Pat Gelsinger | |
|---|---|
 Gelsinger in 2017 | |
| Born | Patrick Paul Gelsinger (1961-03-05)March 5, 1961 (age 64) Robesonia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Years active | 1979–2024 (retired) |
| Employer(s) | FormerlyEMC Corporation,Intel andVMware |
| Known for | Chief architect of thei486 |
| Predecessor | Bob Swan |
| Successor | Lip-Bu Tan |
| Board member of | |
| Spouse | Linda Fortune |
| Children | 4 |
| Family | 8 grandchildren |
Patrick Paul Gelsinger (/ˈɡɛlsɪŋɡər/; born March 5, 1961)[1] is an American business executive and engineer, who was theCEO ofIntel from February 2021 to December 2024.[2][3][4]
Based mainly inSilicon Valley since the late 1970s, Gelsinger graduated fromStanford University with a master's degree in engineering in 1985 and was the chief architect of Intel'si486microprocessor in the 1980s. He was Intel'sCTO from 2001 to 2009. He left Intel in 2009 and was the CEO ofVMware and president and chief operating officer (COO) atEMC, before returning to Intel as CEO in February 2021.[5][6] In 2024, he stepped down as the CEO and from the board of directors.[4]
Gelsinger was raised on family farms by his parents, June and Paul Gelsinger, in ruralRobesonia, in anAmish andMennonite part ofPennsylvania.[1][7] As a teenager, he received a high score on aLincoln Tech electronics technology test, winning an early-admission scholarship. He then skipped his final year at Conrad Weiser High School and left home at 16 for college. There he earned the remainder of high school credits for graduation and worked atWFMZ-TV Channel 69 as a technician,[8] while obtaining an associate’s degree from Lincoln Tech inWest Orange,New Jersey[9] in 1979.
In 1979, at age 18, he moved toSilicon Valley to work atIntel as a quality-control technician.[7][10][1] While at Intel, he earned a bachelor's degree inelectrical engineering, graduatingmagna cum laude[11] fromSanta Clara University in 1983, and then earned a master's degree in electrical engineering andcomputer science fromStanford University in 1985.[9]
Gelsinger first joined Intel at 18 years old in 1979 just after earning an associate degree from Lincoln Tech.[9] He spent much of his career with the company in Oregon,[12] where he maintains a home.[13] In 1987, he co-authored his first book about programming the80386microprocessor.[14][15] Gelsinger was the lead architect of the 4th generation80486 processor[15] introduced in 1989.[9] At age 32, he was named the youngest vice president in Intel's history.[7] Mentored by Intel CEOAndrew Grove, Gelsinger became the company'sCTO in 2001, leading key technology developments, includingWi-Fi,USB,Intel Core andIntel Xeon processors, and 14 chip projects.[16][17] He launched theIntel Developer Forum conference as a counterpart toMicrosoft'sWinHEC.
In September 2009, he left Intel to join EMC as president and chief operating officer.[17] In 2012, he became the CEO ofVMware.[16][18]
Gelsinger rejoined Intel as their new CEO on February 15, 2021, after previously having a 30 year-long career at the company in various technical engineering and leadership roles.[19][2] This followed reorganization pressure, due to languishing share prices, from its newest activist investorThird Point Management. Gelsinger led Intel's course correction, including construction of two $20 billion Arizona manufacturing plants (fabs) for its planned expansion.[20][21][22][23] Media reported positive responses to Gelsinger's appointment and credited the decision for driving Intel share prices up nearly 8%.[24][25] On March 23, 2021, Intel shares rose over 6% following Gelsinger’s remarks regarding company strategy.[26]
In May 2021, Gelsinger was interviewed byLesley Stahl of60 Minutes. Gelsinger stated that Intel plans to catch up with Taiwanese chip manufacturerTSMC and Korean chip manufacturerSamsung within the next five years. He announced a planned three and a half-billion dollar upgrade to Intel'sfab in New Mexico.[27]
In March 2022, Gelsinger personally announced the start of an entirely new fab built for roughly $20 billion nearMagdeburg,Saxony-Anhalt,Germany to employ 7,000 people during construction work and 3,000 people in production work in 2027.[28]
On December 1, 2024, Gelsinger stepped down from the position of Intel CEO and from the company’s board of directors. CFODavid Zinsner and executiveMichelle Johnston Holthaus were named interim co-CEOs, while board memberFrank Yeary assumed interim executive Chairship[3][4] as the company conducts a search for a permanent new CEO. Holthaus has also been named to the newly-created CEO of Intel products, which will oversee, among other things, its data center and AI product efforts.[29]
He was named a Fellow of theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 2008 and is a director of theSemiconductor Industry Association (SIA). He is a member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC).[11]
Gelsinger holds eight design patents, developed for communications, computer architecture andVLSI design.[15][11]
In 2021, Gelsinger was appointed toPresidentJoe Biden'sCouncil of Advisors on Science and Technology. In this position, he has advised Biden on thechips shortage and advocated for the passage of theCHIPS and Science Act. Gelsinger was a guest at Biden'sState of the Union Address in March 2022.[30] Biden has spoken in favor of Intel's investment in fabrication plants in the U.S. and has visited the $20 billion facility planned inOhio alongside Gelsinger.[31]
In October 2021, Gelsinger was inducted intoIndiana Wesleyan University's Society of World Changers. While speaking on campus, he received an honorary doctor of science degree and a bronze bust of Gelsinger was placed in the university's library rotunda. In 2022, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Engineering fromOhio State University.[32]
Gelsinger and his wife Linda[7] are Christians[33] who "support multiple worthy causes", including sponsorship ofdisaster relief medical teams.[13] In 2013, Gelsinger co-founded[34] Transforming the Bay with Christ (TBC), a coalition of business leaders, venture capitalists, non-profit leaders and pastors that aims to convert one million people over the next decade.[35][36] He helped establish the Sacramento-area Christian institutionWilliam Jessup University from which he also received an honorary doctorate.[37] Gelsinger and his wife have 4 children.[38]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Business positions | ||
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| Preceded by | CEO,VMware 2012–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | CEO,Intel 2021–2024 | Succeeded by |
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| Academics | |
