VMware Names Zane Rowe As Interim CEO

VMware CFO Zane Rowe has been appointed interim CEO of VMware as Pat Gelsinger leaves to become CEO of Intel. VMware told CRN that the company has initiated a formal search for a new, permanent CEO.

“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,” said Rowe in a statement today. “VMware remains focused on helping customers optimize their digital infrastructure—from app modernization and multi-cloud to networking, security and digital workspaces. We look forward to continued growth and innovation across our technology offerings.”

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based virtualization market leader and emerging hybrid cloud software standout said Wednesday that Gelsinger will leave VMware to take the CEO position at Intel effective Feb. 15. Gelsinger spent 30 years at Intel from 1979 to 2009 in various top executive roles, including being named the company’s first chief technology officer in 2000.

“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as the CEO of VMware,” said Gelsinger in a statement. “We have transformed the global technology landscape for the better, and I am confident that the company will continue to excel as they enable customers with the digital foundation for an unpredictable world. My sincere and heartfelt thanks to Team VMware, our customers, and our partners for some of the most rewarding years of my career.”

[Related: VMware Cloud Guru Ajay Singh Leaves For Pure Storage]

VMware’s global executive search process to name a permanent CEO is being led by Paul Sagan, who is the lead independent VMware board member and chair of the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committee.

“VMware’s business is in good hands with a proven, experienced management team, and the company’s strategic priorities are aligned with what enterprise customers require in these unprecedented times,” said Sagan in a statement.

Rowe served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of VMware prior to being named interim CEO. He is responsible for the company’s overall finance and accounting functions, as well as internal audit, investor relations and real estate and workplace, which oversees all VMware sites worldwide.

Rowe also leads the strategy and corporate development team in their long-term planning across VMware businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic investments. He also has responsibility for the information technology organization and enterprise data and analytics. Prior to joining VMware, he was executive vice president and CFO at EMC.

Gelsinger joins several other top executives who have recently left VMware including its former cloud chief operating officer, Rajiv Ramaswami, who is now CEO of Nutanix.