Who is Lip-Bu Tan, Intel’s new CEO?

Tan, a respected semiconductor industry veteran who will take the mantle on March 18, had been seen as a CEO contender since Intel ousted company veteran Pat Gelsinger last year.

A 65-year-old Malaysian-born executive, Tan studied physics at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

He holds a master's degree in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the University of San Francisco.

A longtime technology investor, he has played different roles at several companies. He is chairperson of Walden International, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, since 1984.

Tan helmed Intel supplier and chip-design maker Cadence Design Systems between 2009 and 2021.

He was on the boards of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and SoftBank Group.

Tan was appointed to Intel's board in 2022 as part of a plan to restore the company's place as the leading global chipmaker. A year later, Intel expanded his responsibilities to include oversight of manufacturing operations. However, Tan stepped down from the board last year over disagreements on how to turn around the company.

On Wednesday, in a letter to Intel employees, Tan signaled he would not split up the company's design and manufacturing businesses.

"Intel plays an essential role in the technology ecosystem, both in the U.S. and around the world. And, together, I'm confident we can turn our business around," he said.