Intel Foundry is adding another seasoned semiconductor leader to its lineup, signaling how serious the company is about accelerating its foundry ambitions. Intel has brought in Shawn (Seung Hoon) Han, a longtime Samsung veteran, to take on a major leadership role focused on expanding Intel’s foundry services and strengthening customer engagement.
Intel Executive Vice President Naga Chandrasekaran shared the hiring in a public post, confirming that Shawn Han will join Intel in May as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Foundry Services, reporting directly to Chandrasekaran. The move is a clear indication that Intel wants proven leadership at the center of its foundry strategy as it competes for more external customers and long-term manufacturing agreements.
What makes this appointment especially notable is Han’s deep background at Samsung, including his most recent responsibilities overseeing sales at Samsung Foundry. That experience is highly relevant for Intel Foundry at a time when winning new customers isn’t just about having competitive process technology—it’s also about business execution, partner confidence, and the ability to scale customer-driven manufacturing programs.
Beyond the commercial side, Han also brings significant technical credibility. His work spans multiple logic process nodes going back to 1996, giving him decades of firsthand experience in the evolution of leading-edge chip manufacturing. That blend of sales leadership and technical understanding can be especially valuable in a foundry environment, where customers expect both strong operational execution and clear roadmaps across process technology and packaging.
Intel’s messaging around this hire also aligns with its broader push into advanced packaging and expanding overall foundry capabilities. As Intel continues marketing its manufacturing and packaging technologies to attract outside chip designers, adding an executive with extensive foundry sales leadership and long-term process expertise suggests the company is building a leadership team designed to compete aggressively in the global semiconductor manufacturing market.
For Intel Foundry, bringing in a high-profile foundry veteran from a major competitor is more than a personnel change—it’s a strategic step aimed at boosting customer momentum and reinforcing Intel’s commitment to becoming a stronger, more competitive foundry partner.
