Gary E. Dickerson
Summary
Gary E. Dickerson has led Applied Materials as president since June 2012 and as chief executive officer and executive director since September 2013. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/6951/000162828025056742/amat-20251026.htm))
Biography
Dickerson joined Applied Materials after the company acquired Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates in November 2011. He had been Varian’s chief executive officer and a director from 2004 until the acquisition. Before Varian, he spent 18 years at KLA-Tencor in operations and product-development roles, including president and chief operating officer. He began his semiconductor career in manufacturing and engineering management at General Motors’ Delco Electronics Division and AT&T Technologies. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/6951/000162828025056742/amat-20251026.htm)) As Applied’s CEO, Dickerson has overseen a period of expansion in semiconductor equipment, services and materials-engineering products. Applied says that since he became CEO in 2013, revenue has grown more than 3.5 times and the company has added more than 8,500 patents; fiscal 2025 produced record annual revenue of $28.37 billion and marked the company’s sixth consecutive year of growth. ([appliedmaterials.com](https://www.appliedmaterials.com/cn/zh_cn/about/leadership/board-of-directors/gary-dickerson.html?utm_source=openai))
Notable achievements
- Led Applied Materials after the $4.2 billion acquisition of Varian, adding ion-implantation equipment to Applied’s semiconductor portfolio. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/6951/000000695112000018/amat10282012-10kdoc.htm?utm_source=openai))
- Oversaw long-term expansion that Applied says increased revenue more than 3.5 times since he became CEO in 2013. ([appliedmaterials.com](https://www.appliedmaterials.com/cn/zh_cn/about/leadership/board-of-directors/gary-dickerson.html?utm_source=openai))
- Guided the company to record fiscal 2025 revenue of $28.37 billion and six consecutive years of growth. ([ir.appliedmaterials.com](https://ir.appliedmaterials.com/news-releases/news-release-details/applied-materials-announces-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-year-2025/?utm_source=openai))
- Supported continued investment in research and development, with Applied reporting approximately $3.6 billion of R&D spending and about 23,500 patents in its 2025 impact report. ([appliedmaterials.com](https://www.appliedmaterials.com/content/dam/site/company/csr/doc/2025_impact_report.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf?utm_source=openai))
- During his tenure, Applied authorized a $10 billion share-repurchase program and raised its quarterly dividend by 15% in March 2025. ([ir.appliedmaterials.com](https://ir.appliedmaterials.com/news-releases/news-release-details/applied-materials-increases-quarterly-cash-dividend-15-percent?utm_source=openai))
Problem areas / controversies
- Applied agreed in February 2026 to pay a $252.5 million civil penalty to the U.S. Commerce Department over alleged export-control violations involving shipments to China between November 2020 and July 2022; the company said the matter resulted from a misunderstanding of the rules. ([ir.appliedmaterials.com](https://ir.appliedmaterials.com/news-releases/news-release-details/applied-materials-reaches-resolution-us-department-commerce))
- The proposed $2.2 billion acquisition of Kokusai Electric was terminated in 2021 after delays in obtaining approval from China’s regulator, limiting a planned expansion of Applied’s product portfolio. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_Materials?utm_source=openai))
- U.S.-China export controls have created recurring business pressure, including an estimated roughly $400 million reduction to fiscal 2025 revenue and limits on servicing some China-based equipment. ([businesstimes.com.sg](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/telcos-media-tech/applied-materials-falls-export-controls-weigh-outlook?utm_source=openai))
- No separate widely reported personal controversy involving Dickerson was identified beyond matters connected to Applied’s corporate regulatory and geopolitical risks.