Intel Foundry Boss Jumps Ship to Qualcomm
Kevin O'Buckley exits Intel Foundry after just two years, heading to rival Qualcomm in a surprise leadership shakeup.
Intel Foundry just lost its leader. Kevin O'Buckley, who headed the chipmaking division, has departed for Qualcomm after a mere two-year stint. The move caught the industry off guard.
Naga Chandrasekaran steps in to take the reins at Intel Foundry, marking a significant changing of the guard at a unit Intel has been betting heavily on for its manufacturing comeback.
The timing is notable. Intel has been pouring billions into its foundry ambitions, trying to position itself as a serious contract chipmaker to rival TSMC and Samsung. Losing the person running that operation — to a company that could very well be a foundry customer — is not exactly the stability signal investors want.
Two years. That's all O'Buckley lasted before Qualcomm came calling. Intel's leadership churn continues.