Charlie Kawwas

Charlie Kawwas is a self-made success story in global technology. He immigrated to Montreal to study at Concordia University, arriving without a high school diploma and not knowing a word of English. He says he found his footing in Canada at Concordia, earning several degrees: BEng 93, MASc 99, PhD 07.

Through hard work and ambition, Kawwas persevered, and today he is president of the Semiconductor Solutions Group at California-based Broadcom Inc. The multibillion-dollar global technology leader designs, develops and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions.

Noted for his exceptional scientific training, Kawwas has overseen the strategic growth of Broadcom’s hardware businesses from $4 billion to $30 billion during his tenure. He joined the company through the LSI Corporation acquisition, where he was head of worldwide sales. Before joining LSI, Kawwas held several senior management and engineering positions at Nortel in Montreal.

As a leader, Kawwas has spoken of the importance of mentoring and of diversity in the workplace. He is a champion of Broadcom’s Mainframe Vitality Program, an innovative skills development initiative to cultivate next-generation mainframe talent at low or no cost.      

At Concordia, Kawwas earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering with great distinction where he had the highest marks among graduating engineering students. He also earned a master’s in electrical and computer engineering and a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering. He was recognized as Alumnus of the Year in 2020 by the Concordia University Alumni Association.