Lip-Bu Tan: CEO of Intel

Intel, once the undisputed leader of the semiconductor world, has struggled in recent years to keep pace with rivals like TSMC, AMD, and NVIDIA. In March 2025, the company turned to Lip-Bu Tan, a seasoned industry veteran, entrepreneur, and investor, to take on the challenge of reviving its fortunes. Known for his success at Cadence Design Systems and his global influence in venture capital, Tan now faces perhaps his toughest assignment yet: leading Intel back to the forefront of innovation.

Company Snapshot

Founded in 1968, Intel Corporation helped power the personal computer revolution and remains one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world. Its products include CPUs for PCs and data centers, networking hardware, graphics processors, and an expanding foundry business.

But Intel has also faced setbacks, manufacturing delays, declining margins, and missed opportunities in mobile and AI chips. The company’s board ousted CEO Pat Gelsinger in 2024, and after a brief interim period, handed the reins to Tan in March 2025. Investors responded quickly: Intel’s stock jumped by double digits on news of his appointment, signaling high expectations for his leadership.

CEO’s Background

Lip-Bu Tan was born in 1959 in Johor, Malaysia, to a family of Chinese heritage. His father was a newspaper editor, and his mother worked in education. He pursued physics at Nanyang University in Singapore before moving to the United States, where he earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from MIT and later an MBA from the University of San Francisco.

Beyond academia, Tan built an extraordinary career at the intersection of technology and investment. In 1987, he founded Walden International, a venture capital firm that has backed hundreds of startups across semiconductors, software, and IT infrastructure. He is also widely respected for his philanthropy, with major contributions to education and AI research.

Journey to CEO

Tan’s career has been defined by both business leadership and strategic bets on emerging technology:

1. Venture Capital Roots: As founder of Walden International, Tan became a key player in Silicon Valley, helping fund and guide early-stage semiconductor companies.
2. Cadence Leadership: In 2009, he took over as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a leading provider of electronic design automation tools. Over more than a decade, he restored the company’s financial health and drove consistent growth.
3. Intel Board & Return: Tan first joined Intel’s board in 2022, stepping down in 2024 before being tapped as CEO in March 2025. His return marked a turning point, with the board entrusting him to rebuild execution discipline and accelerate Intel’s foundry strategy.

Leadership & Vision

Tan has made clear his strategy for Intel focuses on three priorities:

1. Execution Discipline: Simplifying decision-making, holding teams accountable, and fixing Intel’s history of missed product deadlines.
2. Strengthening Foundry Ambitions: Tan believes Intel must not only design competitive chips but also re-establish itself as a world-class manufacturing partner for global customers.
3. Customer and Ecosystem Focus: With his venture background, Tan is adept at building partnerships and understanding customer needs a skill he’s expected to leverage to restore trust in Intel.
4. Confidence Building: Just days into his tenure, Tan personally purchased $25 million in Intel stock, a bold signal to employees and investors of his belief in the company’s future.

Impact & Achievements

Although early in his role, Tan already carries an impressive list of achievements into Intel:

1. Cadence Turnaround: Transformed Cadence into a stronger, more profitable company during his 12 years as CEO.
2. Industry Recognition: Recipient of the Robert N. Noyce Award (2022), one of the semiconductor industry’s highest honors.
3. Philanthropy: Major donor to universities and AI research programs, including endowments at Nanyang Technological University and Carnegie Mellon.
4. Market Confidence: Intel’s share price surged after his appointment, and his personal stock buy reinforced optimism.

His legacy at Intel will hinge on whether he can restore the company’s engineering credibility and position it as a leader in the new era of AI and advanced manufacturing.

Lip-Bu Tan’s arrival at Intel represents both a fresh start and a high-stakes gamble. With a rare blend of technical training, corporate leadership, and venture capital vision, he brings credibility and optimism to a company in need of both. But the challenges are immense: Intel must catch up with manufacturing, compete in AI, and regain investor trust. If Tan succeeds, his tenure could mark one of the great corporate comebacks in tech history.