Intel's CEO Patrick Gelsinger Steps Down

Patrick (Pat) Gelsinger, who served as Intel Corporation's Chief Executive Officer, stepped down on 1 December 2024. Gelsinger held the position from February 2021 and also served on the company’s board of directors during his tenure.

Intel has appointed Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner and senior executive Michelle Johnston Holthaus as interim co-CEOs. The leadership transition follows less than a week after US officials awarded Intel $7.86 billion in subsidies, according to media reports.

Gelsinger’s career spans over four decades of technology leadership and innovation, with 30 years dedicated to engineering and executive roles at Intel. He was instrumental in the development of key industry technologies such as USB and Wi-fi, served as the architect of the original 80486 processor and played pivotal roles in the Intel Core and Intel Xeon processor families, cementing Intel’s position as a global leader in microprocessors.

Before rejoining Intel as CEO, Gelsinger served as the CEO of VMware from 2012 to 2021.

Earlier in his career, Gelsinger was president and COO of EMC’s Information Infrastructure Products division, overseeing engineering and operations for data storage, computing, security, and enterprise solutions. He has also chaired the board of directors for Mobileye Global Inc., Intel’s autonomous driving subsidiary, since October 2022.

Gelsinger began his journey with Intel in 1979, rising to become its first Chief Technology Officer. During his tenure, he led 14 microprocessor programs and contributed significantly to the company’s leadership in the semiconductor industry.

Gelsinger holds an associate degree in electrical engineering from Lincoln Technical Institute, a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University and a master’s degree from Stanford University.