Directorate Change

IQE PLC
07 March 2003








IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           7 March 2003




                                    IQE plc



                                 Board Changes





IQE, the leading outsource supplier of advanced wafers to the semiconductor
industry, today announces the resignation from the Board of Directors of Tom
Hierl, currently Chief Technical Officer and Steve Byars, currently Chief
Operating Officer. The Board has accepted their resignations in support of the
restructuring of the Group's activities.



Both individuals will remain available as Consultants to the Group for a period
of up to twelve months.



Drew Nelson, CEO, commented,



'Both Tom and Steve have been instrumental in growing IQE's position within the
Semiconductor Industry to be the leading supplier of advanced wafer products and
the organisation has much to thank them for.



Tom was the original founder of QED which still forms the core of our business
in the US today; Steve was instrumental in implementing many of the
manufacturing controls and procedures found in the high volume Silicon sector
and also in establishing IQE Silicon from a start-up and its subsequent
positioning in the area of SiGe Epi and strained silicon technology.



These have been very difficult times and it is testament to their support and
integrity that they are willing to step down, in order to assist our cost
cutting and restructuring programme. Nevertheless, their talent and experience
will continue to be available to the Group for the foreseeable future in their
respective consultancy roles'.



Following these changes, the Board of Directors of IQE plc now comprises Dr
Godfrey Ainsworth, Non Executive Chairman; Dr Andrew Nelson, President and Chief
Executive Officer; Mr Simon Gibson, Non Executive Director; Mr Martin Lamb,
Managing Director Wafer Technology Limited; and Dr Michael Scott, Sales and
Marketing Director. IQE intends to appoint a third Non-Executive Director to
replace Mr Glen Bressner, who resigned as Non Executive Director on 17 May 2002.
Tim Hawkes, Acting CFO and Leslie Coventry, Company Secretary, continue to be
Officers of IQE plc.



For further information please contact:
Drew Nelson, President and CEO, IQE plc                                       [phone]
Tim Thompson/Nicky Cronk, Buchanan Communications                             [phone]




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