Intel Announces Major Leadership Reshuffle as Product Chief Departs
Intel Announces Major Leadership Reshuffle
Intel has announced significant changes to its executive team, continuing a period of transformation that began when Lip-Bu Tan was appointed CEO in March 2025. The most notable departure is Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel’s chief executive of products, who leaves the company after more than three decades of service. Holthaus will remain on as a strategic adviser during the transition period.
New Leadership and Strategic Direction
In a move aimed at strengthening its position in the custom silicon market, Intel is creating a new central engineering group. This division will focus on building custom silicon solutions for external customers and will be led by Srinivasan “Srini” Iyengar, who joined Intel from Cadence Design Systems in July.
- Kevok Kechichian, formerly with ARM, will head Intel's Data Center Group.
- Jim Johnson has been named senior vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group.
- Naga Chandrasekaran, chief technology and operations officer of Intel Foundry, takes on an expanded leadership role.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan commented, “With Srini leading Central Engineering, we’re aligning innovation and execution more tightly in service to customers. We are laser-focused on delivering world-class products and empowering our engineering teams to move faster and execute with excellence. Kevork, Jim, and Srini are exceptional leaders whose deep technical acumen and industry relationships will be instrumental as we continue building a new Intel.”
Context: U.S. Government Stake and Ongoing Changes
This restructuring follows recent news that the U.S. government plans to convert existing grants into a 10% equity stake in Intel. The deal is structured to ensure Intel maintains majority ownership of its foundry unit, supporting the company’s ongoing strategic transformation.
Intel's leadership shakeup is part of a broader series of changes initiated since Tan’s appointment. In July, Intel also welcomed new executives in sales and engineering, including Greg Ernst as chief revenue officer.
Looking Ahead
With these new appointments and a sharpened focus on custom silicon and data center solutions, Intel aims to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving semiconductor landscape. The company’s ongoing leadership transitions signal a commitment to innovation, execution, and customer-centric growth.
