Sassine Ghazi

President and CEO at SYNOPSYS

Board

Since January 1, 2024

Age

54 years

Education

Holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Lebanese American University, a B.S.E.E. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and an M.S.E.E. from the University of Tennessee.

Tenure

Joined Synopsys in March 1998 as an applications engineer, progressed through roles in sales and leadership including General Manager for digital and custom products, Chief Operating Officer from August 2020, President in November 2021, and ultimately became President and CEO on January 1, 2024.

Also at SYNOPSYS

JFRJ

John F. Runkel, Jr.

General Counsel and Secretary

Richard Mahoney

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

Shelagh Glaser

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

About

Sassine Ghazi began his career in the semiconductor industry after obtaining a strong educational foundation in business and electrical engineering, starting out as a design engineer at Intel Corporation.

He joined Synopsys in March 1998 as an applications engineer and steadily advanced through a variety of roles, including key sales positions and leading the largest business group in the company.

Throughout his tenure at Synopsys, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to operational excellence, transitioning through roles as Chief Operating Officer from August 2020, President in November 2021, and ultimately assuming the role of President and CEO on January 1, 2024, thereby guiding Synopsys into its next phase of growth and innovation.

$SNPS Performance Under Sassine Ghazi

Past Roles

Organization [Citation]	Role [Citation]	Date Range [Citation]	Details [Citation]
Synopsys	Chief Operating Officer (COO)	August 2020 - January 2024	Held before becoming President & CEO
Synopsys	General Manager for Digital and Custom Products	N/A	Led the largest business group in Synopsys prior to his appointment as COO
Synopsys	Leadership of Worldwide Strategic Accounts	N/A	Held a series of sales positions with increasing responsibility culminating in this role
Synopsys	Applications Engineer	March 1998 - N/A	Joined Synopsys as an Applications Engineer
Intel Corporation	Design Engineer	N/A	Worked as a design engineer before joining Synopsys

Fixed Compensation

Data from FY 2024

Component Name	Amount	Payment Schedule	Additional Details
Base Salary	$840,000	Annual	34.4% increase from 2023 base salary of $625,000; promotion to CEO; set at the 25th percentile for peer roles
All Other Compensation	$4,500	Annual	Includes 401(k) plan contributions and general employee benefits; no executive-specific perquisites

Performance Compensation

Data from FY 2024

Annual Cash Incentive Payment (EIP)

Metric [Unit]	Value
Target Amount ($, Annual)	$1,680,000
Threshold Requirement (Non-GAAP Margin %)	26.95 (70.0% of target)
Maximum Payout ($, Annual)	$3,780,000
Performance Weights (Revenue : Margin)	60% : 40%
Evaluation Criterion	Minimum 90% weighted average achievement
Actual Payout Adjustment Factor	147.89% of target

Equity Awards

Component	Threshold (Shares/Units)	Target (Shares/Units)	Maximum (Shares/Units)	Vesting Schedule	Grant Details
Performance-Based RSUs (PRSUs)	10,251	27,334	51,252	Vests 100% after a three-year performance period upon certification	Grant Date: Dec 12, 2023; Fair Value: $16,408,327 ; Stock Price: $567.06
Options	N/A	20,508 options	N/A	Vest over four years: 25% vesting on one-year anniversary, then quarterly vesting	Grant Date: Dec 12, 2023; Exercise Price: $567.06 ; Fair Value: $3,750,111
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	N/A	6,614	N/A	Vest in four equal annual installments	Grant Date: Dec 12, 2023; Fair Value: $3,750,535

Additional Performance Metrics for Equity Awards:

PRSUs are subject to revenue CAGR and rTSR modifier requirements, where achievement levels adjust the number of PRSUs earned.

Interviews

Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi talks AI demand and quarterly results

CNBC Television3:33 minFeb 27, 2025

CNBC Television

3:33 min

Feb 27, 2025

Sassine Ghazi

Also at SYNOPSYS

About

$SNPS Performance Under Sassine Ghazi

Past Roles

Fixed Compensation

Performance Compensation

Annual Cash Incentive Payment (EIP)

Equity Awards

Interviews

Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi talks AI demand and quarterly results

Sassine Ghazi, Synopsys CEO: A Fortt Knox Update

SNUG 2025: Interview with Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi

Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi on Q4 results

Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi goes one-on-one with Jim Cramer

Synopsys CEO talks $35 billion Ansys deal

Synopsys CEO on Q3 earnings

[WAIC 2024 Moments] Sassine Ghazi: Responsible AI-A Silicon Design Perspective

Sassine Ghazi: Synopsys in Armenia

Synopsys CEO on Q2 earnings beat

Synopsys CEO on earnings, AI growth and chip-maker demand

Ep. 242: Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi, NVIDIA, Palo Alto Networks and Analog Devices.

Sassine Ghazi, incoming Synopsys CEO: A Fortt Knox Update

Making Markets EP49: The Future of Silicon: Sassine Ghazi’s Vision as the New CEO of Synopsys

We're mission critical to the chip design industry and Nvidia, says Synopsys CEO

Synopsys CEO: We're already seeing benefit of rapid AI adoption