Lip-Bu Tan, a veteran of the semiconductor industry, reportedly resigned from Intel’s over disagreements about Intel’s attempted turnaround.
Tan resigned from Intel’s board last week, saying it was a “personal decision,” and wished the best for Intel.
“This is a personal decision based on a need to reprioritize various commitments, and I remain supportive of the company and its important work,” Tan said in a statement, via Reuters.
Tan’s departure is a significant blow to Intel, as he was one of the only board members to have significant experience in the semiconductor industry. That experience led to him being tasked with overseeing the company’s manufacturing operations.
Reuters reports that, despite Tan citing a “personal decision,” the real reason he left Intel’s board was over a disagreement about what it takes to turn the beleaguered company around. Tan evidently believed Intel’s workforce is bloated and the company has become too risk-averse to effectively compete against more nimble rivals. He also believed Intel lacks a strong AI strategy.
The revelation comes on the heals of a string of bad news for the company that once led the semiconductor industry. Intel has had a number of bad quarters, at least one of which was nothing short of devastating. The company’s fortunes have sunk to the point that it recently announced layoffs of some 15,000 personal.
Intel cut pay for its engineers at a time when it needed them most to help innovate. Predictably, some of the company’s leading semiconductor architects have left to found AheadComputing, a RISC-V startup.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has tried to put a positive spin on the Intel’s turnaround, but there’s no denying that the turnaround is very much in jeopardy, as is Gelsinger’s legacy.