At the Center of Global Memory Standards | Interview with FMS 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Mian Quddus
Mian Quddus, Vice President at Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions America (DSA), received the Lifetime Achievement Award at FMS 2026. The award recognizes individuals who have made enduring contributions to the memory and storage industry. Quddus was honored for his decades of work in memory technology and standardization, including 22 years as Chairman of the JEDEC Board of Directors.
Future of Memory and Storage(FMS) is one of the semiconductor industry’s premier annual conferences, bringing together leading memory and storage companies, OEMs and industry experts from around the world. This year’s event was held August 4-6 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California, where Samsung Electronics and other industry leaders showcased their latest memory and storage innovations.
Joining a Select Group of Industry Leaders
The FMS Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented to only a select group of leaders whose work has had a lasting impact on the industry. Among the previous recipients is former Samsung Electronics CEO Kinam Kim, whom Quddus describes as one of his heroes.
Q. How do you feel about receiving the FMS Lifetime Achievement Award?
“I am humbled and grateful to receive this award. When I looked at the list of previous recipients and saw people I have long admired, including Kinam Kim, I felt even more honored to be selected.”
“When I was told that I would be receiving the award, I was delighted and truly moved. It is a great honor to be recognized alongside such respected leaders in the industry.”
Breaking into a Highly Competitive Market
Quddus joined Samsung in 1997, at a time of intense competition in the global market.
One of his early challenges was earning the trust of key customers and expanding acceptance of Samsung’s memory products.
Q. How did your career begin after joining Samsung?
“When I joined Samsung in 1997, one of our biggest challenges was getting our memory products accepted by key customers. I still remember taking our products directly to customers, asking them to evaluate them, and working hard to earn their trust.”
“At the time, Japanese semiconductor companies were leading the market, so we worked extremely hard to gain market share. That was where I started, and it was how I was introduced to the memory world.”
From Earning Customer Trust to Industry Leadership
Nearly three decades later, Samsung’s position in the memory industry looks very different from those early days.
Q. How has Samsung’s memory business changed since then?
“Back then, we had to ask OEMs to give our products a chance. Today, Samsung is a leader in the industry. Our products are highly sought after, and we are a major player across DRAM, HBM, modules and components. The change over the past three decades has been remarkable.”
JEDEC: Creating a Common Language for the Memory Industry
JEDEC is a global standards organization that brings together memory suppliers, OEMs and other industry participants to develop technical standards. These common specifications help products from different companies work together and provide a foundation for the broader memory ecosystem to grow.
Q. What is your role at JEDEC?
“I am Chairman of the JEDEC Board of Directors, and I have served in that role for the past 22 years. The position is elected every four years. The board includes major OEMs as well as leading suppliers, so we have many of the industry’s key players at the table.”
Quddus has also been deeply involved in developing generations of memory standards, including DDR and module specifications, and serves as Chairman of the JEDEC Module Committee in addition to chairing the JEDEC Board of Directors.
Q. What accomplishments have been especially meaningful to you?
“I have been involved in standardizing DDR1, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, DDR5 and DDR6, as well as LPDDR and module standards. As Chairman of the Board, my role in helping define the future direction of the industry is something I take very seriously.”
“I also serve as Chairman of the JEDEC Module Committee. I believe my long involvement in the industry, my work on standards and the relationships I have built with fellow board members all contributed to FMS selecting me for this award.”
From HBM to zHBM: At the Forefront of Memory Innovation
At FMS 2026, Samsung Electronics unveiled new 3D architectures, including zHBM. For Quddus, the announcement reflects a pattern he has seen throughout his career: Samsung pushing memory technology forward with each new generation.
Q. What do you think about new 3D architectures such as zHBM?
“Whenever a new technology emerges, Samsung has often been one of the companies leading its introduction, especially in memory. With HBM, we have continued to advance from one generation to the next. I am very proud of where we are today, and I am excited to see what the future will bring.”
A Milestone in Samsung’s Growth as a DRAM Supplier
Of all the moments in his nearly three-decade career at Samsung, one of the most memorable came near the beginning, when a major customer decided to adopt Samsung’s DRAM products.
Q. What is one of the most memorable moments of your career?
“One of the most exciting moments was when a major customer decided to adopt our memory products. It was a real milestone for us. At the time, Samsung was still working to establish itself as a DRAM supplier, so the decision meant a great deal to everyone on the team.”
“That was when Samsung really began establishing itself as a DRAM supplier. From that point on, we gradually grew our market share in the DRAM business. I believe it was around 1998 or 1999, so it was about 28 years ago.”
A Message to the Next Generation: Never Lose Sight of the Customer
Toward the end of the interview, Quddus shared advice for the next generation of engineers and industry leaders, drawing on lessons from his own career.
Q. What message would you like to share with the younger generation?
“Start with a strong technical education. Stay flexible, and listen closely to what OEMs are telling you. Build strong relationships with key customers, and know your products’ design inside and out.”
“Be open to the suggestions that customers bring to you, and never forget who your customers are. Staying close to the customer is essential to building the right technology and products.”
Building Standards, Shaping What Comes Next
“I am very glad to be part of the Samsung team. I feel honored, and I am excited to see what will be next for me.” Over nearly three decades at Samsung, Quddus has witnessed profound changes across both the company and the global memory industry. Through his tenure at Samsung and his longstanding leadership at JEDEC, he has also helped shape the industry standards that enable the broader memory ecosystem to advance together.
¹ JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) is a global standards organization that develops technical specifications for the semiconductor industry, with a strong focus on memory. Its standards support interoperability across products from different companies and help advance the global semiconductor ecosystem.
