Intel puts Dr. Ann Kelleher in charge of its delayed 7nm CPU project
Chief engineering officer Dr. Murthy Renduchintala will leave August 3rd.
Last week Intel revealed that yields for CPUs manufactured on a 7nm process were running a year behind schedule, which will slow its transition to the technology that lets it build more efficient processors. Now the chipmaker has reshuffled executives in charge, with chief engineering officer Dr. Murthy Renduchintala, who had been leading its Technology, Systems Architecture and Client Group (TSCG), leaving the company.
Now the push for 7nm and 5nm processes is led by Dr. Ann Kelleher, as the group is being split up under different people who will all report directly to the CEO. Another key change is Keyvan Esfarjani taking over Kelleher’s former responsibility of manufacturing and operations, where he will “lead global manufacturing operations and continue Kelleher’s work driving product ramp and the build-out of new fab capacity.”
Just as the release credits Kelleher with accelerating Intel’s ramp up of 10nm tech, now they will need to do it again as the company looks to rely on outside fabs instead of the vertically-integrated structure it’s maintained in the past. In a statement, CEO Bob Swan said “. We have the most diverse portfolio of leadership products in our history and, as a result of our six pillars of innovation and disaggregation strategy, much more flexibility in how we build, package and deliver those products for our customers.”