[News] Intel Appoints Trump Official as Senior VP of Government Affairs, Deepening Washington Ties

Intel has unveiled a new executive appointment, underscoring its deepening ties with the Trump administration. According to Bloomberg, the company named Robin Colwell as senior vice president of government affairs, tapping a Trump administration official to oversee its engagement with policymakers and regulators.

Colwell most recently served as deputy assistant to President Donald Trump and deputy director of the National Economic Council. She will remain based in Washington in her new role, the report said, citing an Intel press release.

Intel said in the release that Colwell will focus on building trust, advancing strategic priorities, and positioning the company at the intersection of public policy, technology, and manufacturing. The company adds that her leadership will be critical as Intel navigates policy, trade, national security, and government-related opportunities worldwide.

Meanwhile, Reuters notes that the position had been vacant since Bruce Andrews, a former Commerce Department official under President Barack Obama, left Intel following the U.S. elections in November.

Colwell’s appointment comes as Intel works to reinforce ties with the Trump administration. According to CRN, Trump announced in August that the U.S. government would take a roughly 10% stake in Intel, a move the company later confirmed as a 9.9% holding backed by $8.9 billion in previously allocated CHIPS and Science Act grants.

More Leadership Changes at Intel

Alongside Colwell, Reuters notes that Intel has named James Chew vice president of Intel Government Technologies, the unit overseeing its business with the U.S. government, following the departure of longtime executive Christopher George. The report notes that Chew previously worked at Cadence Design Systems, where Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan formerly served as chief executive.

Intel has also appointed Annie Shea Weckesser as chief marketing and communications officer. As Reuters highlights, Weckesser is a Cisco Systems veteran who most recently worked at AI chip startup SambaNova Systems, where Tan is an investor through his venture capital interests. Notably, Bloomberg reports, citing sources, that Intel has been in advanced talks to acquire SambaNova Systems for about $1.6 billion, including debt—a deal that would provide Intel with a long-sought platform to expand its AI product portfolio.

As part of the announcements, Intel named Pushkar Ranade, Tan’s chief of staff, as interim chief technology officer. Reuters adds that former Intel technology chief Sachin Katti left the company last month to join ChatGPT creator OpenAI.

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(Photo credit: Intel)