[News] Intel Double Hit: Xeon CPU Chief Architect Exits, Ohio Lobbyist Out as Project Stalls

Following the departure of interim Co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel is facing further senior exits. According to CRN, the company is losing its second Xeon CPU chief architect this year as CEO Lip-Bu Tan pushes to revive the data center business. The report notes that Ronak Singhal, Intel senior fellow and Xeon chief architect, will leave the company at the end of the month.

The report adds that Singhal’s exit will make him the second Xeon chief architect to depart this year, following Sailesh Kottapalli, who left in January to help spearhead Qualcomm’s renewed server CPU push.

Singhal’s departure comes amid leadership changes in the Data Center Group, the business unit to which he belonged.  As the report notes, Intel on Monday appointed former Arm executive Kevork Kechichian as executive vice president and general manager at its Data Center Group.

While Intel is facing the departure of its Xeon CPU chief architect, the report points out that since becoming CEO in March, Tan has made the server CPU business a top priority as the division confronts intensifying competition from AMD.

As the report notes, Intel CFO David Zinsner said in late August that reaching major competitiveness in the CPU business will be a “multi-year process.” He acknowledged that the “Diamond Rapids” server line launching next year won’t be enough but pointed to its successor, “Coral Rapids,” as the real opportunity for Intel to take a stronger step forward.

Intel’s Ohio One Project Faces Leadership Exits and Delays

Beyond the exit of its Xeon CPU chief architect, Intel is also seeing departures from its Ohio One project, according to Wccftech citing Columbus Business First. Sources say “multiple leaders” have left, including Kevin Hoggatt, a key lobbyist in securing government support for the project. The report adds that Hoggatt, who previously attended President Trump’s inauguration with interim co-CEO David Zinsner, played a central role in building Intel’s collaborative ties with the U.S. administration.

The report adds that alongside Hoggatt, Intel’s Ohio One project has also seen the departures of public affairs manager Toby Starr, construction site manager Sanjay Patel, and Foundry division senior program manager Tom Marshall.

These departures may signal that Intel’s Ohio project has faced significant delays. The report notes that three years have passed since it announced the Ohio One fab, yet there are few indications of high-end process production beginning at the site. The report further indicates that the facility may not become operational until 2031.

Read more

• [News] Intel’s Former Interim Co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus to Depart Amid Leadership Shakeup
• [News] Intel’s Ohio Plant Dilemma: Build at High Cost — or Pay Back Billions in Government Aid

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