Intel hires former SK hynix chief Lee Seok-hee to lead advanced packaging
Seol, June 20
Intel has appointed former CEO of SK hynix and SK On Lee Seok-hee as a senior vice president in its foundry business, amid the US chipmaker's push into advanced semiconductor packaging.
According to a report by The Korea Herald, Intel announced Thursday that Lee will oversee advanced packaging, system integration, back-end technology development and back-end manufacturing at Intel Foundry. He will report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
Intel Foundry is establishing advanced packaging as a focused business with dedicated leadership, a direction underscored by Lee's appointment to strengthen the division, the company explained.
"Seok-Hee brings deep expertise in leading complex, high-scale technology and manufacturing organizations, along with a strong track record of operational execution," Tan said in a statement, as per The Korea Herald.
"Seok-Hee's insights will help Intel further strengthen our system integration capabilities, allowing us to tightly couple leading-edge logic, memory, networking and other components to build high-performance computing systems for Intel Foundry customers."
"He is the right leader to build and scale this critical part of the Intel Foundry business as we prepare to ramp advanced packaging technologies, including EMIB-T and HBI, to high volume for customers and partners," Tan added.
Lee said he sees advanced packaging as a key growth area for the semiconductor industry.
"Intel is uniquely positioned to lead in advanced packaging as demand for system-level integration accelerates across AI and high-performance computing," Lee said. "I'm excited to return home and to join the Intel team as we help advance the company's technology leadership, manufacturing capabilities, and customer commitments in this critical area."
Lee stepped down as chief executive of SK On at the end of May after 2 1/2 years in the role. Prior to joining the battery maker, he served as chief executive of SK hynix, one of the world's largest memory chip manufacturers, where he played an instrumental role in developing and advancing the company's high-bandwidth memory, a critical component in powering artificial intelligence.
Lee earned a bachelor's degree in materials science and engineering from Seoul National University and a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University. He also worked at Intel as an engineer from 2000 to 2010 before taking on leadership roles in South Korea.
The management changes come as Intel seeks to rebuild its foundry business and compete with leading contract chipmakers by strengthening its manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities, key differentiators in next-generation AI systems.
Under the new structure, Naga Chandrasekaran, executive vice president of Intel Foundry, will continue to report to Tan, focusing on front-end technology development and accelerating the ramp of 18A and 14A nodes and future technology.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive background: Stanford PhD, Intel veteran, ex-SK hynix CEO. But I wonder if one person can turn around Intel Foundry's foundry business. The competition from TSMC and Samsung is brutal. Still, packaging is a differentiator worth betting on.
Interesting how the semiconductor world is so interconnected—Lee worked at Intel before leading SK hynix, and now he's back. This kind of global talent mobility is something we should encourage in India. Our chip design talent is world-class, but we need more leaders with fab experience. 📈
Advanced packaging is the unsung hero of chip performance. HBM memory wouldn't be possible without it. Lee's experience with HBM at SK hynix is exactly what Intel needs. But will Intel's foundry customers trust them after years of delays? Actions speak louder than press releases.
This is good news for the global semiconductor ecosystem. Advanced packaging is where the real innovation will happen for AI and high-performance computing. Intel needs to prove it can execute, but hiring someone with Lee's pedigree is a step in the right direction. India's chip policy should take note of this talent-focused strategy. 💡
Lee returning to Intel after a decade feels like a homecoming. His work on HBM at SK hynix was pivotal for AI. But I've seen too many big hires in the chip industry that don't lead to results. Let's wait and see if Intel can actually ramp EMIB-T and HBI to volume. Wishing him all the best! 🤞
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