Patrick Paul Gelsinger (/ˈɡɛlsɪŋɡər/; born March 5, 1961)[1] is an American business executive and engineer, who was the CEO of Intel from February 2021 to December 2024.[2][3][4]
Based mainly in Silicon Valley since the late 1970s, Gelsinger graduated from Stanford University with a master's degree in engineering in 1985 and was the chief architect of Intel's i486microprocessor in the 1980s. He was Intel's CTO from 2001 to 2009. He left Intel in 2009 and was the CEO of VMware and president and chief operating officer (COO) at EMC, 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]
Early life and education
Gelsinger was raised on family farms by his parents, June and Paul Gelsinger, in rural Robesonia, in an Amish and Mennonite part of Pennsylvania.[1][7] As a teenager, he received a high score on a Lincoln 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 at WFMZ-TV Channel 69 as a technician,[8] while obtaining an associate’s degree from Lincoln Tech in West Orange, New Jersey[9] in 1979.
An Intel 486DX2 microprocessor using the 80486 architecture designed by Gelsinger in the 1980s
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 the 80386microprocessor.[14][15] Gelsinger was the lead architect of the 4th generation 80486 processor[15] introduced in 1989.[9] At age 32, he was named the youngest vice president in Intel's history.[7] Mentored by Intel CEO Andrew Grove, Gelsinger became the company's CTO in 2001, leading key technology developments, including Wi-Fi, USB, Intel Core and Intel Xeon processors, and 14 chip projects.[16][17] He launched the Intel Developer Forum conference as a counterpart to Microsoft's WinHEC.
In September 2009, he left Intel to join EMC as president and chief operating officer.[17] In 2012, he became the CEO of VMware.[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 investor Third 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 by Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes. Gelsinger stated that Intel plans to catch up with Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC and Korean chip manufacturer Samsung within the next five years. He announced a planned three and a half-billion dollar upgrade to Intel's fab in New Mexico.[27]
In March 2022, Gelsinger personally announced the start of an entirely new fab built for roughly $20 billion near Magdeburg, 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. CFO David Zinsner and executive Michelle Johnston Holthaus were named interim co-CEOs, while board member Frank 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]
In October 2021, Gelsinger was inducted into Indiana 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 from Ohio State University.[32]
Personal life
Gelsinger and his wife Linda[7] are Christians[33] who "support multiple worthy causes", including sponsorship of disaster 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 institution William Jessup University from which he also received an honorary doctorate.[37] Gelsinger and his wife have 4 children.[38]
