SiFive Blog

The latest insights, and deeper technology dives, from RISC-V leaders

May 14, 2024

SiFive Leaders Recognized by the 2024 Electronics Weekly Women Leaders in Electronics Awards

We are proud to celebrate SiFive’s Priyanka Viswanathan, director of functional safety and cybersecurity, and Monia Chiavacci, senior principal architect of functional safety, for their recognition in Electronics Weekly’s 2024 Women Leaders in Electronics Awards. The program honors women who have made significant technical achievements and have had a positive impact on the electronics industry. Priyanka brought home an award in the Safety and Compliance category, and was recognized as a finalist in the Unsung Hero in Leadership Role category. Monia was a finalist in the Innovator of the Year category.

“Congratulations to Priyanka, Monia, and all of the other innovators who were recognized by Electronics Weekly for their contributions driving the silicon industry forward,” said Patrick Little, chairman, president, and CEO of SiFive. “Both Priyanka and Monia have been instrumental in building out the capabilities of SiFive’s automotive portfolio, which has already seen strong customer demand across the globe.”

Priyanka’s recent achievements include leading the charge on SiFive’s new ISO/SAE 21434 certification for the automotive sector. As cars are becoming smarter, it’s pivotal that automakers safeguard users’ data and other sensitive information about vehicles. By achieving ISO/SAE 21434 compliance certification, SiFive is making it easier for automakers to meet the latest security requirements in their designs. Plus, we’re bringing the security practices and guidelines outlined by ISO/SAE 21434 to other markets as well. Thanks to the work of Priyanka and her team, we’re raising the bar for security across the RISC-V ecosystem.

Awards recipients

Monia has also been integral to the success of our automotive portfolio, helping SiFive bring to market three automotive products as part of the first phase of our long-term roadmap and portfolio. As part of this process, Monia established the Road Vehicle Functional Safety (FuSa) methodology from scratch for RISC-V IP. She also guided the incorporation of new technologies, such as new variants of core lockstep, aggressive error protection within uncore IP, and the formulation of FMEDA (Fault Mode Effects and Diagnostic Analysis) documents for customers.

SiFive’s automotive portfolio—which includes the SiFive Automotive™ E6-A, X280-A, and S7-A—address critical needs for current and future applications in the automotive market, including infotainment, cockpit, connectivity, ADAS, and electrification. These products offer industry-leading performance, with the lowest area and power consumption, and are being tailored to vehicle-specific needs for safety, security, and performance. Congratulations again to Priyanka and Monia for this prestigious recognition and their efforts in making SiFive the leader of RISC-V computing.

David Miller

Head of Corporate Communications, SiFive

David Miller is Head of Corporate Communications at SiFive, where he leads global corporate communications, executive visibility, media relations, and thought leadership as the company expands adoption of RISC-V across emerging computing markets. He is responsible for shaping the company’s narrative around major business milestones, technology innovation, and industry trends, including the growing impact of AI on semiconductor architectures.

Prior to joining SiFive, David held senior marketing and communications leadership roles at Qualcomm, where he led product marketing and communications for key growth businesses, and previously at CSR and LSI Corporation, where he managed corporate communications through major acquisitions and global brand transitions. He is known for translating complex technologies into compelling stories and building high-performing communications programs across media, analyst, and industry audiences.