TECHNOLOGY : Texas Instruments Names Chairman, Chief Executive

Texas Instruments Inc. named Jim Adams chairman and Tom Engibous president and chief executive, succeeding Jerry R. Junkins, who died of a heart attack last month.

Adams, 57, a former executive of SBC Communications Inc., has served on TI’s board since 1989. Engibous, 43, has been with TI since 1976. He most recently served as executive vice president and leader of the semiconductor group.

The two executives and Vice Chairmen William Mitchell and Pat Weber will be part of the office of the chairman and chief executive. Weber had been acting chairman and CEO since Junkins’ death.

The appointments were made by the board of directors, which considered candidates inside and outside the company.

“They felt that this team approach was the best way to go and Tom was the guy to lead us into the 21st century,” TI spokesman Neil McGlone said.

The Dallas-based chip maker also said Richard Templeton will succeed Engibous as executive vice president and head of the semiconductor group.

Adams joined Southwestern Bell in 1962 after graduating from Texas A&M; University and was president and chief executive of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. from 1988 to 1992. He was group president of the SBC international subsidiaries from 1992 until his retirement in June 1995.

“His perspective from the communications industry will serve us well as we pursue our vision of world leadership in digital solutions for the networked society,” director William Lee said in a statement.

Engibous joined TI as an engineer designing integrated circuits after his graduation from Purdue University in Indiana. He has been manager of application-specific chips and a vice president in the semiconductor group. He succeeded Weber as head of the semiconductor group.

“He’s a strong leader and team player,” Weber said in a statement. “Tom will do a great job as president and CEO.”