Jeff Dahncke is among several top executives who have left Intel this year after CEO Lip-Bu Tan became its CEO in March and unleashed a torrent of major reforms over the next several months in the semiconductor giant’s latest comeback attempt.
Intel has lost its chief communications officer less than 12 months after he took the job, adding to this year’s exodus of several top executives as CEO Lip-Bu Tan pushes for major changes.
Jeff Dahncke, the communications leader who also held the title of corporate vice president, announced on LinkedIn Monday that he left Intel to join data center infrastructure provider Equinix as chief communications officer.
[Related: 13 Major Intel Executive Hires, Exits And Other Moves Under Lip-Bu Tan]
In his LinkedIn post, Dahncke said, “it was a terrific ride at Intel.”
“I’m grateful to all the Intel leaders who supported and empowered me along the way—and I’m proud of the work we delivered across the Global Communications & Events team,” he wrote. “There’s no doubt you’ll keep doing great things.”
Cory Pforzheimer, a former Equinix and HP Inc. communications leader who joined Intel last year, started as the semiconductor giant’s interim chief communications officer in October, according to his LinkedIn profile.
An Intel spokesperson confirmed to CRN that Dahncke departed the company after becoming its communications chief in January. His predecessor, HP communications veteran Karen Kahn, served in the role for a year and a half before leaving this year.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company also confirmed Pforzheimer’s appointment as the company’s interim communications leader.
“We appreciate Jeff’s contributions during his time with the company and wish him well in his future endeavors,” the Intel representative said. “Our strategy and priorities remain unchanged, and we have a strong leadership team in place to ensure continuity.”
Dahncke’s Exit Among Several Major Executive Moves Under Lip-Bu Tan
Dahncke, a former HP communications leader who joined Intel as vice president of corporate reputation in August 2024, is among several top executives who have left the chipmaker this year after Tan became its CEO in March and unleashed a torrent of major reforms over the next several months in Intel’s latest comeback attempt.
As part of his push to transform Intel into a leaner, “engineering-focused company,” Tan has elevated the roles of a few company veterans to his executive leadership team while bringing in outsiders to take on key AI and data center leadership positions.
“Attracting and retaining talent while optimizing the executive and management levels across the organization remains a priority for Intel,” the Intel spokesperson said in a statement. “We have a strong bench of talent across the company and continue to make progress on revitalizing our engineering-centric, customer-first culture as we strengthen our core x86 franchise, build a trusted U.S. foundry, and advance our AI strategy.”
Dahncke was among the executives who Tan made direct reports in March as part of a move to flatten the CEO’s executive team. The communications leader previously reported to Intel Chief Commercial Officer Christoph Schell, who left the company in June.
Other direct reports of Tan who have left Intel include Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi, Chief Strategy Officer Safroadu Yeboah-Amankwah, Intel Products CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus, engineering leader Rob Bruckner and Chief Technology and AI Officer Sachin Katti.
Katti left Intel earlier this month to build out compute infrastructure for ChatGPT creator OpenAI after Tan picked him to lead Intel’s AI strategy and road map in March. When he was given the role, Katti, who was also the leader of Intel’s Network and Edge Group, was made a direct report of Tan as part of the executive team restructuring.
When Tan announced Katti’s departure, he told staff that he would take over Katti’s leadership responsibilities for the AI and advanced technologies teams in recognition of the “considerable change” they had experienced in recent months, CRN previously reported.
Recent executive appointments made by Tan include former Arm executive Kevork Kechichian as the leader of Intel’s Data Center Group, company veteran Jim Johnson as the head of its Client Computing Group and Intel sales veteran Greg Ernst as chief revenue officer.
Tan has also hired former Apple chip designers Jean-Didier Allegrucci and Shailendra Desai to lead AI silicon engineering efforts as well former Cadence Design Systems engineering leader Srinivasan Iyengar to lead a revitalized custom chip design initiative.
