Intel announces leadership reshuffle as veteran executive Michelle Johnston Holthaus exits

Intel

Intel has announced another change in its senior leadership. On September 8, the company confirmed that Michelle Johnston Holthaus, chief executive officer of Intel Products, will step down after more than 30 years at the chipmaker. She previously served as interim co-CEO following Pat Gelsinger’s departure and will now continue with Intel as a strategic adviser.

The reorganisation includes the creation of a new Central Engineering Group, which will focus on developing custom silicon for external clients. The group will be led by Srinivasan “Srini” Iyengar, who joined Intel in July from Cadence Design Systems.

Intel also announced a series of new appointments. Kevork Kechichian, formerly with ARM, will head the company’s data centre group. Jim Johnson has been named senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s client computing group. Naga Chandrasekaran, chief technology and operations officer of Intel Foundry, will expand his role within the unit that builds custom chips for external customers.

Intel CEO Tan expressed confidence in the new leadership team, stating that the company is committed to delivering advanced products and accelerating execution. He added that the new leaders’ technical expertise and industry relationships will help drive Intel’s transformation.

The announcements come as Intel continues to face challenges. A recent U.S. government plan proposed converting grants into a 10% equity stake in the company, with conditions to maintain majority ownership of its foundry business. Intel has also faced political pressure, with President Donald Trump publicly calling for Tan’s resignation over alleged conflicts of interest.

Since taking over as CEO in March, Tan has led a broad restructuring of the company. In July, Intel brought in new executives for sales and engineering roles, including Greg Ernst as chief revenue officer. The latest changes signal a continued effort to reposition Intel as it pursues growth in custom chipmaking and strengthens its leadership bench.