegrated operationscircuits were produced.<ref name="FRWiki" /><ref name="STManagement" /> He managed the Tours facility from 1987 to 2001 beforeand was beingthen promoted to directdirector ST'sof ST’s Rousset plant in Provence from 2001 to 2005, gaining a reputation as a pragmatic, operations-focused manager able to improve yields and streamline production.<ref name="frwikiFRWiki" /><ref name="stIn 2005 he led a group-mgmt"wide />restructuring Theseof posts150-millimetre cemented(6-inch) hiswafer reputationproduction, closing and consolidating lines as athe pragmaticcompany migrated to more advanced processes, operations-focusedand managerin able2006 he moved to driveSingapore efficiencyto andhead improveST’s yieldsfront-end onmanufacturing activities in the factoryAsia-Pacific floorregion, extending his experience to international, multicultural teams.<ref name="STManagement" /><ref name="FRWiki" />
 
💡 '''Technology strategy.''' In 2008 Chéry joined the top management ranks when he was promoted to Chief Technology Officer of STMicroelectronics, with subsequent responsibility for group-wide Manufacturing and Quality from 2011 and the Digital Products division from 2012.<ref name="STManagement" /><ref name="FRWiki" /> This period coincided with the wind-down of ST-Ericsson, the mobile-chip joint venture with Ericsson that had failed to capitalise on the smartphone boom, and the company’s need to reset its strategy. Working closely with then-chief executive Carlo Bozotti, Chéry helped design a major restructuring plan in 2012 that shifted ST’s focus away from commoditised mobile platforms and towards differentiated products such as microcontrollers and sensors.<ref name="EETimesQA" /> One of his most noted contributions was to push for a repositioning of ST’s imaging business from low-margin camera modules into advanced imaging sensors, including time-of-flight and structured-light devices used in mobile phones and automotive applications, which drew on close collaboration with a large, unnamed customer later identified in the trade press as Apple.<ref name="EETimesQA" />
🌏 '''Global manufacturing responsibilities.''' In 2005 Chéry led a company-wide restructuring of 6-inch wafer production, consolidating and modernising legacy lines, and the following year he moved to Singapore to head [[STMicroelectronics]]' front-end manufacturing in the Asia-Pacific region, overseeing multicultural teams and the expansion of the group's Asian production base.<ref name="st-mgmt" /><ref name="frwiki" />
 
📊🧑‍💼 '''COO,Ascent deputyto CEO and succession.''' Chéry's broadChéry’s experience across manufacturing, technologyR&D, marketingcustomer service and customer servicemarketing made him a natural candidate for highermore office;general management roles, and in 2014 he becamewas appointed Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for day-to-dayglobal technology and manufacturing operations.<ref worldwide,name="STManagement" and/><ref inname="FRWiki" /> In July 2017 he was appointedbecame Deputy CEOChief Executive Officer with ana expandedbroadened remit that included global sales and marketing.<ref name="st-mgmt"worldwide, />a position widely interpreted as preparing him to succeed Bozotti.<ref name="frwikiSTManagement" /> On 31 May 2018 he succeededformally Carlotook Bozottiover as President and CEO of [[STMicroelectronics]], becoming the first French national to holdexercise sole commandoperational control of the binational companygroup, while also chairing its Managing Board and Executive Committee.<ref name="st-mgmtSTManagement" /><ref name="frwikiFRWiki" />▼
=== Technology leadership and restructuring (2005–2013) ===
 
🌍 '''Strategic priorities.''' As Chief Executive Officer, Chéry has focused ST’s strategy on markets where the company has long-standing strengths: automotive and industrial semiconductors, power electronics, sensors and microcontrollers.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" /> He endorsed an ambitious medium-term revenue objective of around US$20 billion and committed to heavy capital expenditure, including a multi-billion-euro project to expand a leading-edge fabrication complex in Crolles in south-eastern France, supported by substantial French and Italian public subsidies as part of Europe’s effort to reinforce its semiconductor base.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" /> At the same time, he promoted a “China for China” industrial strategy—building capacity inside China to serve Chinese demand—and publicly argued that Europe should “defend globalization”, reflecting his belief that open global supply chains remain essential for the industry’s competitiveness.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" /><ref name="FRWiki" />
💡 '''Chief Technology Officer and post-ST-Ericsson restructuring.''' In 2008 Chéry joined the top ranks of [[STMicroelectronics]] as group Chief Technology Officer, later assuming responsibility for company-wide Production and Quality in 2011 and leading the Digital Products division from 2012.<ref name="st-mgmt" /><ref name="frwiki" /> During this period he worked closely with CEO Carlo Bozotti to design a far-reaching restructuring plan after the failure of the ST-Ericsson joint venture, which had left the company exposed to losses and the missed smartphone boom.<ref name="eetimes" />
 
📉 '''Downturn and performance.''' STMicroelectronics benefited strongly from the global semiconductor boom of 2020–2021, with robust demand in automotive and industrial markets, but under Chéry the group later became vulnerable to a cyclical reversal.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" /> By 2022–2023 oversupply in automotive chips and a slowdown in electric-vehicle sales contributed to a sharp deterioration in results, while ST’s portfolio left it less exposed than some competitors to fast-growing artificial-intelligence and data-centre applications.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" /> In 2024 the company’s revenue fell by more than 20 per cent and net profit dropped by nearly 90 per cent year-on-year in early 2025, a steeper decline than that experienced by several European peers, and the share price retreated accordingly, yielding a negative total shareholder return over the preceding three-year period.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" /><ref name="WebullSWST">{{cite web |url=https://www.webull.com/news/12851268895900672 |title=It Looks Like STMicroelectronics N.V.'s (EPA:STMPA) CEO May Expect Their Salary To Be Put Under The Microscope |publisher=Simply Wall St via Webull |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> The original US$20-billion revenue target was pushed back to 2030, signalling that the growth trajectory envisaged when Chéry became CEO would take longer than initially planned.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" />
📸 '''Imaging pivot and sensor strategy.''' As part of that turnaround, Chéry advocated refocusing ST's imaging business away from low-margin commodity camera modules towards specialised, higher-value sensors, pushing for advanced 3D structured-light and time-of-flight imaging solutions for smartphones and for automotive applications.<ref name="eetimes" /> Under his guidance [[STMicroelectronics]] developed sensors for a major smartphone customer, later identified in the press as Apple, and strengthened its position in sensors and microcontrollers, moves widely credited with helping to restore the group's competitiveness after 2012.<ref name="eetimes" /><ref name="challenges" />
 
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=== Executive management and CEO appointment ===
== Financials, roles and recognition ==
 
💶 '''Compensation and ownership.''' As chief executive of STMicroelectronics, Chéry receives a remuneration package that places him among the better-paid leaders of European semiconductor companies of comparable size.<ref name="WebullSWST" /> Analysis of public disclosures for the 2024 financial year indicates total compensation of roughly US$9.5 million (about €8.5 million), up around 30 per cent year-on-year, with a base salary near US$1.2 million and the remainder consisting of variable bonuses and equity-based awards.<ref name="WebullSWST" /> Commentators have noted that this exceeds median pay levels for peer-group CEOs and that Chéry’s personal shareholding in ST remains small—on the order of a few million euros in stock—so that the bulk of his potential wealth from the company comes from incentive plans rather than from a large ownership stake.<ref name="WebullSWST" /> These figures have occasionally been criticised by segments of the shareholder base, particularly in light of the downturn in earnings and share performance since 2024, and they have been discussed at annual general meetings as part of broader debates over governance and strategic direction.<ref name="WebullSWST" /><ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" />
▲📊 '''COO, deputy CEO and succession.''' Chéry's broad experience across manufacturing, technology, marketing and customer service made him a natural candidate for higher office; in 2014 he became Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for day-to-day operations worldwide, and in 2017 he was appointed Deputy CEO with an expanded remit that included global sales and marketing.<ref name="st-mgmt" /><ref name="frwiki" /> On 31 May 2018 he succeeded Carlo Bozotti as President and CEO of [[STMicroelectronics]], becoming the first French national to hold sole command of the binational company.<ref name="st-mgmt" /><ref name="frwiki" />
 
🏅 '''Industry roles and honors.''' In addition to his executive post at ST, Chéry has occupied a number of external governance and advocacy roles within the electronics industry. He chairs the Board of Directors of the Global Semiconductor Alliance and sits on the boards of Legrand and Capgemini, expanding his influence beyond the chip sector into electrical equipment and IT services.<ref name="STManagement" /> He has also held leadership positions in European collaborative bodies, including serving as President of AENEAS, which promotes micro- and nanoelectronics research, and heading the European Semiconductor Industry Association between 2019 and 2021.<ref name="STManagement" /> In 2019 the French authorities appointed him a Knight of the Legion of Honor, one of the country’s principal civil distinctions, and the trade publication ''Usine Nouvelle'' later designated him “Industrialist of the Year 2022” for his role in guiding ST through the pandemic-era supply-chain crisis and capacity expansion.<ref name="STManagement" /><ref name="FRWiki" />
=== Strategic direction as chief executive ===
 
🚗 '''Automotive- and industrial-focused growth strategy.''' As chief executive, Chéry set out a strategy that doubled down on [[STMicroelectronics]]' long-standing strengths in automotive and industrial semiconductors, sensors and microcontrollers while pursuing new growth areas through heavy investment in manufacturing capacity.<ref name="challenges" /><ref name="st-mgmt" /> He announced ambitious revenue targets, including a long-term goal of US$20&nbsp;billion in annual sales, championed major fabrication projects in Europe such as a €7.5&nbsp;billion plant in Crolles backed by French and Italian public subsidies, and promoted a "China for China" approach of building in China for the Chinese market even as geopolitical tensions rose.<ref name="challenges" /> In a 2020 interview he argued that "Europe must defend globalisation", underlining his belief that open global supply chains are essential for the semiconductor industry.<ref name="frwiki" />
 
=== Boom, downturn and strategic criticisms ===
 
📉 '''Boom, downturn and exposure to the auto cycle.''' [[STMicroelectronics]] initially benefited from a global semiconductor boom in 2020–2021, when demand surged across smartphones, consumer electronics and cars, and the company posted record revenues and share-price gains; however, by 2022–2023 the cycle had cooled and weaknesses in Chéry's strategy became apparent.<ref name="challenges" /> The group was heavily exposed to automotive chips, a segment hit by oversupply and an electric-vehicle slowdown in Europe, and less present than some rivals in fast-growing AI and data-centre processors.<ref name="challenges" /> In 2024 revenues fell by about 23&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent and by the first quarter of 2025 net profit was down 89&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent year-on-year, while European peers such as NXP and Infineon reported much smaller sales declines of around 5–8&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent.<ref name="challenges" /> Over the three years to May 2025 total shareholder return was about −34&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent, leading analysts to question the company's positioning and prompting ST to postpone its US$20&nbsp;billion revenue objective to 2030.<ref name="webull" /><ref name="challenges" />
 
== Financial profile and external roles ==
 
💰 '''Compensation and share ownership.''' As CEO of a major global [[semiconductor]] manufacturer, Chéry receives a remuneration package that has drawn scrutiny from investors. For 2024 his total pay was estimated at around US$9.5&nbsp;million (approximately €8.5&nbsp;million), about 30&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent higher than the previous year and well above the roughly US$6.1&nbsp;million median for comparable European semiconductor CEOs, with most of the package made up of performance-linked bonuses and share-based awards.<ref name="webull" /> Some shareholders have criticised the increase in light of falling earnings and share-price performance, and proxy analyses note that he personally owns only a small stake in [[STMicroelectronics]], holding shares worth roughly €1.2&nbsp;million, or about 0.01&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent of the company's capital, meaning that most of his wealth linked to the group comes from incentive schemes rather than large equity holdings.<ref name="webull" />
 
🤝 '''Board mandates, industry bodies and honours.''' Beyond his executive role, Chéry has been appointed to the boards of [[Legrand]] and [[Capgemini]] and has served as chair of the [[Global Semiconductor Alliance]], reflecting his prominence within the wider electronics industry.<ref name="st-mgmt" /> He is also a former president of AENEAS, a European semiconductor research and development consortium, and has led the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA).<ref name="st-mgmt" /><ref name="frwiki" /> In 2019 he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French state, and in 2022 the magazine ''Usine Nouvelle'' named him "Industrialist of the Year" for his role in navigating [[STMicroelectronics]] through the COVID-19-era chip shortage.<ref name="frwiki" />
 
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== Personal life and leadership style ==
 
👪🏡 '''Family and personal interestspersona.''' Despite leading a company with aroundtens 50,000of thousands of employees, Chéry maintains a relatively lowdiscreet publicpersonal profile. HePublic isinformation married,indicates keepsthat hishe spouseis out of the media spotlightmarried and has three daughters, andbut colleagueshe describekeeps himhis asfamily aout family-orientedof executivethe whospotlight prefersand simplerarely pursuitsdiscusses whenhis awayprivate fromlife in workdetail.<ref name="frwikiFRWiki" /> AProfiles 2016in French alumni profilepublications from the Arts et Métiers communityhave portrayed him as "un“un Gadzarts au mental de sportif"—ansportif”, an engineer with an athlete'sathlete’s mindset—highlightingmindset, and have emphasised his interestaffinity infor endurance activities such as cycling and hiking, andwhich suggestingalign thatwith hea approachesself-image professionalbased challengeson with similarperseverance, discipline and stamina.<refincremental name="frwiki"progress />rather than display or celebrity.<ref name="eetimesFRWiki" />
 
🧊 '''Leadership style.''' Accounts from colleagues and journalists describe Chéry as a soft-spoken, fact-driven manager more comfortable on the factory floor or in technical reviews than on conference stages.<ref name="EETimesQA" /> Interviews portray him as methodical and demanding on execution, with an attention to detail rooted in his long experience of running wafer fabrication plants, but not prone to public displays of temper.<ref name="EETimesQA" /> During the downturn of 2024–2025 he adopted a calm rhetorical posture, telling investors that a temporary “storm” did not justify abandoning the company’s strategic course, and his demeanour at shareholder meetings was widely noted as restrained even in the face of sharp questioning about performance, layoffs and investment choices.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" />
🧭 '''Management style and loyalty to ST.''' In interviews Chéry is often described as soft-spoken and fact-driven, avoiding theatrical presentations in favour of detailed discussion of technology and execution, a style widely attributed to his background in fab operations.<ref name="eetimes" /> Observers note that he remains calm even in difficult circumstances; at a 2025 shareholder meeting held during a sharp downturn he remarked that it is not because a leader faces a storm that the course should be changed, emphasising his confidence in the company's long-term trajectory.<ref name="challenges" /> He has also stressed his personal attachment to [[STMicroelectronics]], recalling telling Bozotti during the earlier restructuring that he could be relied upon "forever", and is known internally for favouring promotion from within and continuity in strategic choices.<ref name="eetimes" />
 
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== Controversies and challenges ==
 
⚖️ '''Shareholder lawsuit and communication over the downturnlitigation.''' AlthoughThe Chérysharp hasdeterioration notin beenSTMicroelectronics’ personally implicatedresults in scandals,2024 histriggered tenurenot asonly CEOmarket hascriticism seenbut mountingalso criticismlegal overaction [[STMicroelectronics]]'directed communicationat withChéry investorsand duringother theexecutives. 2024After downturn. Thethe company hadcut initiallyits forecastfull-year revenuesrevenue ofguidance from about US$17&nbsp; billion for 2024 but later cut guidance to roughly US$13&nbsp; billion as orders weakened, and its sharestock price lostfell by more than half, itsa valuegroup overof theinvestors year.<refin name="challenges"the />United A group of shareholders subsequentlyStates filed a class-action lawsuit in New York againstalleging Chérythat andthe Chiefcompany’s Financialleadership Officerhad Lorenzomisled Grandi,the allegingmarket that management misrepresentedabout the severitystate of problems in the automotive business and thatquestioning somecertain executivesshare soldtransactions sharesexecuted before disclosing the extentrevised offorecasts thewere downturnannounced.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" /> Chéry hasand deniedChief anyFinancial Officer Lorenzo Grandi have rejected the wrongdoingallegations, and early judicial decisions in 2025have indicated that the plaintiffs facedface a high legalevidentiary thresholdbar, but the caseproceedings hashave strained relations with some parts of the financialinvestor community and underscored the pressurescrutiny ondirected hisat leadershipthe company’s communications during the downturn.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" />
 
🏛️🇪🇺 '''BinationalFranco-Italian governance dispute and renewal of his mandate.''' STMicroelectronics has an unusual governanceownership structure in which the French and Italian governmentsstates each hold 27.5&nbsp;per&nbsp;centsubstantial of the companystakes through a jointcommon holding vehiclecompany, andreflecting thisthe arrangementgroup’s came under strain in 2023 when Chéry's second three-year term as CEO was due tobinational endorigins.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" /> TheIn Italian2023 government,this ledarrangement bybecame Primethe Ministerbackdrop Giorgiafor Meloni,a opposedpublic grantingdispute himover aChéry’s thirdcontinuation term,in arguingoffice thatwhen underthe hisItalian leadershipgovernment investmentinitially decisionsopposed andrenewing seniorhis appointmentsmandate increasinglyfor favoureda Francethird term, citingamid fasterconcerns progressthat onrecent projectsinvestment suchdecisions—such as the Crollesprioritisation fabof comparedprojects within plansCrolles, forFrance, Cataniaover expansions in SicilyCatania, andItaly—tilted athe declinebalance intoo Italianfar representationtowards in top managementFrance.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" /> AfterThe episode led to tense negotiations between Paris and Rome, the French side and independentto directorsreports prevailedof anda inrare Septembercross-border 2023split Chéryover wasthe reappointedleadership withof a mandatemajor runningindustrial to 2027group, anbut episodeafter describedFrench insupport theand pressboard asdeliberations, aChéry rarewas publicreappointed powerand strugglehis betweenterm theextended twoto shareholder states2027.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" /><ref name="marianneMarianneItaliens">{{cite web |url=https://www.marianne.net/economie/economie-francaise/comment-le-pdg-de-stmicroelectronics-jean-marc-chery-a-finalement-sauve-sa-tete-face-aux-italiens |title=Comment le PDG de STMicroelectronics, Jean-Marc Chéry, a finalement sauvé sa tête face aux Italiens |publisher=Marianne |accessdate=2025-11-20}}</ref> ReflectingIn onlater thecomments controversy,he Chéry later commentedaccepted that criticism of strategic choices is legitimatepart of the role but stressed that challenges should not callimpugn aan leader'sexecutive’s integrity, orsignalling honestythat intohe question,was warningprepared thatto ifdefend thathis linereputation wererobustly crossedwhen thehe companyjudged wouldthat respondline accordinglyto have been crossed.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" />
 
🧑‍🏭👥 '''Lay-offs, subsidiesLayoffs and social responsibilitypublic debatesubsidies.''' Another source of controversy under Chéry’s leadership has been the tension between large state aid packages and workforce reductions. In early 2025 [[STMicroelectronics]] announced plans to cut about 2,800 jobspositions worldwide—aroundworldwide—roughly 5&nbsp; per&nbsp; cent of its workforce—throughstaff—through voluntary departures, including roughlyaround 1,000 positions eachjobs in both France and Italy, as part of a cost-reductionwider programmeeffort duringto theadjust costs to weaker downturndemand.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" /> The timing drew criticism becauseBecause the companyannouncement wasfollowed simultaneouslysignificant benefitingcommitments from substantialof French and Italian public subsidies,funds estimatedto atsubsidise nearlyST’s €5&nbsp;billion,new tofabrication supportplants, newit fabdrew investments;criticism from trade unions and politicianspolitical questionedfigures, whethersome aof firmwhom receivingargued significantthat statethe aidcompany shouldwas bebenefiting reducingfrom stafftaxpayer andsupport accusedwhile STshedding ofjobs failingand topaying upholdlimited itstax socialin responsibilitiesFrance.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" /> Chéry defended the planprogramme as a difficult but necessary, negotiated measure to safeguard the company’s long-term competitiveness and stressedinsisted that the voluntary-departure natureframework ofrespected thesocial departuresobligations, but the episode heightenednonetheless tensionsfuelled withdebate labourover representativesthe insocial bothresponsibilities of strategically important, publicly supported industrial groups in countriesEurope.<ref name="challengesChallengesDecrochage" />
 
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== Legacy and assessment ==
 
🔮 '''Legacy and outlook.''' Assessments of Chéry’s tenure as head of STMicroelectronics emphasise both continuity and tension between operational strength and strategic positioning. Supporters highlight his deep familiarity with the company’s manufacturing base, his role in the post-2012 restructuring and imaging strategy that helped restore growth, and his ability to maintain European investment in advanced chipmaking at a time of global competition for capacity.<ref name="EETimesQA" /><ref name="STManagement" /> Critics, by contrast, point to the company’s heavy exposure to cyclical automotive markets, its relatively modest presence in data-centre and artificial-intelligence processors, and the sharp reversal in profits and shareholder returns after 2023 as signs that ST’s strategy under his leadership has not fully adapted to shifting industry dynamics.<ref name="ChallengesDecrochage" /><ref name="WebullSWST" /> As he continues in office towards the scheduled end of his term in 2027, Chéry faces the dual challenge of steering ST through a difficult phase of the semiconductor cycle and repositioning the company for emerging technologies, while navigating the expectations of governments, investors, employees and broader European industrial policy.
📚 '''Supporters' assessments of his tenure.''' Supporters view Chéry as a loyal "company man" whose four-decade career, from managing wafer fabs in Tours and Rousset to reshaping imaging and sensor strategy and co-designing ST's post-ST-Ericsson restructuring, demonstrates a rare combination of technical depth and operational experience.<ref name="eetimes" /><ref name="challenges" /> They argue that his detailed understanding of manufacturing, his long relationships with customers and suppliers and his links with European policymakers and industry groups position him well to guide [[STMicroelectronics]] through cyclical downturns and future investment cycles.<ref name="st-mgmt" /><ref name="challenges" />
 
🔮 '''Criticisms and future outlook.''' Critics contend that the same continuity and caution that enabled Chéry to stabilise [[STMicroelectronics]] after past crises may have left the company under-represented in fast-growing segments such as AI and data-centre chips and too reliant on cyclical automotive demand, exposing it to the severe 2024–2025 downturn.<ref name="challenges" /><ref name="webull" /> As he leads the group toward its postponed 2030 revenue ambitions amid evolving industrial-policy priorities and intensifying global competition, assessments of his legacy are likely to hinge on whether he can adapt ST's strategy to new technological paradigms while balancing the expectations of governments, investors, employees and customers.<ref name="challenges" />
 
== Related content & more ==
 
=== YouTube videos ===
{{Youtube thumbnail | TIKcn6qPqlk | caption=Interview in French on Boursorama where Chéry describes 2025 as a pivotal year for STMicroelectronics.}}
{{Youtube thumbnail | w9nm7Fc7rkQ | caption=Ecorama/Boursorama interview in which Chéry discusses improving STMicroelectronics' fundamental performance.}}
 
=== biz/articles ===
* [[STMicroelectronics]]
* [[Global Semiconductor Alliance]]
* [[Chief executive officer]]
 
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