Intel’s Chief People Officer Is Leaving For A Job At Caterpillar

In an email seen by CRN, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan tells employees that the chipmaker’s chief people officer, Christy Pambianchi, who joined in 2021, is leaving to take the top human resources job at Caterpillar, and her successor will be named before May.

Intel Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi is leaving the chipmaker to take the top human resources job at construction giant Caterpillar Inc.

Lip-Bu Tan, Intel’s new CEO, informed his employees Thursday that Pambianchi, a former Verizon executive who joined the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker in 2021, is stepping down at the end of April to join Caterpillar, according to an email seen by CRN.

Caterpillar, based in Irving, Texas, announced in a press release on the same day that Pambianchi would become its chief human resources officer on May 1.

In his email to Intel employees, Tan said the semiconductor giant will announce Pambianchi’s successor before the end of April.

An Intel spokesperson told CRN in a statement that the company is “grateful for Christy’s dedicated service and contributions to Intel,” wishing her “continued success.” The statement reiterated Tan’s remarks about Pambianchi’s departure timeline and successor.

Tan, who started as Intel’s CEO more than two weeks ago, wrote that he has “known Christy for several years,” having “worked together often during my time as an Intel board member, as well as through my service on the Intel Foundry advisory board.”

“Every step of the way, I have viewed Christy as a trusted adviser who cares deeply about our business and our people,” he wrote.

Tan said that Intel Products CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel CFO David Zinsner and the rest of the executive leadership team “view her the same way.”

“Christy’s leadership has been a source of strength during a difficult period for the company,” the CEO continued in his email. “She drove significant organizational change, modernized our HR systems and navigated complex challenges with clarity and care.”

The announcement came the same week that Tan outlined his plan to turn around Intel at the Intel Vision 2025 event, saying that he is “equally focused” on strengthening its products and building a “great foundry” with its contract chip manufacturing business, Intel Foundry.

“It had been a tough period for quite a long time for Intel. We fell behind on innovation. As a result, we have been too slow to adapt and to meet your needs. You deserve better, and we need to improve, and we will,” he told partners and customers. “Please be brutally honest with us. This is what I expect [of] you this week, and I believe harsh feedback is most valuable.”