New Intel Ceo Lip-bu Tan Has A History As A Successful Underdog

Tan, named Intel CEO on Wednesday, faces an enormous challenge in turning around the operations of a company that put the silicon in Silicon Valley.

While little known to the public, his advantage is that virtually every one of Intels former and potential customers knows him and has done business with him, either buying one of the many start-ups he backed or using software from a company he ran.

Tan rubs shoulders with the likes of Lisa Su from AMD and Nvidias Jensen Huang, two AI chip leaders who, according to Reuters reports, had been pitched to invest in Intel. His efforts are also likely to be closely watched by US President Donald Trump, who is eager for Intel to rebound.

Tan can leverage his experience and especially his industry connections, while also pursuing excellence within Intel, said independent analyst Jack Gold. Hopefully the board will stay out of his way as he makes needed changes.

Tan remains actively involved with start-ups that could either become competitors or acquisition targets for Intel. For example, earlier this week he invested in AI photonic startup Celestial AI, which is backed by Intel rival AMD.