Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, resigns after a disastrous tenure
CNNNOV 2024
Intel Chief Executive Gelsinger Steps Down
Above: Pat Gelsinger holds a wafer as he speaks at the Computex conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 4, 2024. Image copyright: Annabelle Chih/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The leadership change represents a necessary step toward revitalization. Intel couldn't effectively compete in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market and lost significant ground to rivals. The chipmaker requires fresh leadership to restore investor confidence and build improved semiconductors that can power the AI boom.
Narrative B
The sudden, board-driven departure disrupts Intel's ambitious turnaround plan, including its strategy to become a major contract manufacturer and restore American semiconductor leadership. Gelsinger's abrupt departure potentially jeopardizes crucial initiatives and partnerships, which were showing early signs of progress.