Sir Christopher Snowden FREng FRS

Christopher Snowden is an engineer and industrialist who has had a profound impact on the use of microwave semiconductor devices in telecommunications and radar systems. His work on the application of modelling techniques in particular has enabled the rapid and accurate development of new semiconductor designs in a variety of industries around the world.

After more than twenty years spent working with major microwave electronics companies in the United Kingdom and abroad, Christopher was appointed CEO of Filtronic and Filtronic Compound Semiconductors in 1999. Under his leadership, the company introduced new semiconductor technology and at one point manufactured a third of the world’s switches for mobile phones.

Christopher is a Fellow of numerous engineering membership bodies, and a recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Career Award from the European Microwave Association. In the same year, he accepted a knighthood for services to engineering and higher education in his capacity as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey (2005–2015). He will take up the appointment of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton in October 2015.

Professional position

  • Chair of Board of Directors, The ERA Foundation

Subject groups

  • Other

    Science policy, Public understanding of science

  • Astronomy and Physics

    Mathematical and theoretical physics, Semi-conductors, Computational physics

  • Engineering and Materials Science

    Communications incl information theory, Engineering, semiconductors, Engineering, electronics

  • Mathematics

    Applied mathematics and theoretical physics

Sir Christopher Snowden FREng FRS
Elected 2005
Committees Participated Role
Sectional Committee 4: Engineering and Materials Science November 2021 - September 2024 Member
Remuneration Committee July 2012 - May 2013 Member
Council December 2011 - November 2012 Member
Industry Fellowships Joint Panel January 2006 - December 2008 Member