Intel Announces Key Leadership to Data Center and Client Computing Groups

Posted on Edited on
Intel reorganizes executive leadership with new heads for Data Center and Client Computing Groups, establishes a Central Engineering Group, and announces the departure of Michelle Johnston Holthaus after 30+ years.

Quick Report

Intel Corporation has announced significant leadership changes across its key business units as part of CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s strategy to strengthen the company’s core product business, build a trusted foundry, and foster an engineering-focused culture. The reorganization includes the appointment of Kevork Kechichian to lead the Data Center Group, Jim Johnson to head the Client Computing Group, and the creation of a new Central Engineering Group under Srini Iyengar. Additionally, Intel announced the departure of Michelle Johnston Holthaus, chief executive of Intel Products, after more than 30 years with the company.

These leadership changes come at a pivotal time for Intel as the company continues its transformation under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took the helm earlier this year. The appointments align with Intel’s strategic focus on revitalizing its product portfolio, accelerating its foundry business, and improving execution across its engineering teams.

Kevork Kechichian has joined Intel as executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group (DCG), where he will lead Intel’s data center business across cloud and enterprise, including the Intel Xeon processor family. Kechichian brings over 30 years of industry experience, having most recently served as executive vice president of engineering at Arm, where he led technology development with ecosystem partners and managed the company’s transformation from IP licensing to delivering full-stack solutions. His background includes senior engineering positions at NXP Semiconductors and Qualcomm.

Jim Johnson, a 40-year Intel veteran, has been appointed senior vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group (CCG) after serving in the role on an interim basis. With extensive experience across various engineering and leadership positions at Intel, including roles in the Technology and Manufacturing Group and the Networking and Communications Group, Johnson will lead Intel’s efforts to deliver innovative computing solutions and drive growth across the global PC and edge ecosystems.

Intel is also establishing a new Central Engineering Group led by Srinivasan (Srini) Iyengar, a senior vice president and Intel Fellow. In this expanded role, Iyengar will oversee horizontal engineering functions and build a new custom silicon business to serve external customers. Iyengar joined Intel in June from Cadence Design Systems, where he led global silicon engineering, bringing deep expertise in custom silicon development and experience working with hyperscale data center customers.

Naga Chandrasekaran, executive vice president and chief technology and operations officer of Intel Foundry, will expand his responsibilities to include Foundry Services, creating a more integrated structure spanning technology development, manufacturing, and go-to-market functions. Chandrasekaran joined Intel in 2024 from Micron, where he served as senior vice president for technology development. Kevin O’Buckley will continue as senior vice president and general manager of Foundry Services, now reporting to Chandrasekaran.

In addition to these appointments, Intel announced that Michelle Johnston Holthaus, chief executive of Intel Products, will depart after more than three decades with the company. Throughout her career at Intel, Holthaus held numerous senior leadership roles, including interim co-CEO, executive vice president and general manager of CCG, and chief revenue officer. She will remain a strategic advisor over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

These leadership changes reflect Intel’s commitment to strengthening its position in the highly competitive semiconductor market. By appointing leaders with deep technical expertise and industry relationships, CEO Lip-Bu Tan aims to improve execution, foster innovation, and better serve customers across Intel’s diverse portfolio of products and services.

The new organizational structure, with Kechichian, Johnson, and Iyengar reporting directly to Tan, emphasizes the company’s focus on engineering excellence and customer-centric solutions. The expanded role for Chandrasekaran in the foundry business also underscores Intel’s determination to succeed in the contract manufacturing space as part of its IDM 2.0 strategy.

Written using GitHub Copilot Claude 3.7 Sonnet in agentic mode instructed to follow current codebase style and conventions for writing articles.

Source(s)

TechPowerUp