Exit, rebuild, repeat — Intel’s new era begins without Holthaus

Intel has announced major leadership changes as CEO Lip-Bu Tan pushes ahead with efforts to transform the struggling chipmaker. The most notable departure is Michelle Johnston Holthaus, whose career at Intel has spanned more than 30 years.

The shake-up comes just as Intel admitted its Arrow Lake processors failed to live up to expectations. All eyes are now on the upcoming Nova Lake architecture, which it hopes will restore competitiveness against AMD. This rivalry continues to gain ground with users and across the industry.

Holthaus’s departure after 30 years at Intel

Holthaus joined Intel in 1996, a year before I was even born, which makes me feel old. Anyway, starting as a program manager in the OEM Platform Solutions Division. Holthaus went from there, and she moved steadily through leadership roles in sales, marketing, and product development.

Between 2013 and 2017, she managed Intel’s partnership with Microsoft, coordinating sales, product roadmaps, and technical support. This role kept Intel’s CPUs and Microsoft’s platforms closely aligned across Windows, Surface, Xbox, and cloud services.

In late 2024, Holthaus stepped into the spotlight as interim co-CEO alongside CFO David Zinsner following Pat Gelsinger’s departure. She was later appointed CEO of Intel Products but held the position for only 9 months before resigning. Intel said the decision was due to “a material reduction in her duties, responsibilities, salary, and target annual bonus,” which matched the “Good Reason” clause in her contract.

Thanks to this clause, Holthaus will receive full severance benefits and remain with Intel in a non-executive advisory role until March 1, 2026.

New leadership team takes shape

Kevork Kechichian has joined Intel from Arm as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Data Center Group. He brings more than 30 years of semiconductor experience and previously managed Snapdragon SoC teams at Qualcomm.

Another addition is Jim Johnson, a 40-year Intel veteran, who has been confirmed as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Client Computing Group. Over his long career, Johnson has worked across Intel’s Technology and Manufacturing Group, Networking and Communications, and global operations.

Intel has also formed a new division in 2025, the Central Engineering Group, which will be led by Srinivasan “Srini” Iyengar. This team will focus on custom silicon design for external customers. Iyengar, who spent over 25 years at Cadence Design Systems, brings deep expertise in silicon engineering and design automation.

Lastly, Dr. Naga Chandrasekaran’s responsibilities have been expanded to include Foundry Services, alongside his existing role as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Operations Officer of Intel Foundry. Before joining Intel, he spent 16 years at Micron, where he led advanced memory technology development.

Together, these appointments show Tan’s push to blend long-time Intel leaders with external expertise from companies like Arm, Cadence, and Micron. It may take time before the results are clear, but the changes highlight Intel’s willingness to act boldly as it struggles to compete.

Tan’s strategy and vision for Intel’s future

Tan is aiming to cut back on bureaucracy by eliminating redundant management layers and creating a flatter, more focused structure. The goal is to speed up decision-making and bring more direct accountability. A clear example is that Holthaus’s position will not be replaced, with key groups now reporting directly to Lip-Bu Tan.

He is also pivoting Intel toward custom silicon and foundry services, areas where the company hopes to become a leader. The newly formed Central Engineering Group is central to this effort, with a focus on building chips for external customers instead of just Intel’s own products.

Of course, no turnaround story in 2025 would be complete without AI, and Tan’s plans touch on that too. Still, the real test will be whether this strategy helps Intel compete with rivals like AMD. Rebuilding trust with users and partners will take time, but Nova Lake may give us the first glimpse of what Tan’s reshaped Intel can deliver.