In a bid to reclaim its competitive edge and technological leadership, Intel has undertaken a significant restructuring of its executive team under the guidance of new chief executive officer Lip-Bu Tan. Since taking the helm and delivering his keynote at Intel’s Vision 2025 event, Tan has emphasized a return to the company’s engineering roots. This strategy is a direct response to Intel’s recent struggles against leading competitors such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, and its lag in innovation, especially in chip foundry operations.
Central to these changes is the appointment of Greg Ernst, an engineer by training, as Intel’s new chief revenue officer. Ernst, who has devoted his entire career to Intel since graduating in 1999, has climbed the company’s ranks through various engineering and high-profile account management roles, culminating in his new position reporting directly to Tan. This move follows the departure of former chief commercial officer Christoph Schell, a business executive who transitioned to lead the German robotics manufacturer Kuka Group.
The reorganization also spotlights Intel’s renewed focus on Artificial Intelligence. Sachin Katti, previously senior vice president overseeing Intel’s Network and Edge Group, has been named chief technology officer and officer for Artificial Intelligence, marking a strategic pivot. Reinforcing the technical leadership, Tan recruited Srinivasan Iyengar, a seasoned chip designer from Cadence Design Systems, as a senior vice president and Intel Fellow. Iyengar’s history with Tan at Cadence, where he led silicon engineering and innovation, demonstrates the importance Tan places on trusted, technical leadership. The Artificial Intelligence ambitions expand further with the addition of Jean-Didier Allegrucci, formerly at Apple and short-lived at Rain AI, who brings extensive System on Chip engineering experience, and Shailendra Desai, a veteran of Provino Technologies and Google, now serving as vice president of Artificial Intelligence fabric and networking.
These changes come amid rumors of significant layoffs inside Intel’s foundry division, with estimates suggesting 15 to 20 percent of staff may be let go to bring costs in line with revenue and volume realities. The parallel moves—executive realignment toward engineering strength and potential workforce reductions—signal a high-stakes effort to rejuvenate Intel, boost its prospects in Artificial Intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing, and restore its reputation as a leading technology innovator.
