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Intel names Tan Lip-Bu, who grew up in S’pore, as new CEO
He studied at Nanyang University.
March 13, 2025, 12:37 PM
Intel Corp has named Malaysia-born Tan Lip-Bu as its new chief executive officer (CEO).
Tan, 65, was born in Muar, Johor, and grew up in Singapore.
As CEO, Tan would be tasked with turning around the fortunes of Intel, which lost a whopping US$18.8 billion back in 2024.
Intel's recent decline has been in sharp contrast to rival semiconductor companies like Nvidia.
Intel is even exploring the option of handing off its long-held foundry division to a joint venture led by Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC.
Who is Tan?
According to The Straits Times, Tan attended the now-defunct Nanyang University (which would later be merged to form the National University of Singapore in 1980), and studied physics there.
He then obtained a Master's in nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and an MBA at the University of San Francisco.
Tan then worked at several tech companies, including at SMIC, a Chinese semiconductor manufacturing company.
He spent some time in venture investing, before joining the board of a software company called Cadence Design Systems.
Cadence Design Systems specialises in software for semiconductor design which is used by companies like Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.
In 2008, Techzine Europe reported that Cadence entered "dire straits", and Tan was then appointed as a crisis CEO for just three months.
Tan's temporary role was soon extended, and he relinquished his role as Cadence's leader in December 2021, and served as chairman there till 2023.
From August 2022 to August 2024, Tan was on Intel Corp's board.
He left the board in August 2024, and was appointed as CEO three months after company veteran Pat Gelsinger was "forced out" in December 2024.
Has his work cut out for him
On Mar. 12, 2025, Tan published a memo to Intel Corp's website, stating his vision for Intel's future:
"Together, we will work hard to restore Intel’s position as a world-class products company, establish ourselves as a world-class foundry and delight our customers like never before. That’s what this moment demands of us as we remake Intel for the future."
Top photo from Intel website.
