Synaptics, a US-based edge artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker, has appointed former Qualcomm executive Rahul Patel as its new president, chief executive officer (CEO), and board director.
Patel’s predecessor was Ken Rizvi, interim CEO, who has held the role since February 2025 and continues to serve as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO).
With over three decades of experience in the semiconductor industry, Patel brings deep expertise in high-performance edge AI and wireless connectivity solutions across handsets, tablets, PCs, wearables, internet of things (IoT) applications, and networking technologies for enterprise and home use.
Before joining Synaptics, Patel spent nearly 10 years at Qualcomm, most recently as senior vice president (SVP) and group general manager of the Connectivity, Broadband & Networking Group, where he led a multi-billion-dollar portfolio. Prior to that, he served 13 years at Broadcom in various senior leadership positions, including SVP and general manager (GM) of the Wireless Connectivity Group, where he was instrumental in expanding Broadcom’s market leadership in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS technologies.
