Intel Corp.’s much-needed addition of two executives with semiconductor expertise to its board comes as the chip maker’s stock is on track for its worst year ever, after the ouster earlier this week of Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger.
Intel stock is down nearly 60% year to date.
Investors can also take away some clues in Intel’s board appointments of Eric Meurice, the former CEO of ASML Holding NV, the leader in semiconductor lithography, and Steve Sanghi, chairman and longtime CEO of Microchip Technology Inc., a semiconductor company that also still has its own chip factories, though it is starting to shut one of them down.
The question over what Intel should do with its foundry business is clearly the biggest one facing the board, and will likely guide the discussions with CEO candidates.
Analysts have already speculated that if Intel still wants to receive its billions in grants for new U.S. plants via the Chips Act, it is going to have to maintain at least 50.1% ownership of Intel Foundry if it’s separated into a new private entity, or not give up 35% or more to a third party if the foundry unit is listed to go public and Intel is not its largest shareholder, based on the language of the agreements.
The appointment of Meurice from ASML in particular could also signal that the board wants someone with deep manufacturing knowledge to be able to guide the board, or possibly help troubleshoot any potential issues with Intel’s new manufacturing process, which involves equipment from his former employer. Meurice has a couple of degrees, including a master’s in mechanics from the Ecole Centrale de Paris and an MBA from Stanford University, and he most recently spent nine years as ASML’s CEO.
Earlier this year, Intel said its next-generation 18a process hit key milestones and is ready to make chips. But those are not expected in volume until next year. It is using a next-generation lithography system from ASML, which uses extreme ultraviolet, a short wavelength of light to etch or print the very complex semiconductor designs on the silicon wafers.
Industry analysts and Wall Street have noted that transitioning to the next manufacturing process is a key milestone for Intel.
Sanghi is currently interim CEO of Microchip. Last month, he was named to take over until a successor can be found for the also-struggling chip maker to replace its CEO, who retired in November. One of his first moves, announced on Monday — coincidentally the same day Gelsinger’s retirement was announced — was a manufacturing restructuring plan at Microchip, which includes shutting down one of its fabs, or fabrication facilities, in Tempe, Ariz.
“The fab restructuring is a big step in right-sizing our manufacturing footprint, and we will continue to evaluate any further actions that are required to position Microchip for outsized growth and financial performance,” Sanghi told investors in a press release. It’s feasible that Intel’s board wants more sets of eyes to review its current restructuring plan set in place by Gelsinger in October.
Sanghi also recently pulled back Microchip’s applications for its own grants from the Chips Act. It was expected to receive $162 million in grants, but Sanghi said at a recent UBS conference he has put those talks on hold for now, according to Bloomberg News.
Intel shares fell another 5% on Thursday, and are down nearly 60% year to date.
Over the past six years, manufacturing — once its strong suit — has been Intel’s Achilles heel, and adding semiconductor executives to its board is an essential move that should have been done years ago. Investors are now waiting patiently for more news on the company’s CEO search, where these two newcomers to the board will clearly play a very large role, as well as in deciding the fate of the company’s manufacturing business.
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