Patrick Chen embraces humility and listening, leading Intel's turnaround from a low point
Intel CEO Patrick Chen has been spearheading radical reforms for over a year, focusing on "humility and listening" to drive the company's revival. His efforts have led to successful partnerships with Tesla and Apple, aiming to restore Intel's leadership in the semiconductor industry, despite political scrutiny over his Chinese-American background.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 10, 2026 at 17:17
- 🔍 Collected: May 10, 2026 at 17:31 (14 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 10, 2026 at 18:15 (43 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wu Chia-hao, Taipei, May 10th) Intel CEO Patrick Chen has been pushing for radical reforms for over a year, not only winning the trust of former US President Trump but also collaborating with Tesla's Terafab project to produce chips. Recently, there have been rumors of an OEM agreement with Apple. This Chinese-American CEO is leading Intel, which was once in a slump, to demonstrate unprecedented transformational tension through a mindset of "humility" and "listening."
Chen was appointed to rescue Intel in March last year. Unlike former CEO Pat Gelsinger's high-profile style, Chen conveyed a management philosophy of "tell me the bad news first" to employees upon taking office. He deeply understood that Intel had missed business opportunities in advanced process development due to excessive bureaucracy and neglecting yield details. Therefore, upon assuming office, he quickly streamlined the management structure and directly communicated with grassroots engineers to base improvements on their feedback.
Market observers believe Chen's core change is to "eliminate the dross and retain the essence." He suspended several non-core product lines and fully focused on the commercialization of the Intel 18A process and advanced packaging technology, which enabled Intel to successfully gain Tesla's trust and become a key technological pillar for the Terafab AI chip factory. Recent rumors of a chip OEM agreement with Apple are seen as an important milestone for Intel's Foundry Services (IFS) to become self-reliant and strong.
However, Chen's Chinese-American background and past investment experience in Asia touched a raw nerve in American politics in August 2025. Former US President Trump publicly called out Chen on social media, alleging his deep ties with China, involvement in conflicts of interest, and demanding his resignation.
Facing this sudden crisis of trust, Chen displayed a softened stance in a subsequent internal letter to global employees. In the letter, he reiterated his absolute commitment to American semiconductor self-sufficiency as a practitioner of the "American Dream," emphasizing that "listening to government advice" and "strengthening transparency" are part of the transformation, successfully slowing the impact of the political storm and allowing Intel to continue its R&D pace.
Recalling May 2025, Chen attended Intel's 40th-anniversary gala in Taiwan. His emphasis on "humility" and "listening" in his speech left a deep impression on Taiwanese supply chain operators present, stressing that Taiwan is a special place for the semiconductor industry, being the world's largest technology and innovation center.
For the industry, TSMC's leading position in advanced processes and packaging remains difficult to shake. However, Chen has successfully transformed Intel from a technology "follower" into a "strategic backup" for major manufacturers like Apple and Tesla.
Although Intel's chips once powered the first mass-produced personal computers (PCs), years of internal dysfunction allowed overseas competitors like TSMC to seize opportunities and surpass Intel in high-end chip production.
Reuters interviewed about 20 current and former Intel employees, government advisors, and Chen's industry contacts last year. Although Chen succeeded in the White House through excellent political and business diplomacy, some questioned whether he possessed sufficient technical expertise to lead Intel back to a leading position in chip manufacturing and formulate a winning artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. (Editors: Lin Ke-lun, Yang Lan-hsuan) 1150510
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(Central News Agency reporter Wu Chia-hao, Taipei, May 10th) Intel CEO Patrick Chen has been pushing for radical reforms for over a year, not only winning the trust of former US President Trump but also collaborating with Tesla's Terafab project to produce chips. Recently, there have been rumors of an OEM agreement with Apple. This Chinese-American CEO is leading Intel, which was once in a slump, to demonstrate unprecedented transformational tension through a mindset of "humility" and "listening."
Chen was appointed to rescue Intel in March last year. Unlike former CEO Pat Gelsinger's high-profile style, Chen conveyed a management philosophy of "tell me the bad news first" to employees upon taking office. He deeply understood that Intel had missed business opportunities in advanced process development due to excessive bureaucracy and neglecting yield details. Therefore, upon assuming office, he quickly streamlined the management structure and directly communicated with grassroots engineers to base improvements on their feedback.
Market observers believe Chen's core change is to "eliminate the dross and retain the essence." He suspended several non-core product lines and fully focused on the commercialization of the Intel 18A process and advanced packaging technology, which enabled Intel to successfully gain Tesla's trust and become a key technological pillar for the Terafab AI chip factory. Recent rumors of a chip OEM agreement with Apple are seen as an important milestone for Intel's Foundry Services (IFS) to become self-reliant and strong.
However, Chen's Chinese-American background and past investment experience in Asia touched a raw nerve in American politics in August 2025. Former US President Trump publicly called out Chen on social media, alleging his deep ties with China, involvement in conflicts of interest, and demanding his resignation.
Facing this sudden crisis of trust, Chen displayed a softened stance in a subsequent internal letter to global employees. In the letter, he reiterated his absolute commitment to American semiconductor self-sufficiency as a practitioner of the "American Dream," emphasizing that "listening to government advice" and "strengthening transparency" are part of the transformation, successfully slowing the impact of the political storm and allowing Intel to continue its R&D pace.
Recalling May 2025, Chen attended Intel's 40th-anniversary gala in Taiwan. His emphasis on "humility" and "listening" in his speech left a deep impression on Taiwanese supply chain operators present, stressing that Taiwan is a special place for the semiconductor industry, being the world's largest technology and innovation center.
For the industry, TSMC's leading position in advanced processes and packaging remains difficult to shake. However, Chen has successfully transformed Intel from a technology "follower" into a "strategic backup" for major manufacturers like Apple and Tesla.
Although Intel's chips once powered the first mass-produced personal computers (PCs), years of internal dysfunction allowed overseas competitors like TSMC to seize opportunities and surpass Intel in high-end chip production.
Reuters interviewed about 20 current and former Intel employees, government advisors, and Chen's industry contacts last year. Although Chen succeeded in the White House through excellent political and business diplomacy, some questioned whether he possessed sufficient technical expertise to lead Intel back to a leading position in chip manufacturing and formulate a winning artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. (Editors: Lin Ke-lun, Yang Lan-hsuan) 1150510
Stand with facts, your sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "Firsthand News" APP to get the latest news in real-time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.