Intel Corp., the renowned chipmaker, has appointed Justin Hotard, an executive from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (HPE), to lead its crucial data center and artificial intelligence (AI) group. This move is part of Intel’s ongoing efforts to revitalize its business and regain its leadership position in the chip industry.
At HPE, Hotard was responsible for overseeing high-performance computing, AI, and labs. In his new role at Intel, he will be in charge of some of the company’s most important products, including the Xeon server processors. These processors used to dominate data centers but have recently faced increasing competition from rival offerings and in-house efforts by customers.
One of Hotard’s key responsibilities will be spearheading Intel’s attempts to close the gap with Nvidia Corp. in the AI sector. This will involve overseeing Intel’s graphics and accelerator chip offerings, as Nvidia currently holds a leading position in the AI market.
To lead Intel’s data center and AI group is crucial to CEO Pat Gelsinger’s plans to restore the company’s prominence. While data center chips may not have high sales volumes, processors and accelerators can be extremely profitable, with prices reaching tens of thousands of dollars each.
Hotard will begin his role at Intel on February 1, taking over from Sandra Rivera, a long-time company veteran who has been appointed as head of Intel’s standalone programmable solutions business.
In a separate announcement, Intel revealed that another executive from its data center unit, Arun Subramaniyan, has left to lead Articul8, a new AI company formed by Intel and investors including DigitalBridge Group Inc. and Mindset Ventures.
Intel has also expressed its intention to sell a portion of its programmable solutions business to the public within the next two to three years.
As Intel strives to regain its standing in the industry, the appointment of Justin Hotard and the restructuring of its business units reflect the company’s commitment to innovation and competitiveness in the data center and AI domains. This move will undoubtedly be closely watched by industry experts and investors as Intel seeks to reestablish itself as a leader in the chip market.
