We’ve Got Our Mojo Back

You know your company is making waves when the President showcases it during the state of the union address and CEO Pat Gelsinger is in attendance.

“If you travel 20 miles east of Columbus, Ohio, you’ll find 1,000 empty acres of land … the ground on which America’s future will be built. That’s where Intel, the American company that helped build Silicon Valley, is going to build its $20 billion semiconductor mega site.” President Joe Biden said in his 2022 State of the Union address. “ … Some of the most sophisticated manufacturing in the world to make computer chips the size of a fingertip that power the world and everyday lives. From smartphones. The internet. Technology we have yet to invent. But that’s just the beginning. Intel’s C.E.O., Pat Gelsinger, who is here tonight — Pat told me they are ready to increase their investment from $20 billion to $100 billion. That would be the biggest investment in manufacturing in American history.”

That’s an amazing thing when you hear the President talking about the important role your company plays in the future of the country.

Getting the Band Back Together

It’s been a little over a year since Pat rejoined Intel. At Investor Day everyone got the chance to hear how, as Pat puts it, “the band is coming back together and the mojo is back”.

I’ve been at Intel for almost 2 decades, and this is an exciting time to be here as we re-architect the company and re-ignite innovation. There’s an irresistible energy in the air today and it has been building.

Pat uses the word Torrid to describe the pace we’re setting towards accelerating strategy to reposition our company. It’s a perfect description. The pace of change in the world over the last year has been unprecedented and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Who wouldn’t get excited to hear a leader talk about our moonshot to re-establish the resilient supply chain of the future. I almost feel like we’re in the control room at NASA as we work to achieve a goal that will have far reaching implications for our customers, partners, and our country.

Semiconductors are at the heart of everything. Building out our domestic manufacturing capacity is essential to helping partners and customers realize the future in a sustainable and secure way.

And, for someone who’s educational background is science-based, I love that we’re unapologetic about bringing the “geek back.”

Going Deep on Partnerships

Partnerships and our partners have been my focus at Intel since I took on the partner sales role in 2017 … but my history working with what I unabashedly call the best partner ecosystem in the world dates well before then. Our partners are critical to our ability to deliver the best products, leading solutions, and pushing the limits of innovation.

And, with the challenges getting more and more complex and the pace of change continuing to speed up, we need new types of partnerships and new partners to continue to deliver at a high level.

In the last year, we’ve seen a renewed focus on partners and building (or in some cases rebuilding) key relationships. No one company can go it alone. Whether we’re talking hardware, software, solutions, cloud, VARs, MSPs, distribution, and so many more groups, we’re working closer than ever, and I know that’s the key to all of our success .

“It’s not only doing great things, it’s doing the right thing as well.”

Pat Gelsinger

We’re not just focusing on pushing Moore’s law to the limits and accelerating innovation, the company is making sure we don’t lose sight of what’s good for the environment and society. I couldn’t be prouder of the steps we’ve taken to address diversity and sustainability … and while there’s more to be done, our effort hasn’t gone unnoticed.

We ranked #1 (up from 47 last year) on Barron’s world’s most sustainable companies thanks in part to our 2030 sustainability targets to run 100% on renewable energy, to be water positive (by conserving 60 billion gallons of water and funding water projects that restore more fresh water to the local watersheds than Intel consumes), and to achieve zero waste in its operations.

“Intel is one of the leading companies in terms of water management … Water is a massively important input into the semiconductor manufacturing process. Semiconductor manufacturing requires millions of gallons of water every day to cool down equipment and clean silicon wafers used in chips.” Chris Madden, managing director and co-director of Index Management at Calvert Research and Management

And, when it comes to diversity, we’re continuing to work to deliver on our corporate goals, and we’re working with partners to extend diversity and inclusion efforts. Last year, in partnership with Dell, NTT DATA and Snap Inc, we started the Alliance for Global Inclusion to help drive progress in four critical areas: leadership representation, inclusive language, inclusive product development and STEM readiness in under-served communities. It’s an amazing initiative.

For me this is another example of how, by working together, we’re accomplishing some truly amazing things.

Unprecedented. Relentless. Torrid. Unsatiable. Pervasive.

Those are just some of the words we’re using to describe our company and priorities.

If you didn’t tune into the Pat’s investor day keynote, take the time. His presentation (and all the sessions) the vision, beliefs, and strategies to unleash innovation as well as our roadmap for the future. It’s an exciting time to be part of Intel … the future we’re helping to build, together. #iamintel