New Board Chairman Appointed at Akrion

Peter Kirlin was appointed executive chairman of Allentown, Pa.-based Akrion Inc., a provider of single-wafer and batch-immersion cleaning systems for the semiconductor industry, effective Jan. 1. Kirlin has been a member of Akrion's board since Dec. 2003 and has more than 20 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, having held senior management positions as such group vice president of ATMI, chief business development officer of Mykrolis (now Entegris) and CEO of DuPont Photomasks. Kirlin replaces David Preiser, who resigned as chairman to manage Houlihan Lokey's European operations. Houlihan Lokey, an international investment bank based in New York, is Akrion's principal owner. Preiser will remain a member of Akrion's board.