intel’s chief executive of products departs among other leadership changes

Intel Restructures Leadership Team Under New CEO

Since Lip-Bu Tan assumed the position of CEO in March, significant changes have been implemented within the senior leadership structure of the semiconductor industry leader, Intel.

Executive Departure and New Roles

Intel announced on Monday the departure of Michelle Johnston Holthaus, a veteran of over thirty years with the company. Ms. Johnston Holthaus, who previously served as the chief executive officer of Intel products, will continue to contribute as a strategic advisor.

Furthermore, Intel revealed the formation of a centralized engineering division. This new group will be dedicated to developing custom silicon solutions for external clients.

Central Engineering and Key Appointments

Srinivasan “Srini” Iyengar, recently joining Intel from Cadence Design Systems in July, will lead this central engineering group. His expertise will be crucial in establishing this new business venture.

In addition, Kevok Kechichian, formerly with ARM, has been appointed to head Intel’s data center group. Jim Johnson has been named senior vice president and general manager of the client computing group.

Naga Chandrasekaran, currently the chief technology and operations officer of Intel Foundry – the division responsible for manufacturing custom chips for external customers – will also assume expanded responsibilities within the organization.

CEO's Vision for the Future

“With Srini leading Central Engineering, we’re aligning innovation and execution more tightly in service to customers,” stated Tan in a company press release. “We are laser-focused on delivering world-class products and empowering our engineering teams to move faster and execute with excellence.”

Tan continued, emphasizing the importance of the new leadership appointments: “Kevork, Jim, and Srini are exceptional leaders whose deep technical acumen and industry relationships will be instrumental as we continue building a new Intel.”

Government Investment and Recent Changes

These leadership adjustments follow closely on the heels of a U.S. government initiative to convert existing grants into a 10% equity stake in Intel. The agreement includes provisions to discourage Intel from reducing its ownership of its foundry unit below 50%.

The appointment of Lip-Bu Tan as CEO in March represents another significant shift in Intel’s leadership this year.

Expansion of Sales and Engineering Teams

In July, the company announced the recruitment of four new professionals to bolster its sales and engineering departments, including Greg Ernst, who will serve as Intel’s chief revenue officer.

Intel has not provided further comment on these organizational changes.