Lip-Bu Tan took on the hardest job in chips

Lip-Bu Tan became Intel’s chief executive on March 18, 2025, taking over a company that had lost its manufacturing lead, its market share in key segments and much of its market value. Few jobs in the industry come with higher stakes.

Tan was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore. He studied physics in Singapore, earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering at MIT and an MBA from the University of San Francisco.

Investor, then operator

In 1987 he founded Walden International, a venture capital firm that invested early in semiconductor and technology companies across Asia and the United States. From 2009 to 2021 he was CEO of Cadence Design Systems, the chip-design software company, which grew substantially during his tenure.

He joined Intel’s board in 2022, stepped down in August 2024, and returned as CEO the following spring.

The turnaround

Tan has focused on cutting layers of management, putting engineers closer to decisions and making Intel’s manufacturing business attractive to outside customers. In August 2025, the U.S. government took an equity stake in Intel. TIME named Tan to its list of the 100 most influential people in 2026.

What to watch

Intel’s future depends on its newest manufacturing processes and on whether major chip designers choose to build with Intel’s foundry. Those decisions will show whether the turnaround is working.

Company

Intel

Role

CEO

HQ

Santa Clara, California

Founded

1968

Section

Semiconductors

This profile draws on public reporting and company materials.

Sources: Intel: Intel appoints Lip-Bu Tan as CEO · Intel: Lip-Bu Tan biography · Wikipedia: Lip-Bu Tan

Photo: U.S. Department of Commerce, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons