HPE, Synnex Channel Execs Look Forward to Former Intel CTO Returning as CEO

Former Intel CTO Pat Gelsinger’s return to the company as its CEO has partners looking forward to working with him.

Gelsinger will become Intel’s CEO on Feb. 15, replacing Bob Swan, who’s been CEO for two years. Gelsinger most recently was VMware’s CEO for more than eight years.

The former Intel CTO began his career at Intel and spent 30 years there.

George Hope is worldwide head of partner sales at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

HPE’s George Hope

“I’m looking forward to seeing Pat at the helm,” he said. “He is an industry veteran and a visionary. I remember seeing an immediate impact when he came to EMC. He brought a fresh perspective and out-of-the-box thinking. HPE has a long history working with Intel. And with Pat’s background at the company, I expect good progress in the coming months.”

Michael Urban is Synnex‘s worldwide technology solutions distribution president. He, too, looks forward to seeing Gelsinger at the helm at Intel.

Synnex’s Michael Urban

“Intel has been a strong partner with Synnex for decades,” he said. “And we expect that relationship to only grow as we continue to identify new opportunities and innovative solutions that drive business for our channel partners. Pat has done an outstanding job at VMware and for the channel over many years. And he brings that dedication and commitment to Intel. Synnex looks forward to working with him in his new role.”

Homecoming for Gelsinger

James Sanders is semiconductor market analyst at 451 Research, a division of S&P Global Market Intelligence. He said Gelsinger will have the advantage of a “solid engineering background, a good track record running large businesses and enough credibility within the company for a new direction.”

“This is a homecoming for [Gelsinger] personally, and comes at a pivotal time for Intel given the headwinds it is facing,” he said.

Michael Dell, CEO and chairman of Dell Technologies, said Gelsinger led VMware’s “tremendous growth and expansion, and built a solid foundation for future innovation” over the last eight years. VMWare is a Dell company.

“I speak for the VMware board of directors, executive management and employees in expressing our gratitude to Pat for his leadership at VMware,” he said. “And we are thrilled to keep him on as a member of the board.”

Zane Rowe, VMware CFO and Interim CEO, said Gelsinger accomplished at lot at VMware.

“Pat led the company in expanding our core virtualization footprint and broadening our capabilities to cloud, networking, 5G/edge and security, while almost tripling revenue to nearly $12 billion,” he said. “VMware remains focused on helping customers optimize their digital infrastructure — from app modernization and multicloud to networking, security and digital workspaces. We look forward to continued growth and innovation across our technology offerings.”