Intel Is Losing The Head Of Its US Government Business

Since February of last year, Christopher George has led what is now called Intel Government Technologies, a subsidiary that works with defense companies and systems integrators to deliver technology solutions to U.S. government customers.

The executive who leads Intel’s business with the U.S. government said Tuesday that he has “made the difficult decision” to leave the chipmaker, effective Oct. 1.

Christopher George, who has been leading the Intel Government Technologies subsidiary since February of last year, made the announcement in a LinkedIn post nearly a month after President Trump announced an agreement for the U.S. government to take a nearly 10 percent stake in the chipmaker using previously awarded grant money.

George is leaving Intel amid a deluge of other changes under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, including a 15 percent cut to its workforce, the elimination of many management roles and a more conservative approach to how Intel spends on manufacturing projects.

In his LinkedIn post, George thanked his Intel colleagues and partners and said he is “incredibly proud of the milestones we’ve achieved together and, more importantly, the mission impact we’ve delivered for the U.S. and governments around the world.”

An Intel spokesperson said in a statement to CRN, “We thank Christopher for his contributions over many years of service and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

The company declined to say who would succeed George. George declined to comment beyond what he said in his Tuesday LinkedIn post.

Formerly known as Intel Federal, Intel Government Technologies is “responsible for managing Intel’s business with the U.S. federal government,” according to a recent job listing on its recruitment website. One of its key functions is to work with defense companies and systems integrators to deliver technology solutions and services to U.S. government customers.

Originally formed in 2011, the subsidiary had roughly 200 core employees, a total of approximately 500 employees assigned to the group and around 30 active federal contracts as of mid-April, according to an Intel presentation uploaded to the U.S. government’s website for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The subsidiary’s offerings include Intel computer chips, silicon engineering and integration services as well as contract chip manufacturing services, according to the LinkedIn profile for Greg Clifton, who has been the head of sales for the subsidiary since June.

As the president of Intel Government Technologies, George has led Intel’s “strategy and engagement across the public sector, delivering mission-ready technologies to defense, intelligence and civilian communities,” according to his LinkedIn profile.

He also supported “government engagement in Intel’s foundry manufacturing initiatives” with the goal of “reinforcing secure, domestic semiconductor supply chains and advancing national resilience,” he wrote in his job description.

In addition, the role put George in charge of aligning “Intel’s advanced compute and AI capabilities with public sector modernization priorities in secure infrastructure, cyber resilience and edge innovation,” his LinkedIn profile said.

Prior to becoming the head of Intel’s U.S. government business, George was CTO of Intel’s Corporate Strategy and Ventures Group as well as chief of staff to former Intel CEOs Pat Gelsinger and Bob Swan, according to his LinkedIn profile.

George is leaving Intel after it confirmed last month that the U.S. government would gain a 9.9 percent equity stake in the chipmaker as part of what it called a “historic” agreement that will support the “continued expansion of American technology and manufacturing.”

As detailed by Intel, the U.S. government is gaining an equity stake in the chipmaker using $8.9 billion in funds that were originally awarded as federal grants by the Biden administration last year under the CHIPS and Science Act.

The company received $5.7 billion from the federal government in late August as part of the new equity deal. This amount previously represented the remaining allocation from the direct funding agreement Intel reached with the Biden administration to support its U.S. expansion of chip manufacturing and advanced packaging plants.

The other $3.2 billion the U.S. government is using to buy Intel common stock comes from a grant the company was awarded in the Department of Defense’s Secure Enclave program, which was created by the CHIPS and Science Act. The aim of the program is to help the U.S. military improve its capabilities and secure a domestic supply chain.