[News] Intel Taps SK hynix Ex-CEO as Foundry EVP to Lead Advanced Packaging Push as EMIB, HBI Scale Up

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is accelerating the company’s foundry ambitions, continuing to recruit seasoned talent from across the chip industry. The latest move is the appointment of Seok-Hee Lee as Executive Vice President of Intel Foundry, according to an Intel announcement on June 18.

Notably, Lee joins Intel after serving as president and CEO of SK On and previously leading SK hynix. A semiconductor industry veteran, he also held engineering leadership roles at Intel and in academia, bringing deep expertise in advanced process technologies and large-scale manufacturing, according to the press release.

Reporting directly to Tan, Lee will oversee advanced packaging, system integration, back-end technology development, and manufacturing, as noted by the company. Intel said the appointment is aimed at strengthening its system-level innovation capabilities and supporting the next phase of its foundry expansion.

Tan also underscored Lee’s pivotal role in advancing Intel’s next-generation packaging strategy.“As we prepare to scale advanced packaging technologies, including EMIB-T and HBI, for high-volume production, Seok-Hee is the ideal leader to drive the growth of this strategically important business,” Tan said.

The appointment, as Reuters points out, comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier that Apple had agreed to collaborate with Intel on designing and manufacturing chips in the United States, providing a potential boost to Intel’s foundry business.

A previous Reuters report, citing The Information, also reported that Google has tapped Intel to manufacture more than 3 million TPUs in 2028, while NVIDIA is evaluating Intel’s 18A process and advanced packaging technologies for a next-generation multi-die GPU design.

Meanwhile, Intel Foundry EVP Naga Chandrasekaran will continue reporting to CEO Lip-Bu Tan, overseeing front-end technology development and manufacturing as Intel accelerates the ramp of Intel 18A, Intel 14A and future process nodes. He will also retain responsibility for design enablement and customer-facing business operations, supporting Intel Foundry’s long-term growth.

Intel’s Talent Offensive Continues

Lee’s appointment marks the latest in a series of high-profile hires since Lip-Bu Tan took the helm at Intel. Reuters notes that the company bolstered its foundry ambitions in April by recruiting Samsung foundry veteran Shawn Han to support its contract manufacturing business.

The hiring drive began earlier. In late 2025, Intel brought in former TSMC senior vice president Wei-Ren Lo as executive vice president overseeing manufacturing and packaging amid controversy surrounding alleged sub-2nm trade secrets. Intel said Lo’s return was part of its broader transformation effort, with the veteran executive bringing back nearly two decades of experience gained at Intel before joining TSMC.

Read more

• [News] Intel Says 18A May Reach Strong Margins by 2027; Notebook Chips on the Node Mark Fastest Ramp in 5 Years
• [News] Intel Foundry Gains Momentum as Google Reportedly Orders 3M TPUs, NVIDIA Evaluates 18A for Multi-Die GPUs

(Photo credit: Intel)