Senior Change to Board of Directors

IQE PLC
10 July 2000
                            
                         IQE PLC
       Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer


IQE  plc,  the  leading  outsource supplier  of  compound
semiconductor epiwafers to the world market,  is  pleased
to  announce the appointment of Mr Albert G.  Pastino  as
Group  CFO and Treasurer.  Mr Pastino will be located  in
Bethlehem,  PA,  and  will report  directly  to  Dr  Drew
Nelson,  Chairman  and  CEO.   His  responsibilities,  in
addition to the overall Group finance function,  will  be
to  oversee all M & A and JV activity, to liase with  the
investment  community, particularly  in  the  US  and  to
oversee the local management of all HR, admin and finance
functions  in the US.  Leslie Coventry has been appointed
as  Group  Vice President- Finance and Company  Secretary
and will report to Mr. Pastino.

Mr  Pastino  brings a wealth of experience to the  Group,
having  previously been a Senior Partner with Deloitte  &
Touche  in  New  York, managing their Worldwide  Emerging
Business  Service  Division and has also  progressed  his
career  at  Alex  Brown  & Sons in Baltimore  and  Fortis
Private Capital and Kohlberg & Company in New York.  More
recently  he  has been a Senior VP, CFO and Treasurer  at
Amtec,  Inc and Bolt, Inc, involved in financing  growth,
IPO and M & A activity.

Dr Drew Nelson, Chairman and CEO, commented
'We are extremely pleased to have attracted Al Pastino as
Group  CFO  since  he  brings  a  tremendous  wealth   of
experience of management in high growth companies and  in
particular  has  a strong understanding  of  the  capital
markets, especially in the US.  I am confident he will be
a great asset to the Group'.




For further information please contact:

Dr Drew Nelson, Chairman & CEO          [phone]
Mr  Al Pastino, CFO & Treasurer         [phone]
Tim Thompson/Catherine Miles, 
           Buchanan Communications      [phone]