Intel Unveils Leadership Shuffle: Jim Johnson to Helm CCG, Kevork Kechichian Leads DCG, Naga Chandrasekaran Takes IFS as Michelle Johnston Departs After 30+ Years
Intel is reshaping its executive ranks to accelerate its product roadmap, strengthen its foundry ambitions, and tighten execution across engineering. The company announced new leaders for its data center and client computing businesses, expanded oversight for its foundry organization, and the creation of a Central Engineering Group designed to speed custom silicon development and cross-company innovation.
Key appointments and changes
– Kevork Kechichian joins as executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group (DCG), overseeing cloud and enterprise products including the Intel Xeon processor family.
– Jim Johnson is named senior vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group (CCG) after serving in the role on an interim basis.
– Srinivasan (Srini) Iyengar will lead the newly formed Central Engineering Group as senior vice president and Fellow, bringing together horizontal engineering functions and launching a custom silicon business for external customers.
– Naga Chandrasekaran expands his responsibilities as executive vice president and chief technology and operations officer of Intel Foundry to include Foundry Services, creating a more integrated structure from technology development and manufacturing through go-to-market.
– Michelle Johnston Holthaus, chief executive of Intel Products, will depart after more than 30 years with the company and will serve as a strategic advisor during the transition.
– Kevin O’Buckley continues as senior vice president and general manager of Foundry Services, now reporting to Chandrasekaran.
– Kechichian, Johnson, and Iyengar will report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
What the moves mean for Intel’s strategy
Intel says these updates align with its push to deliver world-class products, build a trusted foundry business, and cultivate a culture of engineering excellence. CEO Lip-Bu Tan emphasized that uniting strategy, technical depth, and operational rigor across teams will help the company capture growth in data center, client computing, and custom silicon markets.
Who’s who and why it matters
– Data center momentum with Kevork Kechichian: With more than 30 years in semiconductors, Kechichian arrives from Arm, where he was executive vice president of engineering and helped drive a shift from IP licensing to full-stack solutions. He previously held senior engineering roles at NXP Semiconductors and Qualcomm. His mandate spans Intel’s cloud and enterprise portfolio centered on Xeon, positioning the company to compete for AI, cloud-scale, and enterprise workloads.
– Client computing continuity with Jim Johnson: A 40-year Intel veteran, Johnson has led teams across Technology and Manufacturing, Networking and Communications, and multiple global operations. After steering CCG on an interim basis, he now leads the business permanently, with a focus on AI PCs and edge platforms. During the CES 2025 corporate keynote, Intel highlighted the launch of Intel Core Ultra 200V series mobile processors with Intel vPro, alongside new Core Ultra processors for enthusiasts and edge computing—products that underscore CCG’s near-term roadmap.
– Central Engineering and custom silicon under Srini Iyengar: Iyengar joined Intel from Cadence Design Systems, where he led global silicon engineering and partnered closely with hyperscale data center customers on workload-optimized designs. His new charter brings horizontal engineering under one umbrella and kickstarts a custom silicon effort to serve a wider set of external customers, aligning innovation and execution for faster delivery.
– A tighter, more integrated foundry led by Naga Chandrasekaran: After consolidating technology development and manufacturing earlier this year, Chandrasekaran now also oversees Foundry Services, creating an end-to-end operating model aimed at higher execution quality and stronger customer engagement. Chandrasekaran, who joined Intel in 2024 from Micron, brings deep R&D and manufacturing experience across the semiconductor stack.
– Leadership transition for Michelle Johnston Holthaus: Over three decades, Holthaus held pivotal roles including interim co-CEO, executive vice president, general manager of CCG, and chief revenue officer. She will remain a strategic advisor for a smooth hand-off.
Why it’s timely
AI-driven workloads are reshaping the data center, while AI PCs and edge systems are redefining client computing. At the same time, customers across industries are seeking custom silicon and a dependable foundry partner. By elevating seasoned leaders and unifying engineering, Intel aims to speed time-to-market, deepen ecosystem partnerships, and sharpen execution across Xeon, Core Ultra, and a growing portfolio of silicon for cloud, enterprise, and edge.
The bottom line
Intel’s leadership shake-up is designed to link strategy with hands-on engineering across its biggest growth arenas: data center, client computing, custom silicon, and foundry. With Kechichian, Johnson, Iyengar, and Chandrasekaran in expanded roles—and a streamlined operating model—the company is positioning itself to deliver on AI-era computing while improving collaboration and customer outcomes across its product and foundry businesses.
