Dr Randhir Thakur. Image: Intel
CEO Pat Gelsinger told employees that Thakur will continue lead Intel’s foundry unit through the first quarter of 2023 to ensure ‘a smooth transition’.
Intel foundry leader Dr Randhir Thakur is leaving the company after five years.
The leadership shake-up comes as Intel pursues its IDM 2.0 strategy to compete with Asian giants TSMC and Samsung in the chip business and push into contract manufacturing.
Thakur, who joined Intel in 2017 as corporate vice-president of global supply management, became its chief supply chain officer in 2020.
As president of Intel Foundry Services (IFS), he oversaw a cornerstone of the company’s comeback plan as it looks at creating chips for other companies on a contract basis.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told employees in an email yesterday (21 November), seen by The Register, that Thakur “has decided to pursue other opportunities” but will continue to lead the business unit through the first quarter of 2023 to “ensure a smooth transition to a new leader”.
Gelsinger also confirmed that a new leader to replace Thakur will be announced soon.
“Randhir has been a key member of the executive leadership team for the past two and a half years and has served in several senior leadership roles since he joined us in 2017,” he wrote.
“His contributions to our IDM 2.0 transformation are many, but most notable is his leadership in standing up our IFS business.”
Thakur brought a wealth of experience spanning 30 years to Intel. Before joining the chip giant, Thakur led the semiconductor business at Silicon Valley-based Applied Materials.
As part of the IDM 2.0 strategy, Intel announced a €33bn investment across Europe earlier this year. It plans to create a semiconductor manufacturing network in the EU – including Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Spain.
This is the first phase of a planned €80bn investment in the EU over the next decade. Ireland’s role in this ambitious plan has included the creation of 1,600 permanent high-skilled jobs at the company’s expanding Kildare campus.
In its latest earnings call, however, Intel posted a 20pc year-on-year drop in third-quarter sales and issued conservative forecasts for the rest of the year. It is now considering cutting jobs in a broader attempt to reduce costs amid an ongoing slump in global PC sales.
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