• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
TechIntel

Facing the Big Questions About Intel’s Future After CEO Krzanich

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 22, 2018, 12:21 PM ET

This article first appeared in Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.

The surprise departure of Intel CEO Brian Krzanich shocked the tech world on Thursday, left one of the world’s biggest chipmakers in the lurch, and prompted a host of questions.

The most immediate, perhaps, is whether we have the full story on the 58-year-old executive’s behavior that forced him to resign. Intel said Krzanich violated the company’s strict non-fraternization policy in “a past consensual relationship.” But the company also said the investigation is ongoing.

A more pressing question is who becomes the next CEO of Intel (interim CEO and former CFO Bob Swan is saying he won’t be in the running). Though no one would confuse the average height Krzanich with 6-foot, 5-inch Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in an elevator, both seem to have a penchant for driving away possible successors. We may never know all the details about why so many well-regarded and longtime Intel execs left on Krzanich’s watch but the list includes Stacy Smith, Diane Bryant, Renee James, Kim Stevenson, and Kirk Skaugen. Some, like Bryant who is overseeing much of Google’s (GOOGL) cloud business, landed quite well—like Brady’s former understudy Jimmy Garoppolo, who is now in the Bay Area as star quarterback for the 49ers. Still, one or more of the Intel departees could be considered in the search that Intel’s board says will look at internal and external candidates. Also keep an eye on Murthy Renduchintala, the savvy engineer and manager Krzanich recruited from rival Qualcomm (QCOM) in 2015, who is now Intel’s group president running many key areas.

But after you’ve answered the immediate question and the most pressing question, you come, of course, to the most important question. After Krzanich’s five-year tenure, is Intel poised to thrive or dive in the next decade of tech evolution? The evidence is mixed.

Krzanich certainly did little to get Intel back in the game for mobile CPUs, though he did win half of Apple’s wireless modem business. Something also seems severely amiss in Intel’s manufacturing advancement, as rivals have drawn even and possibly surpassed its chipmaking prowess, fueling the competitive threat of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Apple may be about to fly the coop and build its own Mac CPUs, too.

Will Intel be a major player in the coming wave of VR gear sales? Seems unlikely. The huge acquisitions of Altera and Mobileye cost shareholders $32 billion, but it’s too soon to know if they will make Intel a leader for AI chips and self-driving car silicon, respectively (or even if placing big bets on those incipient markets as future winners was correct). And while Intel’s server chips are winning a lot of cloud data center orders right now, Krzanich may have been late to recognize the growing threat from graphics chip maker Nvidia (NVDA).

So even as he departs his corner cubicle at Intel’s (INTC) Santa Clara HQ, it’s too soon to close the book on Brian Krzanich. I’ll have to get back to you in about five years.

(Update: This story was updated on June 22 to correct that Doug Davis has not left the company.)

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

bock
Cybersecurityfraud
Minnesota fraudster at center of $250 million scam, controversial ICE crackdown sentenced to 42 years
By Tim Sullivan and The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
20 minutes ago
trump
AIWhite House
Trump says he’s calling off widely anticipated order to rein in AI
By Collin Binkley, Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
31 minutes ago
ro khanna
AITech
Ro Khanna blames ‘clueless’ boomers for Gen Z booing AI: They handed over a ‘broken economy’
By Jake AngeloMay 21, 2026
34 minutes ago
Boris Cherny is the creator and head of Claude Code at Anthropic
NewslettersEye on AI
Anthropic lands in London as AI-powered coding—and the anxieties around it—go mainstream
By Beatrice NolanMay 21, 2026
51 minutes ago
Young worker looking tired in front of a screen
EconomyYoung workers
A Nobel economist figured out 60 years ago that people learn best on the job. The Atlanta Fed says AI is making that almost impossible
By Tristan BoveMay 21, 2026
2 hours ago
Stephen Colbert signs off after 11 years tonight. CBS cites finances, but the Late Show host blames Trump
Arts & EntertainmentStephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert signs off after 11 years tonight. CBS cites finances, but the Late Show host blames Trump
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewMay 21, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
4 days ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
23 hours ago
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
Workplace Culture
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
Conferences
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
By Tristan BoveMay 20, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.