The board of directors of Semtech, Corp. appointed Rockell N. Hankin as its new chairman of the board, succeeding John D. Poe, the company announced Monday. Poe stepped down as chairman of the Camarillo-based semiconductor supplier amid an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission into the company’s stock option practices. Poe told the board he is taking a leave of absence from the board to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest during the investigation, the company said. Hankin has been a Semtech director since 1988 and board vice chairman since 1998. He serves on the company’s audit and nominating committees. Semtech President and CEO Mohan R. Maheswaran said Hankin’s leadership will help in crafting and executing the company’s future strategy. “He has a broad range of business experience and is without question extremely well versed in corporate governance,” Maheswaran said in a written statement.
