Intel announced on September 8, 2025 that longtime executive Michelle Johnston Holthaus, who had served as Intel’s chief of products and interim co-CEO, is departing after more than three decades—with plans to stay on as a strategic adviser through early 2026. Alongside her exit, CEO Lip-Bu Tan is flattening the management structure, installing Srinivasan Iyengar to lead a new central engineering group tasked with launching a custom silicon business for external clients; Naga Chandrasekaran will expand oversight of Foundry Services; Jim Johnson will take charge of the Client Computing Group; and Kevork Kechichian joins as GM of the Data Center Group.
Sources: Silicon Angle, Reuters
Key Takeaways
– Strategic Streamlining: Intel is simplifying its leadership hierarchy, moving key business units to report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan—reflecting a push for tighter control and faster decision-making.
– Custom Silicon Push: By creating a central engineering group under Srinivasan Iyengar, Intel signals a renewed strategic focus on delivering bespoke chips to external clients—suggesting diversification beyond its traditional markets.
– Transition & Continuity: Michelle Johnston Holthaus’s advisory role through March 2026 provides stability during the transition, even as the company pivots under new leadership and reorganizes its key divisions.
In-Depth
Intel’s executive reshuffle on September 8, 2025 marks a pivotal moment for the chipmaker—one that is both bold and pragmatic in equal measure. After more than thirty years shaping Intel’s product strategy, Michelle Johnston Holthaus is stepping down as products chief, though she’ll stay on in an advisory capacity through early 2026 to cushion the transition. This move underscores CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s commitment to flattening the hierarchy, bringing major business segments under more direct oversight.
A notable development is the appointment of Srinivasan Iyengar to spearhead a newly established central engineering group—tasked with crafting a custom silicon business for Intel’s external clients. This suggests tempered ambition to compete in contract chip design, an area where rivals like TSMC have thrived. At the same time, Naga Chandrasekaran’s expanded portfolio—including Foundry Services—points to tighter integration between Intel’s fabs and service offerings, aimed at streamlining customer workflows. Meanwhile, Jim Johnson steps into the role of GM for Intel’s Client Computing Group, and Kevork Kechichian—an ARM alumnus—takes charge of data center operations.
Taken together, these personnel shifts suggest that under Tan’s leadership, Intel is doubling down on agility and execution. The flattening of management layers, redistribution of responsibilities, and renewed external-facing ambitions could be the ingredients needed for Intel to reassert its technological muscle—just as rivals and market dynamics press harder than ever.