Intel announced Thursday that it has chosen Seok-Hee Lee to serve as executive vice president of its contract chip-manufacturing division, as the company doubles down on its advanced packaging operations.
The U.S.-based chipmaker has been working to breathe new life into its manufacturing arm under CEO Lip-Bu Tan after failing to capitalize on the surge in artificial intelligence demand.
The hiring was announced on the same day President Donald Trump revealed that Apple had agreed to collaborate with Intel to design and produce chips domestically — a development seen as a significant boost to Intel’s contract manufacturing business.
Advanced packaging has grown in strategic importance across the semiconductor industry, as companies look to boost performance by combining multiple chips into a single unified package.
According to an Intel statement, Lee will report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan and will oversee all advanced packaging, system integration, back-end technology development, and back-end manufacturing operations.
Lee brings deep experience in the semiconductor field, having previously served as CEO of both SK On and SK Hynix.
With Lee stepping into his new role, Naga Chandrasekaran — who serves as executive vice president of Intel Foundry — will shift his attention to front-end technology development and manufacturing, as Intel pushes to accelerate the rollout of its 18A, Intel 14A, and future technology platforms.
The appointment is the latest in a series of high-profile hires at Intel. In April, the company brought on Samsung foundry veteran Shawn Han to support its contract manufacturing efforts. That same month, Tesla was announced as the first major customer for Intel’s next-generation 14A manufacturing process, which is expected to reach mass production in 2029.
